Kusi - Lima - Iquitos Day 8

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Day 8 - Lesmahagow to Peru

Today was a day of travelling. Lots of it. We had to say farewell to the towns and village nestled amongst the beautiful Cordillera Blanca mountains and head back to Lima in our now 14 seater plane. It was a clear, clear morning and the views of the snowcapped mountains all around and below us were simply stunning. And so it was back to Lima - at least the airport, as we had a flight later in the afternoon to Iquitos. And like most aiports the world over, the waiting around was as exciting as watching paint dry. Thankfully there was a supply of doughnuts and coffee in the food court. We said farewell to one of our group who had come over primarily for the opening and inauguration of the new boys' home at Ica, and now it was time to return to Scotland.

The flight to Iquitos was probably one of the worst flights I have ever been on, and if truth be told, it was a wee bit on the scary side. This is the rainy season, although so far we have been in glorious sunshine on the coastal and desert areas, and even in the mountains it was beautiful weather. But we were now heading into the Amazon Rainforest - and it's not called Rainforest for nothing. So it was raining, and up in the clouds, it was a bit stormy too. We went through some turbulence and the plane was literally thrown to the side and then down. It was fair to say that some people on the plane were a bit worried, and there was some hand grabbing and a few screams. Not the best experience. But, hey... we landed in one piece.

By the time we landed, collected luggage, and headed out to the bus, it was dark and so my first views of Iquitos, the once wealthiest cities in the country, were hidden under the cloud of night. It had an instantly noticeable air of difference though to anywhere we had been to so far. Dinner was in one of the restaurants/diners off the main square, and one of our group almost got his wallet swiped, but some quick thinking and even quicker actions sent the thief running away unsuccesful in his mission. Welcome to the Jungle! Now to really put the bug spray to the test. Everywhere else has merely been a trial. The mossies here take no prisoners!!

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Photos

Fancy A Cab?
New breed of Rickshaw

Plaza De Armas
Main square, city in the Jungle.

Marina?
Not quite the Costa del Sol