One sunset surprised us sailing in the solitude of the Amazon. Two children enjoyed riding on the end of the barge. Photos: Gobbi Dart
From Limawe fly in search of a amazon adventure. The river largest and most powerful in the world, its history, its myths and its towns, will be part of this narrative on Peruvian land. The Marañón and the Ucayali are large rivers that, when joined give rise to the Amazon. A few kilometers from this confluence is the town of Iquitos.
In the middle of this jungle and humid area of the Peruvian Amazone, he would leave us our flight. At the airport we decided to take a taxi to the hotel. At that moment, we felt that time was going backwards.
Iquitos can only be reached by plane or by sailing the Amazon. Con Almost 500,000 inhabitants, Iquitos is a large tourist and commercial center
Iquitos is a clearing within the jungle. It can only be reached by plane or by sailing the Amazon.
This isolation gives it its own characteristics. One of them is the low presence of vehicles and the great excess of mopeds. Taxis almost do not exist and motorcycle taxis are the most used means of moving by land.
Despite its appearance and traditions, which give it a small-town image, Iquitos is the seventh most populated city in Peru. Its great development was thanks to the Rubber Rush, the era of splendor from 1880 to 1914 in which it was extracted from trees. The discovery of synthetic rubber dismantled the large cottage industry. Today its great history remains and the European influence reflected in its architecture.
In Iquitos, the large presence of motorcycle taxis and old vehicles make us travel to the past. Traveling within Iquitos without windows is characteristic of public transportation.
With almost 500,000 inhabitants, Iquitos is a large tourist and commercial center, with important Amazonian roots. From here, we would begin the first part of our expedition.
Day 1: The market
We bought groceries and everything we needed to enter the jungle. Repellent, sleeping hammocks, mosquito nets, protector, batteries for flashlights, water and rubber boots for walking in wet and swampy terrain, were part of the list.
The fair in Iquitos allows you to stock up on everything you need and learn more about their way of life. Wild fish and meat from the Amazon are offered at the Bethlehem fair. Exotic inland fruits from the Amazon are used as alternative medicine by locals. A carny eats lunch while working. Proudly displays a regional dish.
The visit to Belén Market caught us: Blocks and blocks of stalls with exotic fruits and wild meats, artisanal drinks, Amazonian medicine, street vendors, original foods and other attractions. There, we meet Fredy, our Amazonian guide. With him we would begin this journey to the heart of the Peruvian Amazon.
Day 2: The game
In the Port of Producers of Iquitos, everything is floating. There we start the expedition
We left the old hotel early, facing the Itaya River. From there we could see the jungle behind. We get into a motorcycle taxi and head to the producers’ port.
We arrive at a precarious port that floats on the river. It is entered through small walkways made of wood and logs. Everything there floats, to be able to compensate for the rises and falls of the river. This place is very popular and busy. From there, food goes to the Amazon towns and fruits and crafts arrive from the jungle to be sold in the Belén market.. There we hired our boat. Merchandise, fruits and plants extracted from the jungle, live animals and fish from fishing, as well as engines, drinks, spare parts, mopeds, household items, technology, etc.
Almost everything comes through that port. Iquitos is a place of supply and reception, the engine of the regional economy.
Arriving in the district of Indiana.
Once on the boat, we go up the Itaya River and after a few minutes navigate the Amazon. The wooden barge, with two floors: one below level with the water and the upper one with a large canvas roof. Side tables serve as seats and there are places to hang hammocks, to have a more pleasant trip, between provisions and merchandise. In a moment, we looked up and were in the center of the river. It is more than two km wide in this area. At times, it becomes almost imperceptible to see the other side of the coast.
Typical dishes were part of lunch at a floating restaurant in Indiana.
The experience of traveling with locals is unforgettable. Faces, silences, looks, music, exotic foods, aromas and some brief dialogue. We felt really different. After two hours, at noon, our barge approached a shore to a floating dock. It was the Indiana district, there was a fast food place. A wide variety of proposals, prepared by locals, to take with you for the rest of the trip.
Fredy, the guide, got on the barge and on his tray there was a pile of small legs, which he devoured, leaving only a few bones. It was his favorite food, alligator legs. There were also fish, rice, vegetables, noodles and other not so exotic options. Then we continued the trip and as we advanced the residents descended on different places along the coast, in small villages. Finally we come to our first destination, the place where Fredy was born. There we would stay with his family, on the island of Yanamono
Traveling on these barges allows you to set up hammocks and travel more comfortably.
