Boat Trip-Yurimaguas to Iquitos & Stops Between

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Went to the port in Yurimaguas about 8:00am, put up the hammocks, stored our packs with the capitan and walked back downtown for breakfast. Back at the boat about 9:30 and waited for the 12:00 departure time, ended up being 1:30 departure. Top deck where our hammocks were had 21 total. Lots of open space and not bumping into others. 2nd deck was crowded praobably 100-125, bottom deck, cargo hold full of bananas, plantains, metal roofing, paint, cement, petrol, and to many other things to list, but you get the idea. It was a floating Wal-Mart. On the forward deck were 18 head of cattle penned up in an area of about 25x25 feet, they stayed there for the duration. Passangers on top deck included a mix of Peruvians, one American (me), three Chilians, a Spanish girl traveling with an Italian fellow, and a couple I never did figure out where they were from, so a good mix of travellers.
I´ll try and discribe the Eduard VI, top deck had lots of room, with tarps that they dropped down the sides at night to block the cold wind. At the rear of the deck was the bath facillity running from one side of the boat to the other. There were three sinks on one wall with mirrors, for you ladies, and at the far rear were three cubicles that included your toilet and shower accomodations. Water in the sinks and showers were clear from a storage cistern on the top of the boat, single tap on the sinks and the shower had a handle like a garden faucet with a single stream of water. Toilets were river water which were flusehed with a tap, again like a garden faucet. Hope I´m not giving more info than you need but for anyone traveling on Eduardo VI it might be nice to know, or not. Meals were announced by the cooks to the 2nd deck folks by banging on pipes for the top deck people to head down and get in line for the kitchen, er, galley The galley was located directly above the engine which was an open pit with diesel fumes, noise, etc. I don´t know how the people there could stand it, hot and loud. Upon arrival at the galley you will find three cooks behind a metal bar enclosed galley, looks like a jail cell. Pass your reciept through along with your bowl, which you purchased in Yurimaguas. First cook spooned in the rice, second cook spooned in the main entree, third cook put in the plantain. Each cook had their individual cooking vats to work from then the bowl is passed back through the slot with your reciept. It looked like a prison operation of feeding the prisoners but with the cooks inside the cell. I do believe they were in the cell/galley for their own protection from passangers as the food quality left lot to be desired. First cook spooned in rice, second spooned the chicken and veggies, sometimes this was a thin gruel type stuff, or pasta,or beans, one never knew what they were going to get. third the plantains. Breakfast the second day consisted off hot coco, looking much the same color of the river were travelling in, and a hamburger bun type thing with butter and a slice of mystery sliced processed meat, so enough of the culinary delights. Also on the second deck there was a small bodega that sold beer, aqua, sodas, and snacks.
1st port of call was Lagunas at 11:30pm, 20 minutes and we were off agian. About 4:30am woke up to the sound of rain and no engine sound. Boat engine stopped and there were two small canoes loading bananas on and taking a drum of petrol off. The petrol was siphoned by mouth into various containers of different sizes stacked in the canoes, now mind you, this while we are floating with current in the middle of the river with the only light being flashlights held in mouths or strapped to heads. One just has to appreciate the very diffecult lives the people of the Amazon Basin live.
I will get to day two on the river tomorrow when I post the next entry. as I am exremely tired and will explain the reasons for this then.
Take care all,
Ralph

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Comments

[Slackman]

Fine wine and food
No continental breakfast? Whats up with this top deck accommodations?