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Published: June 26th 2007
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Canoes at dawn
These are the boats we used everyday for transportation down the river and into the jungle. I arrived in Iquitos at 7:28 a.m. Before the plane doors opened, I could feel the heat. It was hot, hot and sticky. Iquitos is the main drop-off city for those wanting to enter the Amazon Jungle via Peru. Within 20 minutes of leaving the airport, sweat was dripping down my back. At 9:46 a.m., we set off for the jungle. It’s a 2-hour journey by speedboat along the Amazon River and it’s tributaries to the Muyuna Lodge. The Rio Amazonas is more brown than blue. It’s very still and even though we were in a tiny boat, I hardly felt the waves. The driver pointed out a canoe floating by with an old lady at the helm. This is a local restaurant, he tells me. Amazing 😊 . The Amazon River is about a mile wide at this stretch and extends for thousands of miles from North to South through the heart of South America. Lush vegetation abounds on both sides of the riverbank.
There is no electricity (and at times no clean water for showers) at the lodge. At night, kerosene lamps light the way from the dining area to the rooms. The haunting and mysterious sounds
of the jungle lulled me to sleep that first night.
The film of sweat leaves my body only momentarily after I shower but is a constant reminder that I’m in the rainforest. Over the 6 days I was in the Amazon, I saw vultures, iguanas, squirrel monkeys, pygmy marmosets (the smallest monkeys known to man; about the size of a mouse), owls, a tarantula, bats, flying fish, caymans (similar to alligators), frogs, piranhas (we went piranha fishing one afternoon - I caught one and about 3 other fish called bracon), spiders, beautiful butterflies, egrets, an anaconda, pink dolphins, and dozens of birds all with brightly colored wings or feathers.
We went hiking in the thickness of the jungle every morning for about 2 hours. The first day I went hiking it had rained earlier so there were mosquito-filled puddles everywhere. The mud was deep in places slipping and sloshing underneath my feet. Thank goodness I had bought rubber boots! My guide, Julio, led me through the dense forest among the monkeys, vultures, bullet ants (black, poisonous ants ten times the size of normal ants), and termite nests 3 feet across (I hate to think of how many thousands
Cayman
Our guide caught this cayman (alligator) one night. He's about 4 months old. We saw 2 huge caymans on a different night - so huge, as my guide said, only Tarzan would attempt to catch them! of termites are squirming around in there). The vegetation is just as fascinating as the animals. There are so many different types of trees and plants. Many are herbal remedies for coughs, colds, and even epilepsy. We came across a rubber tree. Iquitos was a booming rubber town a few decades ago before someone planted rubber trees in Malaysia and sold goods for a third the price. The sap from the rubber tree is actually rubber. It’s amazing - it stretches like a rubber band!
The locals never leave the lodge without their machetes. Machetes are used for everything from hacking your way through the jungle to slicing fish. It’s like an extension of their arms, even the youngest boys are experts with the enormous knives.
At night, we went in search of nocturnal animals. The guide was hilarious! He’d spot an animal and practically fall overboard with excitement scrambling to pick it up! He grabbed a baby alligator about 4 months old and brought it onboard. At one point, as we were sailing along, something flew up and hit me in the chest - it was a sardine! It had jumped into the boat. There were dozens
Champions of the Amazon
The local soccer competition. Notice that one guy doesn't have any shoes. That was pretty common :) of them jumping out of the water! It was an amazing sight --flying fish!
The morning of June 23rd, I awoke before dawn. As the rays of light were beginning to appear, we set off in our canoe to spy on the animals. Parrots, vultures, toucans, and woodpeckers were up scavenging for food. My guide’s enthusiasm at such an early hour was evidence that he thoroughly enjoyed his job. All the birds looked the same to me from a distance but he was able to spot the yellow crest of feathers and the red bellies on the dozens of varieties of birds.
The other members of the tour group had left the previous day so I was alone with the guide. He told me the next night there was a celebration in the local village. I asked if we could attend. The perks of traveling alone are that one can easily change plans as needed. I was ecstatic to be going to a party at the local village! More excited at the prospect of it than seeing any more birds or animals.
The village of San Juan is where Julio, my guide, was born so he was
Local pescadors
These are local villagers out to catch fish for the day. more than eager to show me his village. He is one of 10 children. Ironically, it was the same day as my Mom’s birthday. I was in the middle of the jungle with no access to the internet or phones or any form of communication with the outside world. It was the first time I wouldn’t be able to wish my mom a Happy Birthday. Somehow, the thought of attending this celebration felt like I was celebrating my Mom’s birthday in spite of the miles between us.
I went to the local village a couple of times; once for a soccer competition and once for the fiesta. The neighboring villages in the Amazon played against each other in the tournament. Unfortunately, the local team lost 0-1.
One morning, there were dozens of sparkling white egrets flying through the air. Dozens (maybe hundreds) of them, soaring through the sky, perched on treetops, diving for fish. It was a magnificent sight! I think they are my favorite animal from all that I saw. The sheer number of them was fabulous!
The Amazon Jungle and the River are at most times serene and rejuvenating. But at times, the river had
the rancid, putrid stink of damp mud, rotting carcasses, and animal feces. It reminded me that this was the circle of life. People and animals have lived and died here for thousands of years. It’s a humbling thought and I felt dwarfed by its presence.
And now on to my favorite topic - the food! The chef at the lodge was marvelous! We had three meals a day with at least three different dishes to choose from all expertly cooked, grilled, and baked to perfection. We had chicken, pork, platanos (long, green bananas), tuna, catfish, ceviche, lots of avocadoes and potatoes, yucca, watermelon, papayas, piranha, bracon, and sardines. Definitely the best food I’ve tasted so far!! 😊
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Jessica
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wowwwzzerzz
ok soo i totally just got your email and i was soo excited to check your update...then i thought you would be on messenger so i logged on but you werent there...any ways...i dont think ive been soo excited and looking forward to read anything!!! i love how your making me read!! haha...wheres the pics of the pink dolphins and anacondaasss...thats soooo crazyy...k thats enough for now...i hope you read this and start laughin your ass off!!! i dont know why you would...but just maybe cuz i have that effect on you! HA...k byyee