04/10/2018
Just came back from another bucket list trip, trekking through the Amazon river basin.Well, not exactly a trek but a tour with accommodations provided by the house boat Amatista. This tour was provided by G Adventures and I must say it was a very awesome trip overall.
The flight down to Lima from Vancouver was long with a short layover in L.A. But with Latam airlines out of L.A., we got a hot supper and breakfast which was nice surprise. Upon landing it was hot but not as hot as what was to come. I was met at the airport by my shuttle driver, Manuel, who explained quite a bit about Lima and the area and Miraflores where I would be spending the night. The hotel San Augustin Exclusive was an average hotel. Check in was easy and since I opted in for the shared accommodations, I knew I would have a roommate. Once I got to the room where my roommate already was, I noticed a slight problem. There was only one bed! I told the bell boy that, “ah nope, this was not going to work buddy!” He on the other hand continually insisted that he drop my bags off in the room. I eventually grabbed the bags myself and went down to the lobby desk where they were more than happy to fix the mistake. With that all taken care of I was now off to explore Miraflores.
Miraflores is a safe part of Lima and very touristy. There's a lot of souvenir shops, surfing, paragliding and many many pubs, bars and restaurants. First thing I wanted to try was a local dish called Cuy. I got the roasted Cuy and found that after the initial shock of how it looked, it was hard work getting the meat off all the bones. You see, Roasted Cuy is actually Roasted Guinea Pig, complete with head and paws attached. Once you did get the meat off it tasted pretty good. The Peruvian people are very friendly and helpful here when the language thing doesn't get in the way. After some shopping and dinner it was time for our group meeting, which went fine with a detailed account of our itinerary and a Pisco Sour from our host. Pisco Sour is a national drink in Peru and quite tasty.
Next morning at 7am we boarded our shuttle for our flight to Iquitos, the heart of the Amazon. Upon landing in Iquitos I discovered what hot really was. The humidity had to be well over 50% and the heat just radiated off the tarmac. Once in the cool confines of the airport, and by this I mean out of the sun because there is no air conditioning, we met one of our nature guides Victor. He explained that once we picked up our luggage we would be boarding a bus to take us to the boat. There was suppose to be 19 of us but 4 ended up getting delayed in Cuszco for a day, so we would meet them later in the tour.
We stopped briefly in a small section of town to stock up on any last minute supplies. I had to go to the pharmacy to get some sun screen. When she couldn't provide me with the exact change, I laughed when she gave me a few bandaids to make up for it. We then loaded back on the bus and headed to the dock.
I was a little confused when “our boat” was just a skiff and not a big house boat. But our second guide Juan Carlos (JC) told us that the Amitista was already on the river and we would be taking the skiff to her for boarding (1). The Amazon is the longest river in the world, hope she is close. Within 15 minutes we came along side of the Amistista, boarded, and received our cabin assignments and again, complete with a cabin mate.
Our cabin was clean, neat and functional, two beds and our own bathroom and shower. Our trip had now begun, nothing but us and the Amazon. I unpacked and headed for the top deck where the bar was, for another free Pisco Sour and a little orientation about the boat and safety from the captain. Had a little free time for drinks and beer while waiting for dinner. The food was good on board the ship, but by the end of the week the food was starting to feel like it was just different versions of the same thing. Having spent a number of years in the navy, I realized this is just part of limited storage on a ship.
Each night that we didn't have an excursion planned, we were entertained by the ship's crew band, The Chunky Monkeys. Usually before dinner the five crew members played various instruments and sang or played local and international songs for us. The next six days would be spent on board the Amitista with a few daytime excursions and one nighttime excursion. Our nature guides were very knowledgeable and had a good sense of humour. JC was amazing, not only was he knowledgeable but he would go through the jungle and find the things we wanted to see.
The service on board the ship was awesome. The crew members were quick to answer any and all questions, you were always greeted with a smile and a “beuneos dias.” The added touches were great as well, like the cleaning of your shoes after every excursion and the one time laundry of any clothes you wanted cleaned. Over all the time spent on board was great.
Our first daytime excursion was to a little village where we were met by one of the village elders who guided us through the community and explained their way of life. I found that although they were poor, they were very happy. I ended up harvesting some Yucca root to take back on board with us. Yucca is a tuber much like a potato, tastes like potato, but a lot healthier and their main source of starch. We would end up visiting one other village but that is still to come. Once we got back on board our wayward tourists were there waiting for us. Two couples from Australia.
