Many people are nervous about traveling these days after highly publicized airplane crashes and other horrific events. I understand their apprehension. I survived a fatal fire on what was supposed to be a leisurely riverboat cruise on the Amazon River in Peru.
The next couple of hours were agonizing as a dozen or so travelers huddled in confused and soft whispers. My first thought was we were sinking, but that didn’t seem right because we weren’t evacuating the riverboat. The commotion on the second level continued, and we could smell the distinctive stench of burnt plastic. It was difficult to figure out which of the travelers were among us and which weren’t. We had met only that morning and hadn’t yet made friends.
Ashore in Iquitos the next morning, we got another update: The wife in Cabin 27 also died during the night. Even though we didn’t know the couple, the news was shocking and heartbreaking. The tour operator’s chief executive officer fielded a barrage of questions and addressed our pent-up emotions, then presented three choices: Fly home as soon as arrangements could be made. Remain at the lodge. Or join him on the riverboat the next morning and finish the cruise.