Peru has three distinct zones: coast, highlands, and jungle providing unbelievable geographical diversity.

The Amazon and its rainforest redefines the concept of natural beauty, and is something that we could not miss in our year in Peru.
 

The Amazonian Rainforest

The river and its rainforest are inseparable. This couple is one of the last lungs of earth. Biologically is one of the richest places in the world in biodiversity.  According to recently studies, the Amazon River is the largest in the world, covering 2’300,000 square miles, containing 20% of fresh water of the world.

In the Amazon lives the largest freshwater fish of the world called Paiche (Arapaima Gigas) which can grow up to 2.50 m. There are about 30,000 types of plants that grow in the Amazon shore, as well as 4,000 different species of butterflies and 2,000 different kinds of fish (more than those found in the Atlantic Ocean),  4,000 species of birds, 150 species of reptiles and 361 species of mammals.

 This extraordinary biodiversity is the consequence of the intense rain and the complex topography.  This makes possible the fast growth of tropical plants, like some palms (triartea bactris euterpe) also other kinds of vegetations like the bromiliaceas, 22 varieties of orchid, and many climbing plants and lianas.   It is the home of Victoria Regia, the largest aquatic plant in the whole world; its diameter may reach 2 meters.
 

The Muyuna Lodge

The Muyuna Lodge were we stayed is located in the Yanayacu river banks at 140 kms. (84 miles) southeast from Iquitos.

Muyuna is located in the Yanayacu River that means “black water” (in Quechua—Inca’s language), because of the darkness given by the minerals that it brings from the highlands.  The ten lakes that are around Muyuna also have black water, making easier the fishing and bird watching excursions. 

March time is the flood season with the melt water from the Andes making its way down the Amazon river. Very little of the area around the lodge was above the water so we explored the jungle with the help of a motorised canoe. Numerous trips were taken up and down stream to explore the jungle and witness the sunrise, the sweltering heat of the midday, sunsets and finally the jungle at night.

Using canoes we ventured to Juanachi Lake. This is barely accessible because of the many aquatics plants lining its surface.  Because of this it is a haven, abundant with fauna and flora.  Here we saw many birds including parrots, macaws, toucans, egrets, hawks, ducks, etc, also sloth and several monkeys like the night, squirrel and dusky titi ones.  Giant ceiba trees were passed and we saw the pygmy marmoset, the smallest monkey in the world.

After being taken by boat back to the to the Amazon River we were treated to the magical moment of seeing pink and grey dolphins playing around the  boat and on the way back to the lodge, seeing the biggest aquatic plant in the world, the famous Victoria Regia.

Fauna

 This is a small list of some of the fauna we saw in our time in the Jungle

San Juan is a small village near the lodge where approximately 30 families live. Most of the village make their living from fishing rather than agriculture since the soil here is relatively poor.
 

Iquitos : the city

Iquitos is based in the heart of the Peruvian Rainforest, located in the northeast of Peru on the banks of the Amazon River.

Iquitos is accessible only by river-boat or airplane. At the present time, Iquitos has 400,000 habitants. Iquitos is a unique city that lives accustomed to its isolation. It expresses itself in its very particular life style, the colour and joviality that are shown in its streets and the hospitality of its people, in an atmosphere in which life passes between the peace of its rainforest and the progress of the city.

The present centre of Iquitos was established in 1864. By the end of the nineteenth century Iquitos was, along with Manaus in Brazil, one of the great rubber towns. From that era of grandeur a number of structures survive but during the last century the town vacillated between prosperity and the depths of economic depression. However, its strategic position on the Amazon which makes it accessible to large ocean going ships from the distant Atlantic has ensured its importance.

Iquitos evolved into an almost European city during the rubber boom. Many of the late nineteenth century buildings are decorated with Portuguese tiles some are which are brilliantly extravagant in their Moorish inspiration.

On the Plaza de Armas stands the majestic Casa de Fierro (Iron House) with its hard to miss silvery sides glinting in the afternoon sun. Designed by Gustave Eiffel for the 1889 Paris exhibition and later shipped in pieces to Iquitos and reconstructed here in the 1890s by one of the local rubber barons. Many once fine building surround the Plaza de Armas including the wonderful Art Nouveau Hotel Palace which is now unfortunately occupied by the Peruvian military after gutting the interior of the building.

The most memorable part of town is Puerto Belen. This looms out of the main town at a point where the Amazon until recently joined the Rio Itaya inlet. Consisting of almost entirely wooden huts raised on stilts or floating on rafts the district has earned fame as the Venice of the Peruvian Jungle. Far Eastern than European in appearance with obvious poverty and little glamour, it has changed little in over its hundred or so years, remaining a poor shanty settlement trading in basics like banana, fish turtle and crocodile meat.

After a day exploring the town we spend a wonderful evening dining at the Al Frio y Al Fuego restaurant.  It’s a stylish restaurant floating over the river accessible from a 20 minute boat ride. Highly recommneded.