I was watching a film which showed a passenger boat cruising down a river. Behind the boat, in the water, were four uniformed policeman, three white and one black, trying to swim and catch up to the boat. A commentator was describing this as a "worst nightmare" scenario. Apparently the policemen had fallen off the boat into alligator-infested waters, and were now attempting to get back on board. As I watched, all the policemen were able to climb back onto the boat except the black man, who was having a difficult time. But finally, even he was able to climb back on.

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I found myself on the same boat, sailing along the Amazon with probably 40-50 other tourists. I learned that the boat regularly made scenic excursions through the Amazon, and I quickly became absorbed in the scenery around me. On both sides were dense swamps; but what was most fascinating was the number of alligators in the water. Almost everywhere I looked I could faintly see them lurking in the water. Some seemed gigantic – perhaps four meters long. It was obvious that if someone fell in the water here they wouldn't have a chance.

A large brown dog was also on the boat, and I was about to call it to me so I could pet it. But before I could do so, the passengers were told that they could walk along a wooden plank on the side of the ship to get a better view. About 10 of us walked out onto the board, which had no railing in front of it. If someone fell, they would be finished. The water was about two meters below us, and someone asked if the alligators could jump up to where we were. It appeared they couldn't, yet I was still apprehensive. I held on to a wooden support behind me and didn't let go. A woman was standing with her small son at the end of the plank on my right. The boy mischievously put one of his legs out over the water, and I thought about how he obviously didn't realize just how dangerous it was there. Finally I thought I had seen enough and I pulled myself around past the man beside me and went back onto the deck of the ship.

I had the feeling that the scene I had earlier seen with the policeman was still going to occur there later on the ship.