To tie this story to the 20th, which is where I last left you in my pre-dinner update: after our morning canoe tour, I sat under the gazebo on the main dock to read a book until lunch (we would do a morning activity, return by 11 or 11:30 or so, have lunch at noon, and set out for our afternoon activity around 3:30, allowing for an extended nap/rest under the fan during the absurdly hot part of the day. Related: I learned that my spouse becomes EXTREMELY PUNCHY post-nap). The malaria researcher and his wife were at the lodge with his father and uncle, older Swiss gentlemen who spoke only minimal English. As I sat reading my book, one of these Older Swiss Gentlemen came up to me, leaned in, and said, conspiratorially: "Did you know, there are 12 crocodiles who live behind the lodge?"
And then, both gentlemen ordered beers and enjoyed them with a cigarette, and, notwithstanding the fact that it was barely 11 am, I couldn't resist joining them (minus the cigarette).
The next day, before properly docking at the lodge post-fishing expedition, we took an initially unexplained detour behind the lodge. It quickly became clear what the plan was for dealing with the portion of the catch that was too small to eat:
It further became clear where the number "12" came from in the Swiss Gentleman's tall tale regarding crocodiles:
(I think I only caught 7 or 8 in the videos, not all 12, but you get the idea.)
In related news, I loved visiting the Amazon, but OMG it is so nice to have dry, clean clothes. I spent my nonexistent children's college funds on hotel laundry here in Rio to clean all my vaguely damp and super-DEETy clothing. My nonexistent children will just have to be understanding and learn to make their own way in the world. It was totally worth it and I regret nothing.
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