We flew from Newark into Lima, Peru, and spent a day exploring the City’s Miraflores District.

Lima’s Miraflores District has everything, a beautiful coast, parks, luxury apartments, hotels, restaurants, malls etc. but the infrastructure is lacking and the water/sewage system is temperamental. 

Even casinos.
Can I get some antibiotics? Sure. No prescription needed. 

It was Sunday, and the surfers were out enjoying the waves.
Coastal Peru has a history of very large earthquakes.

The Sandwiches on display were jaw dropping but Joanne had her heart set on Ceviche. We had dinner at Al Fresco, a traditional Peruvian restaurant and ate some  wonderful ceviche. It was grouper. Hmmm. I can do that!

Early the next day we flew from Lima to Iquitos and then by boat into the jungles of the Great Amazon River.

Iquitos, known as the capitol of the Peruvian Amazon, is a bustling city of close to half a million people.  Born from the rubber boom in the early Twentieth Century, it can only be reached by boat or plane.

The ferries are lined up along the wharf.

We set off from the Explorama Pier along the waterfront.

Luis, our guide for the next five days, escorted us to our home away from home at the Explorama Lodge in the Amazon jungle. There would be only irregular generator run electricity, no hot water, and loads of mosquitoes. He told us we would need sunblock and insect repellent. How right he was!

We left Iquitos and sped into the muddy Amazon waters, the largest river by discharge volume of water in the world.

Logging on the River, a reminder of the steady encroachment of development.

We passed the typical open sided homes of the River People. River People, Luis explained, are usually couples not from the same tribe. Luis and his wife are from different tribes. They live with their 6 children in Iquitos (so their children can get educated) but when they retire they will go back to being river people.

Our fellow travellers for the Amazon — Maria and Herb Fernandez. Just the four of us. Lucky us!

Hop off the boat, Mitch.

All important screens in the lodge’s reception area.

Luis showed us around in the small outboard boat, going into narrow inlets to see the wildlife. Luis is a wonderful self-taught naturalist. 

We saw a Black Caracara chased by two yellow Kingbirds

And a Chestnut Eared Aricari called from above. How exciting to see a Toucan high up in a tree. If only I had a telephoto lens.

A Large Billed Tern flew by.

Now that’s a strange looking bird with a blue face and a single feather coming off the back of its head! It’s a Capped Heron in flight. Wow!

Two Wattled Jacamas, a male and a female balanced their long skinny legs on the water lilies.

We met up with a fisherman in his traditional low slung dugout. It was the end of the day and he was coming to collect the catfish caught in the hooks set up on fishing lines in the water.  Luis pointed out that one should be aware of a large Anaconda Snake leaping out of the water and grabbing a short woman and dragging her from the boat. Joanne couldn’t get this image out of her mind.

There were several fish waiting to be harvested including this beautiful silver catfish.

The sun was setting and it was time to head back to the lodge for dinner. BUT WAIT! “Let’s stop at the local rum still for a drink.” said Luis.

Aldo, the local rum maker.

We tasted the three kinds of rum Aldo manufactures.

Joanne took her taste.

The Still.

The Hooch.

At night we were so exhausted we crawled under the mosquito netting and fell fast asleep in the heat and humidity of the jungle.  No AC and no electricity for even a fan.