Camp Kimo

We arrived at Camp Kimo about five o’clock in the afternoon. The sun was still shining, but it was getting closer to the tops of the mountains as time progressed. It was a beautiful sight: the green-covered mountains in the background and a raging river directly in front of us. The question that came to my mind, at first, was how we were going to get all of our bags and the owners of the bags across the river, and then I looked up. Above us were tightly strung cables stretching the entire length of the river. After calling José, the director of the camp, we saw two men board a metal, cage-like cable car and pull their way over to us. They loaded all of our luggage into the car and zipped off to the camp. After transferring our belongings to their camp jeep, they came back to our side of the river and in two groups, the ten of us visitors made it safely to the other side. To be honest, I was a bit nervous as we swung on the tight cables over the roaring river, but after going to and from the camp on numerous occasions, my anxiety subsided, and I later looked forward to the time when we would zip over the treacherous waters.
Having such a particular way of entry, the camp seemed more secluded and almost storybook-like. We hiked up the unpaved, rock-strewn path to the camp where, when we reached the clearing, it was almost impossible not to just hold our breath to try to take in the whole scene. The sky was getting a bit darker by the time we made it to the clearing, but looking straight ahead lay the Andes Mountains of the jungle beautifully covered in a lush, emerald green framed by an indescribable, rich blue sky with crisp, bright white clouds hanging high above us. Coming from Ate, a dusty city with a gray, brown sky surrounded by dust-like “mountains,” the colors in the jungle seemed so much more intense and brilliant than with what I was accustomed. Off to the right of the trail, a small pond was nestled serenely amongst palm trees as the reflections of the trees and the surrounding mountains were almost perfectly portrayed on the still water. A little island with three palms and a bird feeder seemed to pop and float magically on the peaceful water. Looking past the pond, we were able to see the palm leaf-roofed cabins, reminding me a bit of what I would imagine some tropical island to be like. Everything was so still and quiet. It was as if I were peering at an illustration in a book, until a loud cry was heard. Taking my attention off of the distant cabins and focusing my gaze about ten feet in front of me, half of a dozen peacocks were strutting around the camp property. What a sight that was! The bright royal blue mixed with jade green on the male peacocks further captivated me as we made our way to our cabin.
The cabin was constructed of a thin, ply-wood like wood with wall-length windows covered only with screens on three sides of the cabin. The cabin was divided into two floors with wooden slat stairs leading to the top room. After reaching the top of the stairs and turning to walk into the room, a quick “¡Cuidado!” was heard. I stopped immediately and realized that the door that I was about to pass through was only about five feet high. I was thankful for the young man’s warning that evening, but I wish I could have heard it other times throughout our stay.
As time progressed that first night in the high jungle, hundreds of stars began showing themselves against the deep blue sky. The entire group of us just stared in wonder at how many stars could be seen. In Ate, I can normally count on one hand the number of stars that are visible on any given night. What a wonderful time we all had remembering what a true starry night looked like. As I was considering the words of the familiar hymn, “How Great Thou Art,” I felt a small warm body right next to mine. I quickly looked down not knowing what type of creature was practically on my lap, but to my surprise, I only encountered a loppy-like Bassett hound who wanted to be petted. That night, as I lay on my thin mattress, I could not believe that I was actually sleeping in the jungle, now, mind you, the camp was very nice and not at all of what the jungle could really be like, but it was the whole principle of actually being in the jungle. As I drifted off to sleep, I never dreamed of what I would find in the morning as the light of day slowly showed itself on the peaceful camp in the high jungle of La Merced.
With the peacocks sounding the break of day, I opened my eyes, rolled over, and stared out the window at the end of the cabin. The sky could hardly be seen as steam came billowing down the mountain side. The river could be heard roaring in the background, soft pan-flute music was playing in the dining room, and the calls of many different birds could be heard. It is hard to explain what that moment was like, only that to me, it seemed almost unreal. It was beyond beautiful. It was so amazing to know that God created everything there, from the towering mountains to the small termites that liked to burrow in the side of our cabin. God had made it all, and it was very good.