Peter McGovern '11

What did I just eat? Is that a cockroach in my backpack?
October 28, 2009

(An excerpt derived from Peter's blog published on the Holy Cross website in 2009)

      I just arrived back home (in Lima) from my trip to Iquitos, which is suppose to be one of the "most exotic cities in all of South America" according to my guidebook-and it is. I would say it was my most interesting trip so far; not just in Peru, but since I was born.
In Iquitos, I spent three nights and four days in the rainforest along with Jennifer Caffrey '11, Meredith Houghton '11, Michelle Marieni '11, and Meg McCormick '11. We chose to stay at small rustic bungalows in the jungle, eager for an "authentic jungle experience"-and that's exactly what we got. Our trip included eating alligator, turtle, and fish from the Amazon River, swimming with piranhas, me (trying to) sleep with the monster-size cockroaches that overtook my room, and almost stepping on one of the most venomous snakes in the jungle. Our guide insisted there was nothing to worry about, but added he had once seen one attack someone and elaborated: "They bleed out of their eyes and die in excruciating pain." The Holy Cross girls swiftly reacted by screaming and crying.¹ To help ease our fears, he kindly reminded us: "That's why we wear rubber boots." This made me feel a little better, but then I realized there was little hope for us if the flimsy, old boots were our only protection against venomous snakes. Just in case, for the remainder of the hike I looked twice before I stepped forward. Luckily, we all survived.
      We then arrived back at the lodge sweaty and tired from the long hike; our guide suggested a swim in the river. I threw on my bathing suit and dove in. As soon as I was in the water I felt pinches all over my body, I assumed it they were just small fish bumping in to me, which I had seen swimming on the top of the water. Curious, I asked the guide what they were and he responded: "Those are just piranhas… I hope you're not bleeding…" I didn't believe him at first, and thought he was kidding, but his piranha story proved to be true the next day when we went fishing and caught a bucket-full of piranhas in minutes. By now I was invincible-I had survived venomous snakes and had taken leisurely swims with piranhas. I was like Indiana Jones, but in the Amazon of Peru. Then, the next day on the boat ride back I realized I wasn't yet ready to claim to be "Indiana Jones"…
      The best, most memorable story I have to share was our boat ride back to the city from the rainforest. I've been on a lot of boats in my life-sail boats, motor boats, little boats, big boats, long boats, short boats-but the hour and forty minute boat ride in a small metal boat was one of the scariest experiences of my life. It started as a rainstorm, but within twenty minutes we were attempting to recreate the movie The Perfect Storm on the Amazon River. Lightning bolts were striking all around us and it was pouring so hard that the rain hurt as it smacked against our bodies. I was saying the Rosary while others in the boat were crying. Luckily, we found a small island where we could stop to wait out the storm. Unfortunately, as we were pulling up to the island, its inhabitants came running towards our boat and several attempted to board it. They didn't have TVs so they hadn't seen "The Perfect Storm," but they had read Agatha Christie's "And Then There Were None" and thought it would be fun to bring the text to life… But we didn't want to play, so we didn't stop. We immediately turned the boat around while simultaneously fighting to get the men and women who were trying to board the boat off. One hour and forty minutes after we left the rainforest we finally arrived in the city, Iquitos, and I had never been so happy to get off a boat. In retrospect, it was very much like playing "Amazon Trail" in elementary school, just a little scarier.

      … Chau, Peter


¹ Editor's Note: The Holy Cross girls dispute this.