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| The Boiling River is spiritually significant to indigenous people of the Amazon. Picture: Sofia Ruzo |
The trees are so tall, and jungle so thick, that it is difficult to distinguish the topography above the ridge. In places, thatched-roof homesteads sit on lush lawns dotted with large trees and grazing cattle. These patches of domesticated jungle expose rolling hills and ravines.
“Isn’t it incredible?” Guida says, beaming. “I love the jungle.”
“It’s beautiful.” I nod. “But I just can’t wait to see this thermal river. Honestly, I’m having trouble focusing on much else.”
Guida laughs. “Try to enjoy the present a little more,” she says. “The river will come soon enough.”
We hear a shout from the front of the pekepeke (long boat), where our second guide, Brunswick, is standing. He is in his early 30s and is [our chief guide] Maestro’s apprentice. “Look over there!” he says, pointing some 10m ahead. “There is the mouth of the Boiling River where the hot and cold waters meet.”
This is an edited extract from geoscientist Andres Ruzo’s The Boiling River: Adventure and Discovery in the Amazon (TED Books; Simon & Schuster, $19.99, Amazon Prime $12.93, Kindle e-book $7.99).
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