I guess I would rather see brown than the eels that supposedly float on the bottom of the river, though! Do not worry, I did not come across any such animal during my 15 minutes in the river.
After the swim, we ran a half-mile along the beach to pick up our bikes. In an exciting turn of events, a recent rainstorm had crumpled one of the bridges on our bike route, so instead of completing the predetermined course, we simply biked back and forth along another bridge until we completed 20 kilometers (12.4 miles). I was initially happy about this turn of events, as I was worried about getting lost, but the bridge was a giant arch and, therefore, it felt like biking up and down hills for the entire course!
Nonetheless, I prevailed and made it to the running portion of the race. We only had to do one lap of the bridge this time, and it was the easiest part of the race. I was the first female to finish (although there were only 10 of us), and my running club started cheering loudly when I crossed the line. I felt like a local celebrity after the race because many people asked to take a picture with me. I also felt so supported by my club, because without them, I would not have been able to complete the race. Overall, I absolutely recommend TRI-ing to swim, bike, and run in the Amazon! There was also a giant party before the award ceremony, and I spent the afternoon dancing with my new friends.
Living abroad has been—and will continue to be—an incredible experience, and despite initially feeling like an outsider, I have begun to create a global sense of community in my new home. Thank you for following my expedition to Iquitos, Peru, and I hope you go on to have many similar adventures of your own. Safe travels, young explorers!
