"In A Different Light"

February 2000

Midnight of the 17

(Ryan)

I'm laying in my hammock aboard the Carlos San Francisco on the Amazon River. We will sleep here the night then shove off for a 24 hour cruse down the Amazon to Belem, Brazil in the morning. Dan and I made the trip here to Macapa, Brazil to stand with one foot on each side of the Equator; and see what would happen. It's a small town and the docks that we are tied to are nowhere near the city's small center. In broad daylight this part of town is nothing to look at and perhaps even offensive. But Dan, not being able to stand another minute on the boat drug me out of my hammock for a walk around town this night. We did a lap around the small riverside port which is all but the size of one city block and had a beer at one of the riverside dives. Ladies of the night strolled by as songs of the 70's came over a makeshift stereo fashioned from an old guitar amplifier. An old VW bus with "POLICE" painted on the side and sirens flashing on top went by and we had to laugh.

On the way back to the boat we heard sounds of frogs and crickets and of a multitude of unknown bugs making their calls to the night. We could see and hear other night spots on the river from where we were on the docks and could see people enjoying the night. And I saw this dingy town in a different light. We were on the bayou of sorts. All the antique looking boats tied together listing to one side or the other reminded me of bad nautical paintings I'm used to seeing in the restaurants of my home. I took a minute then in the dark to take in all the sounds and smells and sights from that point on the dock. It was easy for me then to see how such a dismal place like this could be the subject of so many pieces of art. I was reminded of a short French artist, I can't remember his name, who drew his inspiration from the dank and seedy places of Paris. Everything seemed very clear to me  for those few minutes before we climbed back aboard our boat. 

After getting situated and claiming our small territory of the "hammock deck", which will be body to body in the morning, we settled in to sleep.  I lay awake in my hammock making thoughts of perception, how things can look so differently, and how that carried over to life when I heard Willy Nelson, from a neighboring boat, singing "I just cant wait to get on the Road again". I couldn't stop laughing and reached for my notebook; "This is one of those days that I have to get on paper". I sprung from my hammock and sat on the starboard rail listing to music that seemed so out of place yet so familiar and perfect for the moment. It was intriguing to think of how this music had originating from far closer to my home than were I now was now. Hell, I was less than a mile south of the Equator! Other familiar country hits came on then Johnny Cash sang of being the "Last one at the ball" and a fan was born.

The term "seeing things in a new light" now means a little more to me than it once did and will be something I try to do more in my life.

Ryan Gee

Probably the last day we'll spend on the Amazon River.