Stepping onto dry land and watching the boat go away made us feel like we were already in the jungle. A lagoon with a simple suspension bridge and a long boggy climb was our Amazonian baptism. Mud and falls were the first adaptation to the environment. The prevailing heat and humidity were also noticeable.. After following a path, we arrived at Fredy’s family cabin.
A wooden house, without openings and built high, on logs. The objective of separating the soil is to avoid flooding, mud, humidity and animal access. There are no openings, because ventilation is essential. We hung our hammocks with their mosquito nets on the gallery.
The homes are always built high. Because of the river’s flooding and to protect itself from some animals. The environments are open and with openings without glass.
After getting organized we decided to start the first trek. We would walk along Yanamono trails for an hour until we got to know the largest and most legendary tree in the area, a Ceiba or white Lupuna, a species that can measure up to 70 meters in height and has a diameter of 20 meters. They tell him the Jungle Grandpa because it can live up to 600 years.
Arriving at Yanamono. There we would be living together and touring part of the Peruvian Amazon.
We left the village with boots, photographic equipment, water and repellent. In a few minutes Fredy suggests that we leave the path, to cut the path. Upon approving his proposal, he took out the machete and we went after him. We were already in the middle of the jungle, exploring the Amazon.
Looks, fears, emotion, learning. All within a few minutes of arriving. After an hour of walking, we arrived to the legendary Ceiba. She commanded respect. Its trunk was truly gigantic, it had edges that generated walls where one could take shelter.
Touring the Yanamono jungle. Heading to the Grandfather tree.
We stayed there for a while, observing its height, its texture. Sitting at his feet we had a snack and listened to many stories.
Next to a giant Ceiba, one feels tiny. They call it the grandfather tree in Yanamono.
Now we were alone in the middle of the Amazon. The only fear in these raids is the “Otorongo”. A feline that lives in the area, which due to its size and ferocity generates concern, step by step. It is the yaguar or yaguareté.
After counting his anecdotes of a child taking that journey with his grandfatherwe begin the return. The noise of chainsaws It took us to discover a mobile sawmill where they cut down trees and prepare the wood that a barge will later market in the city. We thought about the future of the legendary Ceiba that we had known.
Day 3: The Yaguas
After our first night in Yanamono, in the morning We left on a family boat bound for Palmera, another small town in the Amazon.. There the Yaguas live in a village that still preserves their original language and customs. After navigating through some secondary streams, we arrived at the community.
The Yaguas use palm tree fiber to make their clothing. In a moment of production I achieved this portrait.
There, as in a large part of these towns, they live by the river and its houses surround a large green square. Then, the jungle.
During the day, we witnessed a traditional ceremony With their native clothing, their stories in the native Yagua language, we dance to their music and talk about their traditions.
They also taught us how they hunted and we learned to prepare and use blowguns with their poison.
After several hours of getting to know each other, the oldest of them offered me some crafts to buy. I wanted to carry everything, but I chose a sikus, made with elements from the place. I only set one condition: he had to bring me the memory tested by its author. The old man, laughing and saying something in Yagua, accepted the proposal and he sang me a long melodywhich allowed me to take a beautiful portrait.
An elderly Yagua man plays a sikus, performed in his community.
Knowing a place and its culture, respecting and trying not to invade spaces or generate changes in their way of life, makes us learn from coexistence. What we experienced will be moments that we will never forget.
In the second installment:
Three days in Jerusalem, a community in the jungle.
The jungle guide
Fredy, our guide in Amazonas.
He was born in Yanamono, Loreto, Peru. His family and his grandfather passed on knowledge of the jungle to him. At the age of 12 he contacted foreign explorers who made him learn several languages and that helped him become a tourist guide today and a fundamental link for the Amazonian communities. “Since then I have shared my knowledge with every visitor, teaching the wealth and great paradise of my native place, as well as the medicine and way of life that we have in our towns,” says Freddy Romaina Bardales.
Fredy with his son.
What to bring and how much it costs to go
* Light clothing. Rlong sleeve shirts. Cap with cover. Glasses. Sunscreen. Repellent. Rainwear. Waterproof bag.
* Hammock for sleeping. Mosquito net awning. High rubber boots with soles (bought in Iquitos).
* These trips are organized in June and July. Includes: transportation by water and land. Guide in the jungle. Eat and sleep in communities and hotels.
* Cost: approx. US$900, does not include air. Today, tickets Buenos Aires – Lima round trip costs 312,911 pesos for June 2024. Meeting place, Iquitos, Peru. Flying round trip between Lima and Iquitos in June 2024 today costs 65,405 pesos. Photographic Expeditions Contact 011-33837011 (Alejandra Melideo). More information; Dardo Gobbi (author of the note): 298-4379771. instagram.com/dardogobbifotografias/