Photos of the village of river people.

For breakfast. French toast with bird seed is the specialty of the house

Tour Companies

So we arrive in Lima. The plan is to meet a Holbrook representative who will escort us to our prepaid room for the night. We struggle our with our luggage and reach the exit. Looking at all the drivers reading signs for about 45 minutes. No representatives. I finally call. All of the paperwork with local numbers is in our suitcase. I call the US number. Get through several operators who states she will call back. Open up the locked suitcase to find the local number and the name of the hotel. Finally get a confirmation that the travel company cancelled our pick up since we made our own reservations and we should catch a cab to the hotel.  It was a good thing we were here in January so I knew which cab company to use

No problem as they all have the same rate on the signs they are holding. The cab ride is over an hour and the driver took us to the wrong hotel because there was no street number or name just the hotel name. Just a small detour but in this part of Lima there are a lot of one way streets. So 3 hours after the plane landed we arrive at the hotel and they tell us you have no room reserved.  We are lucky and get the last room. I am not sure what we paid.  At this point in time. I am going to swear off organized tours. This is the most problems we have encountered in the past 7 years of all our international travel

We start day one of Lima. First stop is to find someone to wash our clothes. There is no washer in the hotel and to send it out is so expensive.  Well not only can’t we work the washer when traveling we couldn’t find the laundry although we had a google map I printed at home. Finally someone asked if we needed help and said there’s one in the next block of course we managed to turn the wrong way.  So we have 8 kg of laundry or about 20 pounds. It will be done at 6 pm. We have the day to go to the market and explore. We see other tour members who are also shopping.   A chance to walk about Miraflores and look at the art show in park.

Needless to say we have many treasures that Dan said we absolutely needed.  He is really worse than I am.  Back to pick up the laundry and the laundry lady we gave a tip to was just amazed that we would do that.  It is nice to have clean clothes that don’t smell of Deet.

We have dinner with part of the group and the best Pisco sour for sure. Dinner was so so and we had ice cream for dessert.  So much for day1.

Thoughts on our jungle trip

On our last day in the jungle I can reflect upon our experience.  The accommodations were terrific and the staff at the lodge were great.  The lodge seemed to cater to Americans although there were several other nationalities represented.   The program as I mentioned before was like a camp experience.  It was set so as you traversed through the days you did everything the group before you did.  I think they could have tailored it if you wanted but everyone knew what to expect and the villages we went to expected the groups.  There was usually only one guide that stayed with your group.  Unfortunately our guide was only with us 2 of the 4 days and although we had experienced people clearly our first guide was the most knowledgeable.  There is plenty of down time as everyday the tour or program ended at about 4 pm so you could swim or “hang” out in a hammock. Dinner was at 7 every night.  Alcohol was pricey but things were a little cheaper than in Lima.  A bottle of wine was $25-30 in Lima it is $29-35.  

The food was buffet style but there was no use of stereo to keep it warm so all food was cool or cold when you ate although the eggs at the primitive lodge were even hot. In the morning there is usually an egg dish. Omelet, sunny side up, scrambled and potatoes of some sort as well as pancakes or French toast.  All food was cooked with spices but was not hot just flavorful with a little heat.  

We had lunch had one entree while dinner has 2 choices.  We had chicken every day and fish every day although prepared differently. All was tasty especially the fish.  Dessert was like China, only fresh fruit although one night we had a honey spice cake and fresh fruit.  There were always local juices available.  

The weather we have had so far has been amazing. The only rain in the north was while we were driving up to Alto Mayo but sun when we got there in the jungle we had rain on the river while going to the canopy but then none and beautiful blue skies and sun.   The weather is humid and we were constantly sweating and wet so rain wouldn’t have mattered much.  The trip into the jungle was educational and physical.  We used several types of boats from the flat totally open ones to fully enclosed to a partial enclosed.  There are life jackets required at all times but they can be left open while wearing.  

Iquitos although a big city in Peru is a working town with lots of motorcycles and motor karts buildings that are haphazardly built and some without electricity but a generator to run the TV.   There was no touristy areas as in Lima, Cusco, or any of the Baja California cities we have seen.  It is a port city with the Amazon and its tributaries as a way to move goods.  It is isolated like Juneau Alaska arrive by boat or air.

We head back to Lima after having 6 hours at the lodge with no activity planned.  We will arrive in Lima at 9pm tonight and begin our tour with the Botanical Garden.  

Some photos from trip upriver toward Iquitos

Photos from around the lodge

Photos from trip to the village of the rivers