Three Smiles and a River

It was day three on the cargo ship, deep in the Amazon, far from anything else...

We’d already seen plenty of little boats pass by it becomes part of the background out here. But this one stood out.

Three guys in a narrow wooden canoe, heading upriver with a few supplies. Nothing fancy, but something about them locked me in.

They weren’t just passing by they looked like they were trying to race us. Big grins on their faces, eyes glued to our ship, like the whole thing was a game. And for a moment, it felt like we were in on it too.

That raw energy, that spark, it broke through the stillness of the river and made everything feel even more alive. 

They reminded me how much joy there is in the little stuff. Just three guys, a boat, and a river and they left a bigger impression than most cities ever could.