Taxi to Yurimagus

---

Had the decision made for us to go to Yurimaguas today, Sunday, as on Monday the road from Tarapoto to Yurimaguas will closed for 18 hours mas o manos due to construction, rock slides and all that other good stuff traveling is made of. I had read many accounts of travel on this road, however, they do not live up to those stories, minimum of 10 times worse in some peoples opinion. But what a trip into the mountains, over the mountains, down the mountains. Once in Iquitos maybe I can find a better internet cafe to upload photos. Shaun, the road from Mae Hong Song to Chiang Mae is like traveling on the highway along Turnagain Arm. You would have enjoyed some of the construction activity, or not. Not up to your engineering standards in Alaska. Saw great waterfalls, forests (jungle) that looked like the rainforests of Honduras, but more impressive.

I am fianally in the Peru I have been waiting to see. You want rural, you have rural after every bend in the road. Yurimaguas is the real start of the Jungle. More hot and humid than Tarapoto, rain, sun, all the weather that can be expected in this environment. Yurimaguas is about population of 42,000, on the Rio Huallaga which flows into the Rio Maranon and then forms the Amazon. Went to La Boca, the port, to find out about boats to Iquitos. Eduardo 1, was in port and to leave Mon. 2.18.08, talked to the capitan and he told us the Eduardo 6 is due in port tomorrow at 7:00am, and will leave at 12:00pm Tue., yeah right. Will go to the port and talk to the capitan of Eduardo 6 in the morning and secure hammock space on the top deck for Tue. pm sailing. Three days to Iquitos. Now this the kind of cruise I´m looking forward to, no state rooms to bother with, just the fresh air and cows, pigs, bananas, stopping a various villages to off load and on load cargo. Michelle, I feel you would not quite enjoy this type of cruise travel, just guessing.

Will be spending a few days in Iquitos waiting for Mac to arrive so we can head deep into the jungle village of Peurto Miguel for a week or so.

Observations: 1. Beautiful people, friendly, welcoming, willing to help at all times, allways got directions, but not allways correct, however, with no time constraints who cares. 2. Food is good, not sure of some of the things I´ve eaten but all good. 3. Enjoy sitting in the plazas of the various towns and villages with local people. This is the first time I feel that I stand out due to lack of Gringo travellers and am being observed on a continual basis. 4. Went to a small Bodaga to look for some canned food for the boat, and two of the ladies asked Gerson if I was single, as is always the case they were in their 60´s as am I. But had fun talking and they were very concerned about the skin peeling off the top of my bald head from the perpetual sunburn.

Well my friends and family off to dinner and try to finish reading a book tonight,
Cheers, Ralph

---