Launch - Day 1 & 2

So I said that I would write about my experiences from the launch and that was a few days ago. Sorry about that. Things have been busy.
So I arrived at one of the ports of Pucallpa to take the public launch down the Ucayali river. It was pouring, and we had to walk down this muddy hill to catch the boat. We also had to walk up this steep and narrow gang-plank to board. Did I mention we were also carrying heavy bags? At this point, I knew that this wasn’t going to be a walk in the park. After I got on, I put up my hammock in this big room along with the dozens of others. Little did I know that there would be over a hundred people in our living space. It got pretty crowded.
I was told to be very wary of thieves, so I kept a close eye on all of our bags. Fortunately, the Lord did not allow any of our bags to be stolen. Apparently, some people just grab a bag or box when they walk out while the boat is stopped at ports.
I traveled with Henrry (our nurse) and Lucy (the Pastor’s daughter). Though I had just met them, they were great to travel companions. Lucy speaks a little English, and Henrry knows a few words. We had a few really good talks, though sometimes I got lost in the rapid Spanish conversations.
I’ll just touch on a few high points, so this posting won’t get too big. I ate pretty much just potatoes, eggs, and crackers to avoid the launch food and diarrhea. Henrry and I gave food to this one family because they were quite poor and had very little to eat. I slept in my hammock with the dozens of other people each night (for 2 nights) some of whom were only inches away (there’s no bubble on the public launches). I made friends with two of the children on either side of me: Myli and Juan. We played some games and sang songs. I also had the chance to do a little witnessing.
In all, the public launch wasn’t too bad. It’s the Peruvian way. Maybe I had been prepared for worse.