Peru! Again! Now, after nearly 30 years! Wow! Doesn’t seem possible! I’d wanted to go to Peru for some time. A Colorado hail storm aided my adventure. The insurance check paid for my flight to Peru and Cusco. After hiking the Inca Trail, I flew on to Iquitos for a jungle adventure. Seems like yesterday. I’m curious to see what changes have taken place since I was last there!
Dreaming! I’d dreamt of seeing the Amazon, another encyclopedia Britanica inspiration from my youth on the farm! Seeing photos of amazing animals, I was drawn to them! Then, suddenly, I was off the plane and in Iquitos, the hottest place I have ever visited! Scorching! But interesting! I had never experienced that kind of heat and humidity! However, once we left the city, things cooled off. Jungles and forest breathe! Concrete cities, asphalt and tall buildings anywhere, not so much!! I loved the experience of being in the lungs of the earth!
Lima to Cuzco, getting started!
Planing back in the 90’s, I remember reading Lonely Planet, Let’s Go and other travel guides for information on travel here. There was little email and the internet was just birthing. Information was scarce! Written information was at least slightly obsolete. So the process was read, get some idea, go, then adapt to what showed up!
Getting to Machu Picchu turned out to be straight forward. It was on the tourist path. Adapting to the elevation, sleeping at 11,000 feet, that was the challenge. As fit as I was, I woke gasping for air often in the night. The second day of hiking, we climbed to just over 13,800 feet, dropped, climbed again, then began descending into Machu Picchu! Slow! Steady! Practice the “rest step”, savor the moment and enjoy! I bruised myself hiking and looking aro0und! From pinching myself! “I’m Hiking In the Andes!” Amazing!
After arriving and acclimating, I arranged a tour to Machu Picchu with the United Mice Travel company. They handled everything for me. In those days, my four day tour with train travel, guides, camping gear, food and such cost me $75 US.
Off to The Amazon and Iquitos...the largest city in the world not accessible by road.
Travel to and around Iquitos was not so easy! Informatin was scarce. Not many tourists went there in those days. I found a local company who were really helpful. Things worked out and everything fell into place! My flight getting there was amazing!
It’s cold at 11,000 feet. I didn’t need that clothing and gear in the jungle. I contacted Fernando at Lima’s Hotel Iquique where I had stayed earlier. He drove to the airport to pick up my pack, take it back to the hotel and store it for me. Very helpful!
I repacked and took only my small bag with jungle gear. We met at a short fence inside the airport without me having to go through security. Smooth!
My flight was great. Not only for the views but for the service. I had a connecting flight which was a bit more complicated, or at least I had assumed!
These planes deplaned on the runway. I walked down the steps into the steamy air. An attendant stood at the bottom holding a clip board. She asked me if I was traveling on. My name was on her list. She then escorted me personally through the airport, helped me find Fernando, got me to the right terminal and boarding gate. Then she bid farewell and wished me a safe flight. What service!! Amazing!
I thought it was hot in Lima. Ha! Once I arrived at the Iquitos airport and walked out onto the steamy air of the walk to the terminal, I was really in the heat. Yes, I felt like I was melting! I got a taxi and found my little hotel. I wish I could remember the name of it. Small. Family run. Very friendly and helpful! I had a blog in those days where I wrote about that place. But, things change and that blog no longer exists.
There were few tourist in those days. I spent a couple days exploring the town and the Iron House reportedly made by Eiffel in Paris. There was a restaurant in the Iron House and an internet cafe across the street. That was the site of a very surreal moment for me.
This was the period of time when the country was holding presidential elections between Fujimori and Toledo. Each side had support groups that would parade through the main road. First one group. Then another. At some intersections, they would start a small fire in protest or support, I never figured out which? The fire would burn out, the street would be cleaned. Later, the next group would come through and repeat the process.
One such parade began while I was sitting inside an internet cafe writing for my travel blog. As the noise grew lounder and closer, the manager rose and walked to the front door. He closed both doors and dropped a piece of wood behind to barricade us safely inside.
I asked if things were OK. He said yes, he just wanted to be safe. Here I was writing about my exotic travel experiences and sharing with people in the outside world. Out on the street, local Peruvians were marching in protest and to support their candidate. It was all very orderly! But passionate! Here, in Iquitos, people felt like the government favored places like Machu Picchu and forgot about them.
