The Amazon

My dad left for the Amazon today. He was invited by a friend to go to the Amazon to fish for peacock bass. I guess they are really special fish. My dad is soooo not an outdoorsy person. He likes sports and being outside but he's not into "roughing it". They are staying at a lodge but it's still the amazon. It will take them like a day and a half just to get where they are going. At first he tried to decline stating that he was not really a fisherman and had only been flyfishing once in his life. His friend assured him that it didn't matter and that he needed to go because it would be such an amazing experience where he would see all kinds of things he could never see anywhere else. So he cautiously agreed. Soon after, he got the paperwork (ie. release of liability forms) and he started having second thoughts.

The first thing that raised his eyebrows was the statement, "The client understands that fishing is a dangerous sport." Fishing a dangerous sport? Bungy jumping, dangerous, skydiving, dangerous...but fishing? The second thing was the statement, "The client understands that his/her stay at the Royal Amazon Lodge could result in serious injury or death." His STAY at the lodge could cause serious injury or death? I mean, I realize there are all kinds of dangerous animals and such out there in the Amazon but his actual stay at the lodge is dangerous? What could this possibly mean? Finally the real kicker, "The client must always be mindful that everything in the amazon is either eating or being eaten." WHAT!!!???!!! I'm saying a little prayer that my dad will stay on the eating side of the equation rather than being eaten.

Finally, I can say with great relief that he will decline the nighttime crocodile lassoing where a guy recently lost one of his arms. I'm totally serious.