A once in a life time experience! I was asked by the Editor of the Iquitos Times to go on an amazon cruise for free provided I wrote an aricle about the trip. I am dutch so English is a second language for me, but I have done my best. It was a three day and two nights trip. I left on Thursday the 5th of April and returned Saturday the 7th Day 1: I got on board around 9 in the morning. At about 9.30 all the other passengers arrived. I was expecting a group of older people but when the other passengers arrived I realised that I was one of the older people on board with my 29 years. The other guests on this cruise were 16 exchange students from the United States and two couples from Lima. The boat left around 10 a.m. First we did a cruise through the floating village of Belen. I already walked through Belen, but seeing the village from a boat it was a very different experience. A bit later everyone got a welcome drink, a sort of Pisco Sour Cocktail. Very nice!  After that we were on our way down the Amazon river. After lunch (which was very nice by the way) the first stop was monkey island! And did we see monkeys there, hordes of them ! We could feed them but they were not tame, which made it more special. It was so funny as the monkeys took over the boat. They were everywhere, as monkeys usually are. After playing with these monkeys for a while we went for a jungle walk. The guides instructed us very well, long trousers, closed shoes and a lot of insect repellent, but the mosquito’s still loved me anyway. We went in the jungle with our guide and two other guys (from the island) with machetes. During that walk we saw a lot of interesting things. We got to try lots of jungle fruits, even tried termites (they taste sour). Our guide, Esteban, grew up in the jungle and could tell us lots of interesting things. He taught us what we could eat and what we shouldn’t touch. After about an hour and a half we went back to the boat, and then cruised further down the Amazon. After a while we stopped and and went in a speed boat. First we went swimming and spotted some pink dolphins, they really are amazing. After that we changed location and went piranha fishing, but no one caught a piranha, we did catch two small catfish, but they were too small to eat so we threw them back. My line got stuck in the jungle twice, so it wasn’t a big success for me. After dinner we went to visit a guy, a friend of Estaban. He made all sorts of drinks. He called one of them the jungle Viagra!!! I think its called Siete Raices (7 Roots). We sat in a circle as he told us that it was made from 7 types of roots from the jungle. We all tried a little, it tasted like homemade rum. After that we could buy a bottle if we wanted. I wasn’t a big fan, so didn’t buy anything. After that we went on a night trip with the speedboat geared up with flash lights, we went looking for animals. We were hoping to see caymen (alligators), but the only thing we saw were frogs and grasshoppers and fireflies. After that we all went to bed. The cabin I stayed in was a double with bunk beds. Actually bigger than I expected, so was the bathroom. I slept like a baby. Day 2: Today we all got up really early, or at least the ones that wanted to go bird watching at 6 a.m. did! At 8 a.m., we had breakfast. Then we arrived at the small town of Pevas. At 9 a.m. we went ashore to visit the famous Amazonian artist Fransisco Grippa and toured his gallery. When we arrived at the gallery we got a beer from the house. Normally I wouldn’t drink at 9.30 in the morning but I did get up at 5.30 a.m. so it wasn’t that bad. Fransisco’s paintings are really amazing, but the price was a little out of my league. You could buy postcards though. I have to say the postcards didn’t do his paintings justice. So I didn’t buy anything. On top of his house there was also a lookout point, from where you could see the whole town of Pevas and the river beyond. After that we walked through the village to the little market and visited the church. Then we went somewhere else where there was supposed to be an arts and crafts market where we could buy souveniers. We got there too early and they weren’t open yet. So we asked for a ball and started a game of football with the local kids. It was hilarious, running, sliding and falling in the mud was normal for these kids but we couldn’t get used to it, and they play without shoes! We had a good and honest game which ended in a 4-4 tie.  Then we went in the community centre were we witnessed a ceremony performed by the local people all dressed up and with painted bodies and faces. They did a few traditional dances for us while they were singing. Then we were all dragged by the dancers to join them in the last dance, the anaconda dance, well at least we tried. After that we could buy some of their homemade handicrafts, and we all did buy something: blow guns, masks, jewelery etc. After that we went swimming with the local kids, and jumping off the boat, and splashing around in their dugout canoes. We had lots of fun. Lunch was right after that. Three of the passengers where vegetarians, and for some reason the crew were not informed, so at the last minute the kitchen had to prepare something else for them, and they did with pleasure! In the afternoon we were free to do what we liked. I didn’t do anything as there were lots of hammocks on board, so I just relaxed with a book and then took a nap. After dinner our guide (who is a shaman) did a ceremony. He told us about the jungle, and the animals of the jungle. He knew so much, and it was really very interesting. Day 3: Today was a short day. There was a morning walk, to see some plants and the famous Victoria Regina Lilies. The we went back to the Arca for our return to Iquitos and it was all over. Evaluation: The cruise was amazing. The crew were super friendly, and the food was really good. The other people on the boat where a lot of fun, and our guide was experienced and could answer everyone’s questions, he knew a lot about the jungle. Thank you Arca Amazon Adventures and "The Iquitos Times". 
The Gang |