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Published: December 22nd 2006
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hammock situation
the clearest shot i could get...it was really crowded. Yes, thats right, we just got to Iquitos, which is the largest city in the world without roads into it. Which means we had to get here by a 2.5 day 2 night boat ride up the amazon towards brazil from yurimaguas.
We took Eduardo VIII, because Eduardo´s are supposed to be the best bunch of boats, which means alot because the other boats looked alot like balsa logs tied together with palm and powered by a makeshift engine.
No, Eduardo was different. It was kinda like a ferry boat, with 2 simple open air floors, blue metal floor, blue metal ceiling, blue metal bench around the edge, etc. We went up top 4 hours early to get a good spot to hang our hammocks (later this seemed rater pointless as more and more people got on and put up their hammocks overlaping ours), and then plopped down to wait for the boat to leave. 6 hours later, we were off, lying cramped in our hammocks ontop of our stuff. below us were 7 or 8 cows, a bunch of tasty looking pigs and chickens, and sacs of produce, which we unloaded at almost every amazon village in exchange for excactly
On the road to Yurimaguas
they were constructing dirt roads on our jungle ride to yurimaguas from tarapoto. the 3 hour ride took 7 or something lame. the same thing. by 4 in the afternoon we were stopped somewhere in the middle of the river floating and waiting (for some odd reason) for it to get dark. the chickens that people had brought onto the top deck were pooping everywhere and the bugs were coming out to greet us. we started moving again once it got dark, and quickly we fell asleep.
the next morning it was kindof fun to wake up to a roosters crow on a boat, but we did, at 5.
not to worry, later that afternoon we heard some unussual squaking from the kitchen. Meals on this boat were included in the price, so they were awfull. cooked in a little kitchen with no fridge and only water from the river, we ussually had rice accompanied by some unlucky animal on the boat. it was like a soup kitchen, half of us lined up along between the hammocks with our bowls in hand, and the other half us us sitting watching the bags. one man takes tickets and the other takes your bowl and fills it with gross food. both adress you as gringo and laugh as they give you the food they
think they know you think is gross. it wasnt bad, but i did have to eat most of chloes at every meal, which made it less appetizing.
we were the only gringos on the boat.
then you go and wash your bowl in the little sink with brown water from the river. if your peruvian you take some to drink, why the hell not, a waterbottle filled with brown water is fine to drink!
actually, its not. i accidentally drank some one morning thinking it was my water bottle, it not being light enough for me to see. gross.
but the ride was beautiful! we stopped regualarly at little thatched roof villages where everyone came down to see the boat, and loaded and unloaded produce. none of them had electricity and they all paddled little dugout canoes. ladies and daughters got on the boat selling things wrapped in leaves that tasted like fish but looked like rice.
the next day at lunch we heard the squeal of a pig. when they filled my bowl with rice, and spaggetti (odd combo), a cooked platano, and some kind of meat, i could tell it was the pig by the little hairs that
Im not sad
i know i look like im going to cry but im just exhausted. this is just for mom and pap who wanted to know if i was really alive. Im actually having the best time of my life. were still sticking out of the fat.
i guess its great that way because i saw a woman eat that pork fast that she was done before i had time to look away.
i made freinds with a few men while in line, but chloe largley didnt get up because everyone stared so intently at her.
after that second night we were used to the boat and the crammed (CRAMMED) conditions, and the day went by quickly. around 3 we started seeing something in the distance up the river...something shiny and clustered...A CITY!!! in the middle of the amazon jungle, like a sore thumb, stuck out Iquitos, with is poorest of poor port and sinking boats and shacks on stilts, and further in the bustling city one might expect to find in a disney movie with tons of Mototaxis and big buildings and hotels and beggars and street performers and orphans and fish and hustlers and whores and everything a person could need.
but we have only just arrived.
we are here with 6 days with nothing to do but explore and buy you christmas presents (like 14 ft anaconda skins or coca leaves).
jk
much love
Antone.
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genie pookle
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I love you I love your blog
Great hammock photo by the way, you should enter that in a contest. These tastes and smells should last you a lifetime. I'm sitting in front of the fire in Wyoming with my coffee and Bob and your blog on my laptop. We're stretched out with our backs at either end of the couch sharing a fleece blanket, but this is voluntary indulgence. The first sunlight is coming over the eastern mountains and filtering through the snowy trees. This house is on the western side of the valley on stilts. The wind periodically bursts a boughful of dry crown snow and it explodes and falls sending chrystal showers. Its so hygienic, so non-tropical. And thanks for all the fish! Bye sweets,love to Chloe and have a Happy Christmas, G-p