When was the last time you were dying for some home comforts? When I say dying, I don’t mean you just liked the idea of having something: like some nice cheese or a fried breakfast when you’ve been eating rice solidly for a month. That’s not really dying, that’s just a preference, because chances are it’s just a short walk away and can be found in that Irish pub down the street (because although it’s cliché, there is always an Irish pub down the street).
No, what I mean is really dying for something. When you dream of eating two day old rice or a stale slice of bread. When all you can think about at night is having a simple mosquito net to be surrounded by, let alone a flat piece of earth to sleep on. If you’ve had that feeling you will know about it. You’ll probably remember it almost as vividly as it was yesterday.
The last time I had that feeling I was in the jungles of Peru. Not the tourist jungles, where you are a short three hour boat ride away from a city like Iquitos and you’ve booked your four-day Amazon adventure package at a local travel agents. No, I was in the proper jungle. The kind that reminds you why modern technology is a life saver and how anyone who thinks we should get back in touch with nature and live in the woods needs their heads examined. I’m talking about mosquitoes the size of flies that surround you 24/7 and midges fat on your blood that buzz around every open pore of your skin. Where your daily diet of food consists of mushy plantain, tasteless boiled yuca and any animal that happens to cross your guides cross hairs. Like monkey, which tastes revolting and smells even worse when cooked.
Surrounded by the brutality of nature and reminded of your isolation you start to dream of simple modern comforts. Of that slice of bread and a glass of fresh juice and as you dream, your thoughts develop. Imagining simple creature comforts turns into thoughts of soft linen sheets and springy mattresses with down pillows. These dreams can really drive you so I can only imagine how satisfied these guys must have been feeling when they set up their bed for the night in one of the most isolated, inhospitable and picturesque spots in the world. Check out this video and let me know your thoughts.
To learn more about this adventure and meet some of the people who made it happen visit this site.
This post was sponsored by Ibis Hotels, but the story and all thoughts are my own.