Iquitos - A gateway to the Amazon
Iquitos is the largest city in the Peruvian rainforest, because of the geography (completely isolated in the Amazon) it can not be reached by road. People used to travel there by boat, but now there are several flights everyday because it’s becoming a popular touris destination. LAN Peru offers four daily flights.
Iquitos is a very interesting place, located on the Amazon river and from the moment the visitor arrives it feels like a very different place to Lima or other tourist spots in Peru. If you fly from Lima to Iquitos you will fly over dry dusty deserts, then the snow covered Andean mountains before seeing forests that become rich green jungle below you. Looking down from the window of your plane you see rivers twisting through the jungle.
The weather is very hot and humid, and it can rain frequently – after all this is a RAINforest! Don’t worry, the rains feels very warm, but when it does rain it can be heavy and sudden. So even if you are very hot it is a good idea to have a waterproof jacket or plastic bag to protect any books, passport, camera, etc.
Iquitos was known for its rubber industry at the beginning of the 20th century that brought wealth to the city and many mansions were built like the Iron House designed by Gustave Eiffel, famous for his Eiffel Tower in Paris.
Iquitos has a famous boulevard with bars and nightclubs and the night life is very vibrant.
There are other very tourist places like the Belen Market where you can find local plants and medicines and liquors made with herbs that people say that have aphrodisiac properties like ‘chuchuhuasi’ or ‘RC’.
Some people go to Iquitos to try Ayahuasca, a kind of medicinal tea prepared with a jungle vine called Banisteriopsis Caapi and other herbs that have hallucinogenic properties, used by shamen.
My husband tries shooting a blow dart
Iquitos is a good place to start a journey into the Amazon. There are organised tours where you can travel away from the city, deeper into the jungle and stay in Amazon jungle lodges. Some jungle lodges are very basic, perfect if you want a real feel of the Amazon. You can sleep in a wooden hut that is raised on legs, just sleeping under a mosquito net. That is if you can sleep at all, because there will be the sound of the jungle animals, frogs, insects all making their noises! Of course if you need a more comfortable bed there are lodges with more comforts, with beds, showers and three cooked meals.
From these lodges you can take guided walks looking at the trees and whatever animals you might see. Your guide will point out things that are invisible to a visitor, snails, insects frogs, butterflies all camouflaged in their surroundings. Also you can go on fishing trips and catch the famous piranhas, try and see an Amazon river dolphin or do a tree top canopy walk.
You can also visit a local shaman and learn about their traditional healing and visit local indigenous people who will show you a bit of their traditions – and sell you some nice handmade souvenirs! If you buy a traditional blow pipe, it must stay in your suitcase, of you try to take it on any plane it will be confiscated!
My husband and I stayed at the Ceiba Tops Luxury Jungle Lodge – which was very comfortable. The food was very nice (even the vegetarian food was good – better than we get here in UK hotels!). They have a nice pool and jacuzzi, a lounge and bar with live music in the evenings.
We really enjoyed our visit to Iquitos and the jungle and one day we will go back again.
Links:
http://www.explorama.us/ceibatopslodge.shtml
