Full Circle
Day 209: On the Amazon

Reeling from so many facts so early in the morning, we return gratefully to the El Arca for breakfast. It is only a brief respite. The boat steams down river to a native village where we disembark once again and watch traditional dancing performed fairly badly by bored natives. By lunchtime the temperature has reached ninety-nine degrees. This whole long hot day is made worthwhile for me by seeing, on the bank, a little girl in a green dress cradling an ocelot kitten. It is one of the most beautiful creatures I have seen. A long body with perfect spotted markings. A compact, graceful feline head with big black and white ears and an expression that was proud, wise and anxious at the same time. The little girl said she would sell it to me for 200 dollars. I declined of course. I'm going to Alaska - it wouldn't be happy there. That evening I ask Daniel what would become of it. He said it would be killed for its skin - quite soon.
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PALIN'S GUIDES
- Series: Full Circle
- Day: 209
- Country/sea: Peru
- Place: The Amazon River
- Book page no: 275
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