Adventures in the Amazon Rainforest

We hadn't really thought too much about this part of the trip as it is towards the end. However we were totally amazed by all the wonderful experiences that we had in the Amazon. 

We took a 2 hour flight from Lima to Iquitos in the Amazon which is the largest city in the world not accessible by road. You can only get here by plane or boat. Once in Iquitos it was a further 1.5 hours before we reached our lovely wooden river boat which would be home for the next 5 days. The boat itself was simple but the 11 staff treated us like royalty with delicious food, clean and comfortable cabins, a well stocked bar and they all multi tasked by playing a variety of musical instruments and entertaining us with songs pre dinner each night. 

However the highlight was exploring the rainforest itself. During early mornings or late afternoons when it was cooler ( although still a humid 30 degrees!) we boarded motorised skiffs along to explore the Amazon river by water as well as by trekking through the jungle, visiting local communities. This included a visit to a female shaman who with the aid of an interpreter told us about her skills and experience as a community Shaman.

It was fun sailing along the river and spotting various wildlife such as squirrel monkeys, bats, a whole variety of birds whose names we can't remember and the most stunning pink dolphins. Yes they really were very pink and came and went so quickly that we couldn't take any decent photos. 

We returned to the skiffs at night in search of nocturnal wildlife but most mesmorising was the sounds of the jungle at night and the beautiful clear night time sky.

 We learnt about the vegetation in terms of what is good to eat but also of the medicinal uses of many of the plants. Sadly we also learnt about how the jungle is disappearing due to government demands to develop and how it will not look the same in several years time. 

We visited communities and saw how self sufficient they were living off the land and combining old ways of living with the new. Although electricity was still not fully functioning, one household had got a generator and a satellite dish and were gearing up to watch the world cup. We visited a local school which was attended by 27 children aged from 5 to 12 and had 2 teachers. We arrived at lunch time to see very happy children tucking into a hearty lunch and learnt that the children were provided with a healthy breakfast, lunch and dinner every school day. We sweltered in the little shade of the midday sun as the children raced around playing football - like children the whole world over.

 The following day We visited one of the main towns of Nauta where locals come to trade in the massive market. 

One evening Eva decided to take it easy while I headed out on the skiff racing down the river at breakneck speed. As we passed villages the children and adults would wave from the lush green river bank. Eventually we arrived at a small hamlet and glided in to the rivers edge. We were each handed a wooden pole with fishing line and a hook attached with a supply of meat scraps for bait. Adults and children lined the bank to watch Gringos fish, laughing at our attempts and shouting encouragement and advice.

Meat on hook I lowered it into the water. My battle with the piranha fish began. I could feel the fish nibbling the bait. Time and time again the hook came up with no bait. The same was happening to everyone, this was not fishing it was fish feeding. This was war, me versus the piranha and I was going to win. I put less bait on the hook and next time the line tighten I struck, yanking the line on the end of which was a honest to god piranha fish complete with vicious looking teeth. After taking a fisherman’s photo of the small fish, I proceeded to catch two more.

After the excitement of the piranha fishing we moved on to wooden canoes, something which will soon be a thing of the past as locals replace them with fibre glass ones. Gingerly three of us get Into the canoe . Ours is rowed by a man but most of the others canoes carrying our group are rowed by the village children one of whom looked about three. The boat felt slightly unstable and we tried not to move as the slightest movement caused alarming rocking. We sang ‘Michael row the boat ashore’’ to calm our nerves to the bemused looks from our boat rower. 

Just as we manage to convince our rower to turn round a thunder storm sends lightning through the sky and ominous clouds gather. Not a moment to soon the skiffs arrive to rescue us and we clamber precariously from the canoe to the more stable skiff. Soon we are racing off back to our river boat for a drink followed by dinner.

It has been an amazing privilege to be welcomed into the hunter gatherer communities on the amazon. Sadly it is a lifestyle that is about to change. A growing population means that the rainforest can no longer sustain the hunter gatherer lifestyle . Animals are getting rarer and fish smaller due to over fishing as spears are replaced with nets. Illegal logging even in national reserves is putting the Amazon rainforest at even greater risk. I will leave this place with the happy faces of the children and the friendly waves and smiles of the adults as a lasting memory but sadly it is a lifestyle soon to be consigned to the past and the world will become poorer place as these people leave the garden of Eden.