Elaine Donadio - Sojourn Into The Night: A Memoir of The Peruvian Rainforest

Sojourn Into the Night- A Memoir of the PeruvianRainforest

http://ElaineDonadioWrites.wordpress.com All photos are thecreation of the author, ElaineDonadio. With special thanks toMarti Dobkins - MarJim books( ) for help with the cover design . the tributary of the mighty river of the Napo people, but for the shatter of the small boat quietly coursing ahead, never suggesting theabundance of concealed beneathits depths. Exalted forestfashions shadows, at this moment in time, occasioned by flashlights. Exalted forestfashions shadows, at this moment in time, occasioned by flashlights.

At eye level, buttress rootsspread wide, staunch soldiers earnest in their mission. Lianas reach up with wooden fingers in communion witharboreal giants. Whispers echo as we struggle to keep our presence unperceived by the creatures hidden amidst the luxuriant foliage, as we endeavor to camouflage ourselves, as well, lest our facades be cracked open to reveal truths we prefer to keep hidden and our social behaviors give us away. Shhh, the guide warns as his five passengers break the rule of silence. Gregarious by nature, we must learn to blend with our surroundings in our unfamiliar roles as learners, observing rules not of our making. A discordant choir.

Warble, trill, chirp. Each creature with itsown tune. Buzz, hum, croak, squeak. Droning, drumming repetitions of unharmonious cries throughout the night. Yet, our speech interrupts their rhythm.

the patterns of the sky, the upside down view of Orion serves as a bookmark. the patterns of the sky, the upside down view of Orion serves as a bookmark.

The Southern Cross comes into view, then the Centaur,

from this opaquevantage point, unique in their placement in the southern hemisphere, now revealing themselves to the visitors from the continent tothe north on a quest for knowledge and enlightenment. the gentle flapping Amazonian bat disturbed by the beams of light, spied only for an instant. Too close for comfort, three gliding mammals flit overhead in succession before seeking shelter among the countless leaves of the rainforest. Stop, the guide murmurs to the boat captain. A single beam highlights asolitary figure embracing the tip ofa leaf. Moving on, flashlights zigzag, then circle, the obscure forest for signs of life. Moving on, flashlights zigzag, then circle, the obscure forest for signs of life.

Croak, croak, croak. Steering the boat inthe direction of the guttural warning, eyes adjusting, with spotlights on the lone bullfrog

on a leftover tree stump, a private island inthe midst of a liquid world. Our boat captain gingerly pulls the boat alongside thebullfrogs territory while our guide deftly grabs thebloated amphibian and holds him firmlywith two Not at all appreciatingthe specter of cameras flashing as we admire his features, the bullfrog uses hispowerful legs to hop onto my lap as I watchthe scene with wide-eyed curiosity. Get it off me! I try to escape but thereis no place to go on this tiny boat filledto capacity. The more I yell, The more the bullfrogholds his ground. Croak, croak, croak.

Bellowing back inwhat becomes a war of sounds, one frightened, one assertive, the bullfrog stares rightat me loudly communicating his displeasure at being abruptly snatched from the comfort and safety of his home.

Next page