Peru: Amazon Rainforest

As a kid, I was never particularly interested in the subject of Geography. The content was mostly at the national level and loaded with statistics that failed to spike my curiosity- population, soil type and crops! However one year Geography was different. It was the year we studied world geography- the icy Tundra, the grasslands of Africa and the rainforests of Amazon. The Amazon of my books felt like Alice's wonderland... gigantic trees, mighty river, carnivorous plants, variety of birds and plants seen nowhere else. I would love to go there! And so almost two decades later I did, with my husband!

While Brazil comes to mind when you think about Amazon, the origin of the Amazon river is in Peru- near the city of Iquitos. We flew straight to Iquitos from California. Iquitos is not accessible by road; and is not easily reached by boat either. We had a stop at Lima where we collected the bags and cleared customs. The airport is strange- after customs, we had to exit the airport and re-enter to checkin the bag again. We also exchanged some USD for Soles at the airport. Neither USD nor credit is accepted in the Amazon forest region. After four hours, we got on our 6:30am flight to Iquitos. The views were amazing- first snow capped mountain peaks above the clouds and then the Amazon river itself, with its muddy waters snaking through the green landscape, and meandering tributaries joining the majestic river.

 Rio Amazonas from the flight

We had booked a 3D/2N stay at the Heliconia Lodge.  We emailed them the payment information to make the reservation. The purchase however can be made on hotels.com or other travel sites as well, which are more convenient. The description on these websites vary, but it is all the same offering. The lodge is located 80km from Iquitos city and about 300km from the origin of the Amazon river. The stay included daily tours and meals; though anything at the bar needed to be purchased, including bottled water. The tours are in groups. Our group had seven of us, only the Mr and I were English speaking. All of us were picked up from the airport together, did the tours together, and most were also dropped off at the same time. Hence they, like most lodges in this area, insist that you arrive before 9am and depart after 6pm. We were picked up at the airport and taken to a hotel in Iquitos. We left our luggage there and went for a walk in the city with our guide Freddy, who speaks good English (in addition to Spanish). Life in Iquitos is very interesting. Means of transport included honda bikes modified to make rickshaws or tuk-tuks, and old wood truck modified to make buses. After the tour, we boarded a van along with the rest of the group and were taken to the port in Iquitos for an hour long boat ride on the Amazon!

As soon as our boat set off on  the river, we saw grey dolphins in the water! These are dolphins in the wild, untrained and hence shy of humans. We also stopped where the black Nanay river meets the brown Amazon. Cruising on the Amazon is an experience that no words can do justice to. The sound of the motor boat splashing water, as we bounced off the ripples on the river water, occasionally a loud thud of the drifting logs and debris was heard, sometimes wood got stuck in the propeller and the motor had to be turned off to clean and in seconds we were off again. On the banks were lush green forests, most trees lining the banks had exposed roots as evidence of the might of the Amazon river that took soil and trees with it. Nestled in the greens were also small villages. The villagers had small canoes and sometimes motor boats docked for their use. These villages are accessible only by boat. There are no roads in this part of the world, and no ones complaining.

Nanay meets Amazon	Cruising on the Amazon

After an hour, we made our first stop to meet a local tribe who would give us some insight into their culture. While locals dress in jeans and Ts these days, this family had dressed traditional for us. They welcomed us with music and dance, in which we participated. They also demonstrated the blow gun. We all got a chance to try. Freddy was the narrator on this tour- he spoke mostly in Spanish, and periodically gave the Mr. and me a quick summary. This was how the bilingual tour worked on all our tours at the Amazon. Mr and I felt a little lost at times, but we chose to take in the surroundings and get good pictures during the Spanish part of the tours. At the end of this tour, was an opportunity to buy handicraft from them. We all bought something though it was optional.

We then proceeded to the lodge by boat, just in time for lunch. Lunch, dinner and breakfast were buffet. It is the best simple meal I have ever had! The food is delicious because everything is fresh and naturally grown. The fruits and vegetables are so tasty; and the fish is out of this world! At every meal I kept wondering what GMO crap I was eating back home! The staff is very courteous and we got great service during our stay.

