2011

Iquitos, 11-14mar

After a double flight Cusco-Lima-Iquitos in the jungle we arrived in this city 'overlooking the Rio Amazonas, with temperatures at 34 degrees and humidity' 200%, you can feel the difference from the highlands of Cusco and its surroundings .. ..

E 'the city' more 'largest in the world not reachable by land, you can' get only by plane or ship navigating the river, but that 'despite the traffic and noise of thousands of motorcycle taxi rushing and puffing makes it similar to many other reality'.

David, the CS that makes us come home to take a taxi and we rejoice because 'exit of the airport will not tell you what they do to grab a customer.

When we got home we find Rebecca, his wife, and another CS host who set up the tent in the garden, her name is Alejandro and e 'an army lieutenant and is waiting for the ship that sails once a month to get to the border with Ecuador to stay 'two years in a military base to counter drug trafficking and protect the tribes' native.

The evening passed pleasantly you know you put at ease then we prepare our bed, which consists of the sofa cushions placed on the floor, not have this to offer us but that's okay ', fan and cold shower and handcuff' great pleasure, and then David is driving so many information.

Rebecca, Carlos, Alejandro y GP

the ns. "Palace "....

the morning we leave for the first excursion the Amazon, David has already so we join another group, are two reporters in Lima nice thirties.

Nanay We go to the harbor where the boats and tiny after 2 hours of cruising the Amazon come to isla de los monos, a place where volunteers attend to free monkeys who live peacefully, you jump up to play, are really impressive up close, very funny and some super excited ....

After going to see an anaconda, where Giampa and the two chicas are made to make the photo with the snake on the neck, and there are also prehistoric turtles and parrots talking, of course Castilla, with spectacular color, with toucans and a sloth, which obviously moves in slow motion ....

After lunch with the super dish of the forest called juan and consists of a ball of rice prepared with various spices and chicken in the center wrapped in banana leaves, we go to a village on the banks of the river where we admire the paiches or more fish 'found in the great river, up to three meters in length, the famous Victoria Regis aquatic plant with enormous leaves, what you see in books on photography babies, and finally the crocodile that move only when the shots a little 'fish

turtle "prehistoric"

baby crocodile

what 's the sloth?

of this rodent we have forgotten the name ...

toucan

was so big!

juan

descanso ...

victoria regis

coconut 1

coconut 2 ..

paiches

the evening, prepare the pasta all'amatriciana home of David, Melina cuts her hair to Rebecca, and another day, and 'over.

the morning we drive to the hotel, to be a bit more 'comfortable, then we go to visit the market of Belem, on the outskirts of Iquitos, always accompanied by David.

The smells, the colors, the faces, the screams are the main event, along with the goods displayed on the desks : more than a dozen quality 'of fruit and vegetables never seen, there are two long fish meters next to the heads of turtle, crocodile meat and oil buoy to treat arthritis, and a lot of poverty '.

Here life and' controlled by the level of the river that can 'vary up to 3-4 high: more then the homes' close to the river during the rainy season the low floor is completely submerged, while those on the shore or in the side channels are made up as veritable raft moored boats. A canoe ride in this reality 'so' far from us shows us scenes that we thought existed only in India, dozens of children splashing in the muddy water, nursing mothers on the porch, others who soaped and then rinsed in the river, and many descanso that the hammocks.

the afternoon we travel around the town ', we visit a rehabilitation center for a fish of which we do not remember the name but you see in the photos while breastfeeding, and then to the lagoon Quistacocha, where there' a rustic zoo, and you can 'take a bath and eat in one of choischetti. That's right, the second you said .... ;)

bacon crocodile

and say that 'a shark;)

we would call it "skewers larva ...

tobacconist (cigarette factory)

turtle go-go

here sell them to "log" and not kg

dry season, when it rains the water rises more than 3 meters.

melina ..

here, when the water rises, comes to the door

houseboat

"restaurant" float

oils and ointments for all needs'

.. there 's also the famous RC = break trousers

the indoor garage

the baby which has the hunger ...

capybara

iguana

the last day, always with David, we make another trip to the Rio, going to visit a village first, and then two tribes' of the natives, of two different ethnic groups, but now both equipped to make some money with the tourists: after a ballet and two shots with the blowgun, necklaces and bracelets hang out: we were expecting this scenario (to see the real "wild" it may be several days' sailing away, and spend a few thousand euros ..) but cmq. we are a bit 'disappointed, but managed to take some nice pictures.