In this surreal moment, I was writing about my travel experiences, listening to the passionate voices and chants over the speakers outside when I glanced to my right. The manager was on a computer beside me. His screen was covered with photos of beautiful Asian women. Not Asian, he corrected, Japanese!! He was shopping for a bride online!
Protest, travel adventure, romance…all at the same moment. Life in so many aspects merging in this one moment! How interesting!
Tour apprehension!! I don't do tours!
Initially, I found the tours on the Amazon to be way out of my price range. Out of sight! I thought I would have to settle for doing local day tours. But, I really wanted to get more remote and travel on the Amazon.
I picked one travel company, Explorama, and wrote to see if they had price or package for one person? The manager wrote back and suggested I take the “Special”. I saw no special in any of their information?? “What is your special” I asked? He offered me a rate of $100 per night with a one night stop at each of their Amazon camps. That price included food, guide, transportation, everything! Suddenly, it was affordable.
I asked about adding two additional nights. The farthest camp was 125 miles downstream on the Rio Napo River flowing out of Ecuador. I didn’t want to spend three nights in different lodges, pack up each day, get on a boat, travel hours to the next lodge, then hustle all the way back to Iquitos!
I did want to have time to explore and savor the experience. I wanted time for night walks, canoe exploration, hammock time, and meeting locals.
Thus, I was blessed with a $500 experience, 5 mights and 6 days exploring the Amazon!
It was an awesome tour experience which I am about to experience again. This time, with different companies on different parts of the Amazon River.
Great Amazon River Tour Connection!
I’ve not had great experiences in the few tours I’d experienced. I like silence, listening and experiencing. I like flowing, taking my time, savoring where I am. Tours generally have a schedule, you move in a pack (“pinguino’s”). People waddle along in a single file following the raised umbrella! At times like this, it is the most affordable way to have an experience!
When I was picked up to go to the office, I hoped that this would be a compatible group! You never know! I was intent on enjoying it however it formed.
I was picked up and delivered to the office. I was the only one there when we arrived. A few minutes later, another driver walked in with one more guest, Leslie. She was an ER Nurse from Florida who nursed for travel money! And, she was studying acupuncture! Perfect!
No one else was joining us! We were the only guests, a group of two!
We got in a boat, rode several hours to our first stop and met our guide. Together, the three of us planned out what we wanted to experience. I expressed interest in learning about local healing, healing plants and rituals. Leslie was interested in the same things. Our guide shared that he grew up in a family of Shaman and was happy to accommodate our interest! Again, perfect! Since we were a small group, we got to do things large groups never could! Walking the village of “Indiana”, motor bikes down the raised walkways exploring and sipping a beer before heading back! Lovely!
First Stop Down the Amazon: the most commercial lodge!
The first place we stopped was very modern including a pool and a slide. They wanted to cater to people flying in from Europe who didn’t want a totally primitive of an experience.
I was asked if I wanted a modern air conditioned room or one of the original primitive bamboo huts in the forest. I made some comment about liking the idea of both. They offered me one of each since they were not very busy! Excellent!
Perfect! I placed my pack in the AC room, took out every soggy damp item out and hung them around the room. With the AC turned on, the drying process began! I then headed for my primitive hut for the night!
The AC dried out all my clothes. The primitive hut was awesome…and annoying! There were so many interesting sounds and noises, I hardly slept! I kept hearing noises and crashing sounds in the forest and was curious what was passing by! I didn’t want to miss anything!
Fortunately, they had a hammock area so I could catch up on my rest the next day!! However, watching the construction workers, I felt slightly guilty!
The next night, I slept soundly in my aircondtioned room!
Down The Amazon: A ethnobotanical garden and shaman!
At the most remote lodge, on the Rio Napo River flowing out of Ecuador, there was an ethnobotanical garden cared for by a local Shaman. His purpose: ducate local villages about traditional healing plants.
I spoke very little Spanish in those days. Leslie interpreted! The Shaman was on a mission to re-educate local people about traditional knowledge they had or were in the process of using! I looked around at the immense variety of plants, trees and vines and asked him how many plants he knew? He responded that he knew over 500! Wow! Then I asked how he knew what plants were useful for which condition? He replied, “They come to me in my dreams and tell me.”
Just like that! Matter of fact! They tell him!
He pointed to a vine thicker than my forearm then severed a piece with his machete. It was full of water. He said that the vine was good for the heart! However, prepared a different way with a different part of the plant, it was a birth control. Curious, I wondered how long the birth control was good for? He said it would last for about 10 years. Ten Years!!! Wow. What a special opportunity to meet and interact with this man!
