It had been years since Molly had traveled by air, and it was Jonathan’s first time. For decades, people had been used to traveling without giving it a second thought. But that culture had changed dramatically. Long-distance travel had become prohibitively expensive and applying for air travel had become complicated. It had started as a temporary measure, but then became the norm. You could travel, but you needed a good reason.
Many who had immigrated, either legally or illegally, had made their decisions to stay where they were, return to their origins or settle elsewhere. There had been a rapid shuffle around of large numbers of people after the amnesties for illegal immigrants, and since then people had settled down in one place, or at least in one country. Travel for work was a thing of the past; better communications allowed friends, family and business contacts to connect without the need to travel.
Molly had been a traveler for many years and had found it restrictive at first, but it became the normal way of life for all. She made do with exploring the country she had settled in, grateful that many friends had joined her there. In some ways she liked it. Many had wandered aimlessly; looking for greener pastures, or the perfect location, but by staying in one place they started to appreciate where they were and to take more care of it.
But this certainly was a trip with a difference, and they were going somewhere that could not be reached by road. It was an island but surrounded by jungle instead of by water. Linorio had left over three weeks ago. His great-granddaughter had found no record that he had applied for a permit, or that he had bought a flight, so he must be taking the long route, traveling by land and then by boat.
They arrived with plenty of time to spare, but the airport was almost empty. Jonathan was bursting with excitement but managed to keep a calm exterior.
They had both been busy the day before, and Jonathan had been up late at the Mickey Mad Hat show and party. It was the best party he had ever been to. Molly had been right about the hats; they were great ice-breakers, and Jonathan had been in such a good mood. But it was more than that. He felt different. He was waking up. He had decided to reveal very little about the trip but told a few people he would be out of town for a week or so. He had then mysteriously added “Off to the jungle” without any further explanation. It had felt good to say it.
They were first in the queue to check in and weigh in. The fare was calculated on the weight of both passenger and baggage. They were both slim and carried little, and Molly’s estimate was almost exact, so there was no excess to pay. They would buy extra provisions when they arrived.
They heard the boarding call. “Iquitos here we come,” thought Molly. She remembered the first time she had been there. She thought about the five wonderful years she had spent working with local communities and living the jungle life. It was a place full of strange energies; mysterious jungle rituals and shamanic goings-on.
They boarded, took off and climbed above the city. For a moment, Molly wondered if she would ever see her home again, and then calmed down to enjoy the flight.
Jonathan had the window seat and gazed out, transfixed. He gasped as they flew up through the clouds into the bright sunshine. They had been flying for some time when he suddenly saw the peaks of huge mountain ranges peeping out from the clouds, and as the clouds started to clear, they revealed the snow-capped mountains and the deep valleys of Peru.
There were brilliant turquoise-blue lakes high up in the mountains. Jonathan kept nudging Molly, but she too was gazing out the window, over his shoulder, most of the time.
At one point they flew through a bank of black clouds that buffeted the small aircraft, and a flash of lightening cracked close to them. A couple of passengers screamed, and everyone was tense and silent for a moment or two. To Molly it was representative of where they were going, where nature was the boss.
They flew out of the storm and the clouds cleared to reveal the jungle landscape with its brown and black rivers, winding through the vast green forests. An expanse so large it stretched as far as they could see. They knew that most of this land was unpopulated, and as wild as any part of the world could be. As they started their descent, more and more details of the palms and huge magnificent trees were visible. They approached the airstrip, lined with banana trees, and touched down.
The moment they walked out of the airplane, the stifling heat hit them. Molly remembered the airport well. It was tiny then, and even smaller now. She remembered the heat and liked it.
They collected their bags and headed off to their hotel. The city was more like a town now. 50 years ago, it had been a cacophony of loud motor-cycles and moto-kars, the tuk-tuk style taxis that had filled the streets. These had all been replaced by silent, solar-powered electric vehicles, and you could hear the sounds of the jungle even in the busy streets. But it still had the feeling of a frontier town. Compared with the rest of the world, time had stood still here, in this jungle island.
“Well, you always say you want to know what it was like!” Molly reminded Jonathan. “It’s not that time has stopped here, but it certainly has moved slowly. We are stepping back into the past.”
The hotel was basic but had a wonderful view of the mighty Amazon River.
Jonathan was desperate to explore, so they freshened up and walked out into the late afternoon sunshine.
They walked through the main square which was buzzing with people and stopped to drink a coconut water. The little street-side mobile stall was clean and hygienic and was powered by a small solar motor instead of a bicycle, but otherwise it was the same as one of the stalls Molly might have stopped at 50 years ago. The street vendor chopped open the fresh coconut and they stood drinking the sweet water. They continued their walk along the busy street and stopped to buy some local fruits that Jonathan had never seen and chatted to a few people. Molly was on a trip down memory lane and Jonathan was on an adventure of all things new. He loved the feeling of the place. It was hot and humid and had an energy about it that he loved.
They walked past a small street, and Molly noticed a large banner for the cat and dog loan center.
“Oh, my! That’s where ‘Georgina Cares’ started. The pet loan center.” She recognized the street from years before. “Did I ever tell you about how Georgina Cares and the loan pets started?”
Jonathan loved dogs, and as a small boy his grandparents had taken out a loan dog for him whenever they could.
“No. You only said that you know her. Tell me.”