We ended up beaching the boat each night to wait for dawn to sail further down the Amazon. Each day there was a different excursion. Usually it was getting in the skiff and travelling down a small side creek or river in search of wildlife, of which we saw plenty. A couple of excursions were hikes through the jungle and one other village visit to see a butterfly farm and have lunch. The Peruvian government actually funds small butterfly farms throughout the jungle because butterflies are so vital for the pollinization of plants. So here we were able to see first hand how they do it, from egg to mature butterfly. We then had a local lunch prepared for us by one of the families. Here I ate Paca which is a large rat and tastes like salted pork, very yummy, no head or paws this time. Overall a very good meal but we had to eat it the village way, with our hands, no utensils. Ever tried eating rice with your hands? Not an easy task.
One of our day time excursions was to a major trade city called Nauta. Not a big city like Iquitos but a very important one for trade between the native population and the outside world (the outside world being the rest of Peru). Here I learned a very valuable lesson on tipping. I was advised that a tip of around 5-10% was plenty. Well I bought a very much needed beer in a little shop and must have tipped well over what is normally expected. That combined with me being friendly with the shop owner resulted in her running out after me when we were leaving and giving me her phone number. Victor told me later that she had told him that I was very nice and rich and therefore wanted to marry me. So lesson learned, keep that tip to 5-10%!
We also made a stop where a few of us could swim. We found out that we as tourists could not swim in the the brown waters of the actual Amazon because our antibodies aren't accustomed to the bacteria. But the black water of all the tributaries were fine for us. But even that had a bit of a learning curve. The black water is actually heavier than the water we are used to, so swimming was sluggish. The currents can be very strong and you have to be careful or you will end up in Brazil, without a passport and last, under water it is so dark you can't see more than an inch or two. This fact was a little creepy when seeing dolphins, both pink and grey swimming as close as 20 feet away, knowing that there are piranha in the water all around you and feeling some type of fish nibbling on your toes when you stand still. But hey, it was refreshing and fun.
Our one night excursion was the best. The jungle at night is pitch black so head lamps and flash lights were needed. The exciting animals come out at this time. We found a 9 foot Anaconda, a 6 foot Red Boa, poison dart frogs, and alot of spiders and other bugs. It was one of the best excursions of the trip for me.
During our last day we ended up back in Nauta to catch a bus to the airport in Iquitos. There is only one road connecting the two cities and that was just completed a few years ago. On the way back we stopped at a Manatee rescue centre where they collect injured animals of all species, rehabilitate them and then release them back into the wild if they can. They had Manatees, Camien, River Otters and monkeys as well as a variety of birds and turtles. It's refreshing that they find the importance of plants and animals are so vital to their way of life and they are taking steps to protect that.
Once back in Lima I had 2 days to kill before my flight home. I spent this time doing some more exploring and found a restaurant that served Llama. Llama is very tasty and I highly recommend it. It was nice to get back to just hot temperatures and away from the humidity of the jungle. My last day I spent trying to decide if I wanted to try surfing or paragliding, both have schools there to learn. But fog rolled in so it turned a bit crappy out so instead I got a poison dart frog tattoo as my own personal souvenir.
TIPS
Here are a few tips I picked up along the way from my experience:
1. Prepare for the heat and the bugs. It is very hot and humid in the jungle and almost impossible to wear long sleeves and pants so bring good insect repellent. I know there is an issue with deet but if you don't have something with lots you will get eaten alive. My spray was 7.5% and didn't seem to be enough. Also, these pesky bastards eat through your clothing, so spray your clothes down too.
2. Bring good anti-diarrhea pills and probiotics, even the most hardy of us get travellers gut.
3. Be aware that every village along the river you visit you will be told that the villagers have hand crafted souvenirs for you. Unfortunately, they all look the same from village to village, so you can make your own conclusions if they actually are mass produced.
4. Do not be afraid to totally immerse yourself into the Amazonian culture, you will learn lots and just heighten the experience of being there.
5. Stick to the 5-10% tipping rule or you may end up with more than just a souvenir or a smile.
6. Most of all come with an open mind, your cheery self and leave your grumpy self at home. The Amazon and Peru itself is a great place to visit and for me a bucket list item checked off.
(1. In maritime tradition, the ship is commonly referred to using feminine pronouns.)
