Chapter Two: From New York City to Santa Maria de la Lluvia
May 29, 2002—11:01 am
The plane is finally off. Thank goodness neither of us took much—luggage was hectic enough. Alexander looks fine so far; a little green around the gills maybe, but he should be fine. He's not my grandson for no reason, after all.
We should be in Manaus by 2. Unfortunately, I got a call from Santos yesterday saying he wouldn't be able to make it. We'll meet him in Santa Maria de la Lluvia. We're still meeting the rest of the expedition in Manaus as planned, however. It's exactly what I need—spending three days on a godforsaken boat in the middle of nowhere with that overbearing cow Leblanc.
I loaned Alexander some maps and books on the Amazon to look over. Can you believe the boy? He takes one geography class and thinks it will suffice for an actual trip! Well, I squashed that idea right in the bud, let me tell you! At least he's reading them; that's something. You never know when a book might save your life.
Kate Cold
May 30, 2002—9:30 am
Oh my goodness, last night was a NIGHTMARE! Music blaring and people screaming and that blasted Leblanc complaining everyone to death. I was barely awake enough to get out of bed this morning.
Well, in any case, it's officially the start of our journey. We left Manaus only about half an hour ago, but already the noises of the city are gone. The calm of the river has settled in and it would be perfect if that dratted anthropologist would go stuff himself in an alligator's mouth. Currently, he's showing off his admirable weapons to Dr. Omayra Torres, a doctor on board who wants to vaccinate the Indians. Honestly, there would be no need to vaccinate them if good-for-nothing gold diggers would stop invading their lands and spreading disease, but that's just me. She seems all right. Sure put Leblanc in his place a minute ago. There's something about her, though—just an underlying hint of... something. Ah well! I know I can be too nosy for my own good sometimes (and I for one, see no shame in reciting one's own faults), but this really is none of my business.
Kate Cold
June 1, 2002—10:24 am
It's been a pretty uneventful few days. I spent most of the trip so far making note of the flora and fauna for my article, and now there is nothing to do but sit and wait for the excitement to come and find us.
Alexander seems to be enjoying himself, at any rate. Why, only this morning, he went swimming with a dolphin! I'm starting to think there may be a little more spunk in the boy after all. These past few days, I've been watching him; he seems to be more comfortable than I thought among the wonders of nature. I've decided that no matter what, I'm not leaving him behind. This will be an extraordinary learning experience for him. And he does need the money to repair his room. Goodness, I almost had a kitten when I found out about that one. We've struck up a deal—he'll carry my things and I'll pay him for it. Another major factor in my decision to take him—how on earth will he earn his money if he's going to be lazing around Santa Maria de la Lluvia for a few weeks? I'm not going to be paying him for nothing, after all.
Kate Cold
June 1, 2002—8:19 pm
Well, I'm glad to say we've finally arrived in Santa Maria de la Lluvia. It's a tiny little town; only a few houses, a Catholic church, a tiny hospital, and an army barracks. We're a bit behind schedule because of the entire plane-breaking-down-and-having-to-take-a-boat delay, but we should be fine. I honestly don't think we're going to find this legendary Beast. Reports have said it's somewhat like the Yeti and should be, while not easy, not difficult either to catch. To that I say: Bah! Has anyone even spotted the Yeti yet?! I didn't think so.
The guide, for one, seems to have a good head on his shoulders. Friendly, polite. I've got no complaints. He does seem to be rather taken with Torres, though. Then again, so does Leblanc. I am convinced that that man is the most arrogant, narrow-minded, ignorant fool I have ever met. I have to hand it to the doctor, though—she shut him down quick enough. Too bad he was too busy preening to notice.
The guide's daughter, on the other hand, is an intriguing one. Nadia Santos. A tiny little thing, but she carries herself with confidence and she has this little black monkey she claims she can communicate with. I, for one, think this is rather surprising, but I don't doubt her. She strikes me as the type of girl who could do anything if she put her mind to it. At any rate, Alexander seems rather taken with her. That's good. I hope she'll take his mind off that other girl he's got his sights set on—the one in California. Cecily, or Cynthia, or something. Not that I'm meddling, but I didn't like her one bit. Alexander may be a good for nothing pain, but he is my grandson, after all, and I'd much rather see him with this crazy Brazilian girl than that stuck-up Californian he's obsessed with.
Kate Cold