From Manaus to Iquitos and Back

[amazondk]

There were some tourists around the area. They did not tend to hang out in the funky bars where we were though. They were down at the riverside floating restaurant on the river bank. The music was blaring a different song in each of the bars. This is the same as at the river front bars in Manaus at the Ponta Negra. These kind of places here in Manaus are known as INFERNOS, or Hells. I guess the same would apply in Iquitos. There were a couple of guys dressed in drag selling candy. The cutie in orange put on a good show.

[amazondk]

We went down to the floating restaurant to have a last cold one before going back to the hotel. There were some people fishing in canoes by the restaurant. And boats were arriving from the interior with passengers.

[amazondk]

Most of the logs that are brought to the sawmills in Iquitos come in log rafts. Virola is the main species used for the export market. The hardwoods are only now starting to be harvested. Since they sink in the water instead of float they require barges to be used. There were some kids fishing on the logs. During high water the river overflows the banks.

[amazondk]

Unfortunately I did not get of town except for a brief trip on Sunday. So, I did not see too many palms aside from those growing around town. Roystoneas are common around town along the streets. The African Oil Palm is also used a lot in urban landscaping. One of the plazas I went by had a nice group of oil palms. They were nice sized and attractive.

[amazondk]

The vegetation on the outskirts of town looks a lot like around Manaus. There are a lot of Mauritias and Euterpe precatorias as well as other palms we have here. I imagine that once you get into the forest there are some differences. I did see some Oenocarpus minor as well. I would have stopped to take more pictures but the guys I was with were getting tired of me having the car stop to take pictures. I thought that the house on the river was quite nice.

[amazondk]

Last Tuesday, the day before we left I went to the main market, Mercado Belen, early in the morning. I wanted to see what they had there. I ended up buying a bunch of peppers to bring back and plant here.

[amazondk]

We got to the river to take the float plane to Santa Rosa the Peruvian village on the Brazilian border. The plane was scheduled to leave at 7 AM. Since we left the hotel before breakfast Manoel and I went up to the street fair to see if we could at least get some coffee. We finally found the coffee at the end of the street. The breakfast being served was fried chicken, fried pork, and a fried rice dish. I did not really trust eating this and then taking a float plane for an hour and half that had no rest room. When we finally found the coffee the lady who owned the restaurant went and brought back a big pot full of coffee. Since we were short on time we got some plastic cups and took our coffee back to the departure area for the flight. This was the first time I was on a float plane. So it was a new experience. After checking in our bags and presenting our documents we were ready to board the air force plane. At any rate it seemed a better deal than the 14 hour express boat we came on. As we got on the plane and got settled Manoel was short one seat belt. So he tied the one to his arm. If that would do any good if he needed it. The plane was full.

[amazondk]

The plane went down the Ananay River turned around and then sped back toward the Amazon for take off. The day was overcast and as we broke through the clouds there was a white carpet below. Occaisionally there would be hole in the clouds and the forest would appear below. It was about then that the flight mechanic went and got a pair of pliers. I had not paid a lot of attention as I was looking out the window. But, one of the two big drums filled with aviation fuel started to have fuel burbling up out of the top as the planes pressure changed. The smell of aviation fuel was getting pretty strong the fuel was running down the side. At least it was a no smoking flight. After a time the leak stopped. But, it did add a bit of excitment to the flight. What could one do, you certainly could not get off the plane. As the clouds cleared the view of the forest and rivers was great. As we got closer to Santa Rosa you would see clearings that were being farmed occaisionally. In spite of the spilled fuel problem it was a beautiful flight. I guess you have these things happen when lliving in the tropics.

[realarch]

That mototaxi ride was great, they really haul a_ _. Thanks, that was a nice touch.

Tim

[realarch]

That mototaxi ride was great, they really haul a_ _. Thanks, that was a nice touch.

Tim

[amazondk]

The trip went over a large area of forest south of the Amazon River. As we approached Santa Rosa the sight of the beaches which have appeared in the river was beautiful. As we came in on approach the sight was grand. I love the rivers of Amazonia. There is no place on Earth like it. Finally we landed and the smell of aviation fuel also seemed to go away. Guilherme who was part of the group had a very pleased look on his face upon our arrival.

