A Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah Day

As if to set the pace for our expedition to the Mbatovi eco-reserve, Marie whips around la Curva de la Muerte (the curve of death) – a four-road intersection on a blind curve where only recently a traffic light has been installed. She is, generally speaking, driving like a lunatic along the streets of Asuncion: passing on the left, passing on the right, rounding buses, cutting off horse carts, terrorizing motorcyclists as we scrunch into the bike lane, creating her own lane … so as not to be late for our excursion to the zip lines and suspension bridges at the reserve in southeastern Paraguay.

The last few days (weeks) have been cluttered with chores for getting the boat launched ( picking up parts and equipment, supplies; house wares; visits to the accountant, customs, the prefectura ) so we are eager to make the most of our wee getaway on Saturday.

But it’s the weekend before Christmas and the streets are jammed. One and a half hours later we’re only at Yaguaron, where little cerros (hills) hiccup out of the flat green countryside, and stacks of mangoes are displayed for sale along the roadside: dangerously close considering Marie “Death Wish” Dufour is at the wheel. James sings “Highway through the Mango Zone” bastardizing Kenny Loggin’s song from TOP GUN and we talk about Castellano pickup lines, to ease the tension (…suggesting my Lonely Planet Guide should be changed to the 'I Don’t Want to Be Lonely Anymore Planet Guide' because of the blunt and provocative chapter on dating).

Finally we arrive. No worries, they haven’t left – we just missed the half-hour safety talk, so we strut right up to the guides who snug us into climbing harnesses, adjust our helmets, dole out gloves and water bottles and shove us off into the jungle.

It is difficult to aptly describe the joy and excitement felt by someone who might have a teeny fear of heights, as they slide sideways across a lethal precipice on a rope holding onto only one other rope above their heads … or another (with two handholds) … or a wobbly suspension bridge made of slats that are practically popsicle sticks … or second even more suspicious-looking bridge … Let’s just say my mantra becomes ‘don’t look down’ … and I have an awesome time ;-) Thick green vegetation surrounds us as we skirt waterfalls and streams, climb up and down trails carved in the rock, through caves trickling with water, where mysterious birds call, and the squeals of our group (including six girls who are all cousins) boom through the jungle -- even though you can’t see them, in the impenetrable greenery.

We hike to the zip line: 350 ft long and 130 feet above ground which you also cannot see through the treetops. Gravity is, for once, my friend, and I ‘Wheeeeeeeeeeee!’ rapidly down the line. It’s over much too soon. But wait – we still have another 75 foot cliff to rappel down, before the l-o-n-g hike uphill (funny about that) back to the lodge.

Cost for this adventure: about $20 US – plus the case of mangos ($4.50) we pick up along the way. We find out that while we were gone DOMINO has been moved on her new sled to within 10-15 feet of water’s edge, so we rush home. After the crush of friends, neighbors, spectators and workers depart, we ravenously eat a dinner of roasted chicken, fresh mangos and beer on the foredeck of the boat, watching the sunset (and the bats), counting our mosquito bites; listening to JP's account of the day at the astillero, and talking about the day -- SOON -- that DOMINO will be afloat.