Few people write about a journey home after an adventure, unless of course, it involves something of particular note occurring on the way. In the case of our hike back through the jungle to civilsation, this turned out to be Jen the Irish girl almost drowning whilst swimming in the river.
It started innocuously enough, with a refreshing dip in the water before dinner, next to the camp we would spend our final night out in the jungle. I myself had already had problems trying to swim against the strong river current when Jen got into swim and started to have the same problem. For the first few seconds, she was smiling as the oncoming current dragged her down the river. For the next few seconds, she was shouting, "I can't stand up." and the smile was disappearing from her face. For the next few seconds, the smile had completely disappeared , and been replaced with look of blind panic.
I think I was only really starting to realise that my travel companion was in serious trouble when first one other guy out on the river, and then another, floated down the river to assist her. She was lucky they were there, and that they were strong swimmers, and that they got to her just before she entered a rock and whitewater section which I am fairly sure she would not have emerged unscathed. She was lucky they were there, as me and the other guys that had been on the hike to Ciudad Perdida with her had stood back and not done anything. As I watched her being dragged out the water in an exhausted and upset state, I found myself feeling angry with myself for not reacting quicker.
