The Ludmila Confessions

Morning came, and Anatoly was already gone off to Angel Falls before the sun was up!

Well, time to go to the other side of this glorious island for a walk and maybe a swim, at the spot where I was not afraid of the rapid current, where  there was an outdoor shower. Remembering happy times when we were here with Gala and mamasita, she was singing and throwing soap bubbles over this small wall they made into a shower with  the shower head which was just a hose tied to the branch of a tree. This fancy shower made of a few pieces of wood and a plastic curtain from the knees to the upper chest  and she was sticking her hand out waving and making fun of at it some time singing and throwing soap bubbles; she was playing gesturing with her hands above her, and then washing her hair under the water so pure and silky from the laguna (or should I say all the away from Angel Falls!)  Gala was saying to us,  “See I have a  gigantic open window  to the nature!”  Oh it was fun ! Then she went over to the john and got bitten by a big mosquito in the very inside of her ass! I called those island mosquitoes “flying crocodiles.”

Canaima

The morning was clear and puffy white clouds were up in the sky above.There were two ways to go to the shore of this island, the one to where it was safer where the waterfalls dropped, forming a white bubble bath with the just right temperature;  and the other way, where the waterfall was falling out of the laguna in rapids, strong waters taking with them all they encountered. This current  I did not trust, so I never took that side; that part of the island I did not like at all, the water was very rapid and dangerous, especially to dock when you came in with a boat– one slip and you’re a goner, into one waterfall and then another and so on: say goodbye to your soul, adios! But the Indians always came that away, whenever they were coming to talk to Anatoly and to bring something  or to communicate  about work,  so I chose the other  way for bathing or coming and going to the mainland.

As I was  walking and admiring the sounds, the wildflowers , and exotic orchids, the smells along this  narrow walk, in comparison to the other it way like being on a film of  Bob Hope and Dorothy Lamour in a Hollywood setting, and much safer. The last time when we were all there mama and Gala loved this narrow little caminito that was made just by people walking over the path so many times.

Canaima

I was so happy to be free!  skipping the potholes and rocks and sticks from bushes in the side of the caminito, after a few minutes maybe 10, I am on this glorious pink sand and looking at almost black  water, pure  full of chlorophyll that made it look tea colored and the foam so white on the shore with the water breaking gently against this pink sand around.

After a while, I went in the outdoor kitchen too see if I could get something to drink. There was a bottle of vodka, half full! Yes, my life was revolving too much around the drinks,  but I did not think about it, not at all,  after all, everybody drinks, right?

After a few glasses of vodka and for my  lunch, I’ll just flag a boat to take me to the  mainland too that big dining room full of tourist. The indians on mainland were always watching on to the Island, keeping an eye in  it, after all Anatoly is their family and so am I , he has a son with  one of their woman, so I feel good belonging to this giant tribe of Indians . the One that came to pick me up to take me in the  boat too go too mainland, was tool and very good looking exsoticly handsome.