[amazondk]

Tim,

The mototaxi is quite a good mode of transportation. They would not work here in Manaus though. You would get smashed by a bus, truck or a car. They make getting around town real easy. Any time you want one there is one going by. I am glad you enjoyed the ride.

dk

[amazondk]

Tim,

Did you play the video of the father and sons folk group in the Ceviche post? I really liked their music.

dk

[amazondk]

Once back on the ground we had another one of those plank ramps over the mud river bank to climb. From there we went up into Santa Rosa to clear immigration to leave Peru. The first step was the nacional police which checked if were wanted for anything. Since they did not have a computer I guess is was sort of light check. Then to immigration to get our passports stamped and ready to leave Peru. By this time I was thinking a lot about getting back home and sleeping in my own bed. Not that the bed in Iquitos was bad, it was quite good in fact. I was also ready to get back to eating my own food instead of restaurant food. The food in Iquitos was ok, but not like home. We got a boat and crossed the river back to Tabatinga and Brazil. In spite of the fact that Tabatinga is nothing to write home about it is noticable how much more developed Brazil is.

[amazondk]

We then took a boat across the river to Tabatinga. One step closer to home. The first thing to do was to go to the Brazilian Federal Police and check into Brazil. That done we went to the room we got at the Tabatinga Novo Hotel to put our gear and go over to Leticia, Colombia to do some shopping and eat lunch. Leticia is a sort of free zone and some things are buys there. I got a Fisher Price toy for my son, some perfume for my wife, and an Oster blender replacement jar for my blender. I bought it in Manaus, but the company that sold it does not sell the replacement jars, and mine broke. Unfortunately I forgot it in the hotel and now I have to find a way to get it from Tabatinga to Manaus.

[amazondk]

Our flight on Trip Airlines was for 5 PM so we headed to the airport at around 330. Tabatinga has a lot of Euterpe precatorias around town. I wish I had had a little more time to look around. I took a few shots on the way to the airport. We drove by an army base with a jaguar in the front. The army is fairly active on the border. Between the FARC and the drug smugglers there is quite a bit of action go on along the border. Just before the airport I spotted a nice clump of E. precatoria and Oenocarpus minor growing together. The airport at Tabatinga has a nice garden planted in front of the terminal and some real nice E. prectorias. We finally got on the plane for the 3 1/2 hour flight home to Manaus.

[amazondk]

As our flight climbed out over the Amazon forest up to cruise altitude I was struck again by the immensity of the area. The forest stretches out as far as one can see. Our trip took us around 1,400 kms from Manaus to Iquitos. And except for a few small clearings it is all forest. I hope everyone enjoyed my little business trip documentary. There were not a lot of palms as I did not have much spare time to look around for them. I tried to give a climpse into everyday life in the places I went. Even if they were brief glimpses. The thread is more focused on people and the place they live and work than trees. Then again palm trees are an integral part of life in the tropics.

This last picture was taken looking north toward the Amazon (Solimões) River. The river snaking through the forest comes from southern Amazonas. One can only grasp the magnitude of Amazonia by seeing it.

I am not sure where this whole project is going. But, if I go back to Iquitos again I think I will take the Copa Airlines flight to Lima via Panama and then a local jet flight from Lima to Iquitos. It is a lot faster. And, I will also be able to stop in Lima for a good meal. The restaurants are great in Lima.

dk

[realarch]

Wow, wow, Don, nice photos. Your descriptions are great too, pretty laid back guy, I guess no sense in stressing when you can't do much about it.

I did check out the music vid, very entertaining, but being of such an advanced age, I would have preferred to sit on the other side of the room.

Glad you made it back safe and sound and be grateful for non-smoking flights. The photo of the chili peppers is a good one, good enough to make me start sweating. Those little buggers looked HOT!. Later.

Tim

[amazondk]

Tim,

Fortunately they only played 3 songs. But, it was entertaining. Life and doing business in South American can be frustrating if you try to make things work different than they naturally go. That does not mean there is no stress. There can be plenty. It just a matter of how one deals with it. I used to collect a lot of hot peppers from all around South America when I lived in Florida. Now that I have a little land to grow them on it is time to get the collection going again. Hopefully on the next trip to Iquitos I will find some more.

dk

[Gileno Machado]

Fascinating trip and yours is a perfect coverage Don.

These are probably the first photos of Iquitos and Tabatinga I ever see. Euterpe seems to reign rampantly in extreme western AM?

[amazondk]

Thanks Gileno,

It rains more in Tabatinga than Manaus with a smaller dry season. I think that this helps the E. precatoria even more. Upon arrival by air in Tabatinga you fly over an area which is the largest Mauritia flexuosa grove I had ever seen. That is until I saw a bigger one on the air trip from Iquitos to Santa Rosa. Both were true Mauritia forests, not just groves.

dk