Heliconia Amazon River Lodge

Our room with patio

Palm bark was on the menu one day

After lunch, we went to our rooms. Our room was in the back, towards the forest and away from the main lobby/bar/dining/pool area. We were pleasantly surprised at how good the room was. It was spacious with two double beds. There was a fan in the center of the room, night stands and sufficient plug points to charge 2-3 devices. The bathroom had a stand-in shower with hot water and a toilet (toilet paper provided). The sinks were outside the bathroom, and did not have heated water. The closet was in the foyer, it had a locker but no doors (who cares!). There was a patio in the front with a hammock. The entire lodge, including the walkways, is raised on stilts to be about 4-8 feet above the ground/swamp. The room was clean and free of bugs and insects. The netted windows however did not keep the room free of mosquitoes. The mosquitoes came out at night. We sprayed repellent on the sheets and over ourselves, but still got bit. It may be good to bring a mosquito net for the beds. However, I must say that there were much fewer mosquitoes than we expected. When we left Iquitos, I had may be 4-5 bites on me. We came in expecting to be swarmed by mosquitoes at all times, that was far from the reality!

The Amazon rainforest does not have power lines running through it, which means there is no electric supply! The lodges have generators to provide electricity for a few hours everyday. I do not remember the timings, but it was two hours in the morning, two hours post lunch, then two/three hours post dinner. They did not follow the timings strictly though. On/off schedule, all nights were without electricity. When there was electricity, we were thankful for the fan! When there was no electricity people stayed cool in the pool or enjoyed the breeze by the river. It was hot and sweaty all the time, though we were there at the end of winter! We enjoyed the simplicity of life there- simple meals, schedules arranged around the little electric supply we had, fresh fruits and juices. There was no TV or radio. For entertainment we watched the river flow by,  for music we listened to the patter of rain and the choir of frogs and insects. We enjoyed each others company and the company of our tour group. After the first day, we dined together as a group, and had interesting conversations about cultures and economies, healthcare, politics and sports across US, India, Argentina and Peru (nationalities of our group). On our last day even Pedro, the talking pet parrot, joined us for lunch!

Tours

Day 1: We had multiple tours in the day. On day 1, in addition to the visit to tribal village, we also made a boat trip to a lake. Here we saw pink river dolphins. These are wild dolphins and will not dive for your entertainment. We saw their humps a few times as they went about their business. The lake is beautiful, its water is like a mirror reflecting the green forests and the blue skies. Our guide and a couple on our tour caught a few baby piranhas. We all had a fun time! Before dinner we went for a short night-walk in the forest, along a muddy path around the lodge. The lodge provided a torch for each room, and a poncho for each guest. They also provided knee-high rainboots for the walking tours, which came back covered in dirt after each tour! On this night tour, we saw a snake, a tarantula, a possum, a yellow frog and many crickets. It was fun, however if you (like me) have lived in a tropical country side, you may find yourself wishing for a little more adventure.

Day 2: We woke up in the morning to heavy rain. I ran out in excitement. The river was beautiful. As it increased its pace, it took with it big trees, logs, soil, even islands of floating plants. After breakfast we went for a longer walk in the forest around the lodge. This time the only creatures we saw were Ants. Freddy spoke about the different plants and trees. After lunch, we took the boat again to a sugarcane rum brewing establishment. It is a family run business, passed on through generations. It is setup in their backyard. We got a tasting of the rum. At the end was another opportunity to purchase merchandise. Post dinner we took a night boat tour back to the lake. It was relaxing to drift slowly in pitch darkness, listening to sounds of the wild, watching the stars above. With torch lights we saw Iguana. We looked for frogs, but saw nothing.

Day 3: There was no rain this morning so we went on a bird watching tour by boat. We went along a small tributary. We saw a lot of birds, beaver nests and termite nests. The highlight of the tour was a family of monkeys. They hopped from one tree to the next, without having to stop to figure out their path. They only occasionally stopped in their tracks to checkout their visitors (us). It felt like they were as excited to see us, as we were to see them! When both parties had their fill, we turned around towards the lodge, and the monkeys went about their day. After breakfast, we went to see the Victoria Reggia. We took the boat to a nearby island, and then walked on that island. This was a more fun walking tour. It was a road less traveled. The trees were bigger and taller, but climbers still made their way to the top of the canopy. These climbers would eventually kill the tree that was supporting them. There were more ants here, and I got bit while walking. The most fascinating was the leaf-cutting ant. They looked like walking leaves as they carried the leaves to their anthill. The path was a dirt path, and at points I almost lost my boot as I tried to pull my feet out of the dirt! Freddy demonstrated how to weave a bottle holder from vine. We climbed a tree, swung on vines, and had a lot of fun! Finally we reached a lake. Afloat on the lake were huge round leaves like massive dinner plates. Among the leaves was a beautiful flower, similar to the Indian Lotus, the Victoria Regia. During high season, this would be a canoe tour not a walking tour. The lake would have more flowers then. Freddy informed us that the lake had Caiman and Anacondas, but they were hard to spot. We only saw the flower. We got back in time for lunch. After lunch we set out to Iquitos. The Amazon bid farewell to us with heavy rain, as we left with heavy hearts.

