It has been almost a year!!

It is just so hard to believe that so much time has gone by! We have had over 2000 guests since we arrived at Karanambu. Being so isolated makes the logistics of catering to guests very difficult, frustrating and time consuming.  The days just flew by! Our last few days spent organizing fuel and supplies wore us down. We were feeling cranky and tired.

We've learned a lot, shared a lot...laughed and cried a lot. But "rainy season" is here, so it is time for us to go on leave!

The river came up fast, over 20 feet.  It is high high high and we will have to go by boat to the airstrip, because the land rover can't get through. Driving through the trees in the boat made us realize again how amazing Karanambu is.

But, it is time to pack...again! And then excitement begins to build and we look so forward to hugging and kissing children and Grandchildren; family and friends who we have missed so much! 

But first we have to say our good-byes. Looking into the eyes of those who have been around us each day, trying to commit to memory those new faces we have come to rely upon

Those we have laughed with and learned from as we worked so hard together!!  Everybody was walking around with a long face and kept asking "you comin back though right?"

We all walked together down to the river to say goodbye

The path was shorter, as the water was already up over the landing, almost reaching to the new boat house!

Neighbors from Sumuni were arriving with a boat full of

bicycles just as we were leaving,

Good-byes....even for now...are just not easy.

Water was SO high! This is the spot where we made the bricks!! We moved our bricks up to the compound just in time.

It was just last week that Salvador walked these paths with three guests!  It is now under 6 feet of water!  AMAZING!

From the paths to the ponds, the transformation is so hard to believe and in so short a time. It helps to explain the unique bio-diversity of Karanambu.

Simply Magical!

It seemed like even the water lilies stayed open longer to say goodbye.

We sat quietly in the boat, in total amazement at the changes that had taken place in a matter of days! Slowly we felt the excitement and commitment to this unique place return and energize us.

This is the road that the Land Rover was driving just a few days ago! It won't drive through here for another 3 months!

And after 45 minutes there was the Land Rover waiting to carry us the rest of the way to the airstrip.

And to the plane!

WE ARE ON OUR WAY!!

See you in July! 

When we return to Karanambu!