Highlights!?
I was one day late from seeing an Anaconda capture dinner in the forest trail. People saw one last night. I saw the Pink River Dolphin which was awesome. We took a boat and then a motor bike to a village where they had a telephone office. Walking down the narrow sidewalk raised a couple feet to be above flood water, the music of Ike and Tina Turner blasted out from local speakers. We went up the canopy walk to above the canopy to watch the sunset. On our return, Daniel shared with us a special place where Shaman come for vision and prayers when working with people. That was a very special and disorienting place. Amazing! Below are some photos form those experiences!
And Now? What's the draw?
Last February and March, I had difficulty walking because of pain in my knee. It bothered my sleep, hurt when I sat and it was exhausting simply walking up and down my yard. I sought help and began working on it myself. It’s improved dramatically! I have an “off-load” brace I can wear when needed. Generally, I don’t need it much but if I’m hiking, going for long walks, or carrying my backpack through the airport, I always have it on.
I began reflecting several years ago on future travel plans. My intention: explore places that were either old favorites or new places I wanted to see that required hiking and walking! I began doing both of those things.
Guatemala is changing quickly! I went back to some favorite haunts. Unfortunately, some have changed so much, I may not ever return. Others, however, remain lovely and inviting! Then I went to new areas like Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua. More discoveries, experiences and amazing experiences. There was one area in Costa Rica I’d not been to so I headed there last August. Costa Rica is very homogenized from my earlier trips. It’s very Westernized. People can fly to the airport, rent a car, drive to a resort or area, follow their itinerary, return to the airport…and seldom encounter a Costa Rican. That’s a bit of an exaggeration but not by much.
I loved my experience but then, I’m experienced in finding what fits my priorities.
Laos has changed dramatically and will change even more as the result of the Mekong River being dammed and the High Speed Train. I’m happy I experienced it one more time!
Why the Amazon?
Inspiration! One day, the idea of returning to the Amazon plopped into my mind! Initially, my reaction was, “hmmm, that’s interesting”! Then I began looking into it! And the energy built and drew me in, getting stronger as I explored more.
I wrote to Tahuayo Lodge (in the photo below) and asked for some guidance on seasons to visit. I mentioned I have a knee issue which means walking on slick muddy trails often crisscrossed by slick tree roots is a challenge. Edward responded suggesting I come during his favorite season: high water season. That is in April! The trails were still there but they are flooded so you travel them by canoe! Perfect!
He helped me with details. I found other companies to have different experiences with in various parts of the Amazon and things simply fell into place! I bought my ticket and will be off soon on this adventure.
Peru and Colombia Travel Overview
It is hot and muggy where I’m going. I plan to travel with minimal gear. I’m not taking my laptop because it is heavy, bulky and I don’t want to expose it to such conditions. That and my focus and intent is to savor the experience, not think about what photo to take or what story to capture or what to write about. I’m streamlining and simplifying. The less I carry, the more comfortable it will be. Plus, I need some additional gear for these conditions.
I hope to occasionally post photos and stories dependent on conditions! My first experience on the Amazon River will be in Lagunas. I’ll go into Pacaya Samiria Reserve by canoe for five days with Acatupel Tours. No, there is no technology, electricity, traffic, motorized boats, airplanes or other such noises associated with modern societies. Our first day will involve roughly 5 hours of canoieng to get to camp!
My next experience will be in the city of Iquitos where I’ll do laundry, re-organize and purchase snacks and supplies. From there, I go to Tahuayo Lodge and the ARC research center. It is 4 hours by fast boat to Tahuayo Lodge, another 2 hours to the ARC.
Once I leave there, I’ll go back to Iquitos and then find a slow boat to travel down the Amazon River until we turn up stream and head for Colombia. It’s about 3 days of travel reaching Colombia in rather primitive but delightful conditions.
I’ve wanted to see the coffee farm region of Colombia for years. I’ll fly to Bogota and then head to the “Cafetera” region to visit some coffee farms and local villages.
It will be much cooler up there so I’ll have gear for that experience.
That’s what I’m heading into! Slow travel. Small places. Intimate experiences. Lots of nature and wildlife! Quiet! Merging with forest and the jungle often referred to as the “Lungs of the Earth”.
Adios!