I had come to the Amazon to live a three day fantasy where Anacondas would be lying waiting every few feet, sloths and monkeys would play outside my room, Caiman and Tarantulas would be everywhere. I was unrealistic. I would have to live here for a few months to see all this. However it was a trip I will always remember and keep close to heart- the simplicity of life here, the beauty and power of nature in its purest form, and the mighty river itself are what define Life on the Amazon. It is an experience that can only be lived, not captured on cameras.

Helpful tips

• Children under five are not recommended/allowed at most lodges I checked. While there, I did not see any children either.

• Other options: There are luxury cruises available if that is what you are looking for, they also cost $$$$. If you prefer the convenience of electricity, you can consider living in/near Iquitos than in the forest. If you want a more adventurous and 'true' Amazon experience, I read advice to travel further upstream to the Pacaya Samiria. However it is a 3hr+ boat ride from Iquitos, and hence you will need more days. Upstream lodges are also more expensive. We found it difficult to contact them.

• Pickup: Whichever way you book, contact the lodge (email or call) to let them know your flight details. If your flight does not arrive before 9am and departs after 6pm, check with the lodge before you book.

• Cash: Bring Soles with you instead of USD. The Lima airport rate is not bad. You will need Soles to purchase bottled water (recommended). Tips may be paid in USD (they can exchange in Iquitos city).

• Insect repellant: Carry mosquito repellent with high Deet (we took 100%). We also took insect repellent spray for clothes. Bring a mosquito net for the bed. I had worn a netted hat on the walking tours in the forest. Everyone else found it funny :) I will not recommend against sunscreen, since the UV index is high. But with all the insect repellant, I skipped sunscreen on walking tours. I carried a hat and sunscreen with me on the boat tours, and used both on the Piranha fishing tour one afternoon.

• Clothes: Pack full sleeve cotton tops and full length pants. Others in the group were fine with short sleeves/pants though. Ladies please wear sportswear and leave the skirts for another trip.  Other than being convenient, pants also keep the insects away!

• Footwear: Anything comfortable. Most people wore sneakers. On the boat trips you can wear flip flops and shorts. On the forest walking tours, they provide rain boots

• Toiletries: The lodge provided standard toiletries (no conditioner, toothpaste). If you are particular about brands or quality, bring your own.

• Vaccinations: Most insurance will not cover travel vaccines. Routine preventive vaccinations will only cover adults for DPT once in ten years, which I had already taken few years back. No vaccination is enforced by law for entering the Iquitos region (unlike Puerto Maldonado which requires Yellow Fever vaccine). The cost of the vaccines is very high and were approx $80-150 each vaccine per person. We decided to not be deep in the forest by staying at Heliconia Lodge, and skip the vaccines. I am not recommending this, but this is what we did. We travel to India (home country) without vaccines and have probably built up good immunity. We however did take 4 advils each a day before/during/after our stay in Peru (we are healthy and felt certain Advil will do us no harm. Consult your doctor). We have been back for almost a month and have been fine.

• Safety: We never felt unsafe at the lodge and on the tours. The staff and guests at the lodge were very nice and friendly. In Iquitos city, if you venture out, be careful and hang on to your belongings and tour guide! Safely secure your backpack and do not leave things in the outer pockets. I recommend carrying passports and cash in a travel wallet. We did not go to the Belen market. One couple from our group stayed a night in Iquitos. They went on a private tour to Belen, but they did not feel safe and returned.

• Visa: If you are US citizen, you do not need to get a Peruvian visa. We needed one. We walkedin to the Peruvian consulate in San Francisco two weeks prior to travel (too late, go sooner!). We took all the documents listed here. We took copies of all the international and domestic flight bookings, all hotel bookings, passports, proof of employment and bank statements. Bank statements should have the name of each traveling adult. We picked up our passports after 4 days with the Peruvian visa stamped. The consulate staff was friendly and helpful.

Cost

• Lodge 3D/2N: $250 per person (they were offering a 30% discount on all the travel sites) + tips

• Water + merchandise: 100 - 150 Soles. Drinks at the bar have to be purchased. We were just high on fruit juices ;)