| Here we are getting on a plane somewhere in Peru...truely I can't
remember if we were coming to Iquitos or leaving. Iquitos is one of the
main towns in the Peruvian Amazon and air travel is the only way to get
there. Sorry no real roads into the Amazon. As a matter of fact the
real highways through the Amazon are the waterways, from the big river
itself to little side streams it is by boat that humans move around.
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 | On our way out of
Iquitos into the Amazon our boat stopped by this Paiche (pie che) pond.
Luck for us that skull is a very large caiman (little alligatorish
thing). The paiche are large meat eating fish that the gov. wants folks
to grow in these ponds and restock the rivers. The sound of these fish
snatching bits of chicken off the surface of the water was just like a
loud clap of your hands. And faster than you can see...not bad for a
3-4ft fish! |
 | Speaking of that boat
group..here are all of us who were staying at the same jungle lodge.
There are a couple of Canadian guys (we seem to run into Canadians all
over the world) and a really nice family from Norway. The mom & dad
each had kids already & they figured a multi-country trip would
either bond them all or kill off the weak ones :) |
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Of course we can't talk about a 3 hr boat ride and not show a bit of the river itself. |
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Yes that is a cement sidewalk that goes through the Amazon jungle.
Something about how this was a major route for fruits and stuff out of
the jungle on its way to market. Then some guy who wanted to get
elected promised to cement the muddy path and what do you know but he
did...about a mile or so straight as an arrow.
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This
is one of the rooms we had at our jungle lodge. Just rustic enough to
give the jungle feel, but nice enough to get you through the night.
My favorite thing was having a cigar on the patio outside while bats
fly by eating bugs. At least I hope those dark flying things were bats.
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Nathan
had a chance to try out a real hunting blow gun. He did great getting a
head shot on a target 20 ft away. But for some reason he wasn't
interested in hunting any monkey for dinner.
Maybe it was because he was embarassed around the bare chested native
girls....it is hard to show off when you can't keep your eyes on the
target.
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Speaking
of catching dinner both Veronica & Nathan managed to catch some
pirana and the lodge cooked them up for us that night. Better to eat
them before they can eat you.
Of course I had wanted to scare the other tourist by telling them I
lost my leg to the little monsters on a previous trip but Martin is too
upstanding to let me get away with that.
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This
is a great example of the excellent customer service you get these days
in the Amazon. Why look at the wonderful bridge work built for tourist,
who stroll along in their very muddy boots and use the ant covered
handrails.
Just don't ask Vero about her experience with these bridges...let's
just say a combo of slippery boots, deep water and gravity ain't kind.
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Here we are looking out over Arequipa. Now this isn't just a picture of
cars beside the road. These folks are dropping buckets on ropes over
the edge to the river and washing their cars....hey what ever works for
ya.
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Arequipa is in a major earthquake zone and yet this cathedral has
managed to survive the test of time. That is not to say there hasn't
been damage but surviving is surviving. Oh and that white color isn't
paint or marble but the naturally white volcanic rock from the area.
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Here is another picture of that white cathedral in the central plaza. A
great place to let the kids play and feed the pigeons.
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When you travel you get a chance to try lots of new things...such as
eating guinea pig. Yummy little road kill. Served with a
smile...of course the smile is on the guinea pigs face as well as the
person eating it.
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Here is finally a pic of Veronica (she is usually the one taking the
photos), her grandfather Ventura, her grandmother Gumer, and her father
Jael all watching those guineas sizzle.
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From Arequipa we went on a side trip to Colca Canyon, the deepest
canyon in the world. This is a view from a place we stopped on the way,
a nice place to look out at the world from 15,000 ft !!!!!
Just a bit chilly...ok it was really cold and for the first time
I could feel the elevation. Nathan really felt it but he recovered
quickly.
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This
bridge has been here in the town of Chivay and felt as solid as the
mountain behind Veronica & Martin. That string in Martins hand is
for the "trompo" or old style wooden tops we always play with in
Peru.
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This
is along the road that runs along Colca Canyon. The elevation changes
are dramatic & severe. People have been living here for a
good long time and you can feel the calm mountain peace. Or depending
on your driver you can feel your lunch again on these winding roads.
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There
is the part of the farm we will stay at in the distance..yeah that red
patch is chille pepers drying in the sun around the house. Later
they will be shipped to Spain to become paprika.
The irrigated vs. non-irrigated land is easy to define. Since it rarely rains nothing grows without canal/river/piped water.
I would love to have a nice sand rail or quad to explore all the canyons behind the farm.
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Once again you can see what it is like without water.
What makes this pic interesting is that house in the distance is where
folks will just go out and claim land and once enough people are
together they call it a town and ask the gov. for sevices and
such...that is one way to do things I guess.
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