s/v Nine of Cups A Visit to the Amazon August 2005

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When we visited Peru in 2004, we spent six weeks touring Peru and felt we had really explored the country well except for the Amazonia area. This time we included the Amazon in our travels. There are NO roads to Iquitos (pop. 400,000), the largest Peruvian city on the Amazon River. The city is accessible only by river or plane so we opted to fly from Lima. (See Iquitos on the map below.) The plane trip was only two hours long, but crossed drastically diverse terrain as we traveled from the gray, cool shores of Lima across the brown cordillera, the snow-covered Andes and then watched as brown, winding rivers cut sharply through dense green jungle as we arrived in steamy Iquitos.

We met the riverboat at the Nanay Dock.

The Heliconia Lodge (right)  was our jungle "hotel". During high water, the river rises more than 20 feet to cover this mud bank. During low water, we climbed the rough, steep stairs over the mudbanks. The hotel had limited potable water, cold showers and electricity only 4-6 hours each day... sounds like the boat, huh?      We spent only 4 days at the lodge, but during that time took several forays onto the river and into the jungle. One morning was spent in searching for pink dolphins and fishing for piranha. We spent another day trekking through the jungle, visiting local villages and tasting the local aguadiente (white lightening). We spent an evening in a canoe, watching the sunset on the river and listening to night sounds. One morning, we paddled silently watching the sun rise and listening to the river wake up.

Several large tributaries converge at Iquitos and feed the Amazon. This ever-changing river is muddy brown, vast and surprisingly warm to the touch.

Yes, they really do exist and they're quite pink. We saw several of them. The locals call them bufeo colorado. The color comes not from the diet like the pink flamingo, but rather we're told from capillaries close to the surface of the skin, iron content in the water, water temperature and age of the animal. Local legend has it that the pink dolphin can turn into a handsome man and seduce local young women thus accounting for a number of unexplained pregnancies.Too quick for our digital camera, we borrowed the photo above from the internet.

We've all seen those movies where a cow falls into the Amazon and five minutes later only a skelton remains, the flesh picked clean by piranhas. Huh! Our guide assured us that piranha only go after blood and red meat.      We were fishing for piranha on the Amazon one hot, sultry morning when David landed one of the big suckers (it weighed in at close to 5 ounces and was nearly 6 inches long). David disproved the guide's assurances when the "catch of the day" took a bite out of his finger. The guide commented that this was very irregular behavior since David wasn't bleeding at the time.      We returned to the lodge in time for lunch and were served this badly behaved piranha as our appetizer at which time David returned the favor...quite tasty!

A long, sturdy vine hanging from a tree in the middle of the jungle...need I say more?

The Amazon at sunrise was beautiful and unworldly, the steam rising to meet the sun, portending the heat of the day ahead. This view alone was worth the trip.

These two little waifs were adorable and turned out to be quite the hams. They loved being photographed and posing and  especially loved looking at themselves on the tiny LCD screen of the camera.

Back in Iquitos City, we spent a few more days exploring the city itself as well as the local villages along the river. The city itself was LOUD...more mototaxis  and motorcycles per capita than we'd ever seen or heard. The building above is the famous Iron House, built by a Rubber Baron during the rubber boom days of the late 1800's. It was designed by Gustave Eiffel, constructed in Paris and shipped in pieces to Iquitos where it was constructed in 1889. It currently houses some shops and a restaurant.  The cathedral (above left) located on the main plaza was ornate and beautiful as always.

After confirming that she had been recently fed, David tries on an anaconda "boa". Marcie, offered the same opportunity,  opted to forego the chance and  opted just to take a photo.

Decked out in headdresses and shell necklaces, we "cut the rug" with the Boras  doing the "anaconda dance" (we would have called it "snap the whip").  We were obviously a bit overdressed!

Marcie, flushed with the exhilaration of the dance, takes a rest and poses with our jungle guide, Jim.

After reading Lonely Planet, we made plans to explore some of the little villages along the river. We found a "collectivo" (water taxi) along the dock that was heading in the direction of Padre Cocha and we climbed aboard with the other 25 people heading there. On arrival, we met a  young fellow who offered to guide us to a Bora village. He led us on well worn paths through the jungle and when we heard the steady drumbeats, we knew we were close. This village obviously designed for tourists, but no one else was there. We had the chance to visit with their pet anaconda, dance a few dances with the locals and admire their handiwork. All in all, a great experience.

Marcie and David in a canoe on the Amazon. Bob (Roberto preferred his "American" name) was our expert guide and paddler and also the photographer.

The floating balsa houses of Belen in Iquitos.

Another day was spent exploring Belen, touted as the "Venice of the Amazon". The floating houses of this barrio (neighborhood) are all  constructed of balsa and rise and fall with level of the river. We wandered through the maze of streets that led to the river's edge and then found a canoe for hire to paddle us around. It was fascinating as we watched children playing, people bathing and women washing clothes in the river, midst the traffic of canoes, water taxis and various other boats.   David's comment as we were returning to Lima:  "You know, we could have sailed here from the Brazil side! Maybe next time."

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