Iquitos- Lima... 5. Day

Last day in the jungle and I'm not really feeling the way of going today... 
Not hungry, but happy for the last hours with my new friends Carlos and Christopher...
They go fishing, while I go on packing my suitcase. 
9:45 o'clock and the boat with around ten people is going out, back to Iquitos... and on the way we see... white storks, many, many Butterflies, people washing and fishing in the Amazonas... see old Ships laying on the ground.. a graveyard of ships... and again, all the wood houses and the rain forrest, the rice fields.... sand banks and finally the harbor, where the bus is waiting for us up the stairs...
My guide in Ceiba Tops and I ... at the end, we did had it good together... everyone tried his best and so we understood better and better and it became nicer and nicer... good man he is..:-))
In Iquitos, the same bus, but other stuff and typical the german tourist, did not trust 'em, had to take a look back on the bus to check the luggage.. getting afraid and panic a bit, but then it was found... so the journey to the airports starts.. again, feeling like being in India... and yes the circus is still in town.. yes a circus in the rain forrest! Can you imagine? Crazy.. with some things to enjoy around, like a ferris and shooting was... and above of the lovely sun, the smog get's in our eyes and it's like being back to modern world from somewhere far far away....

the name of the flower? I don't know..

RIO AMAZONAS

in da jungle

tried to catch the magic from the jungle

just have your mind and eyes open... then...

a lizard... one of many...

living on the river...

Iquitos is down on the left and Ceiba Tops is in the middle of the plan...

Cieba Tops and the INDIANA village with the marketplace

it's the little white boat on the right, next to the green tent...

oh dear, it's climbing up a hill with heavy luggage...

part of the circus who passed our way.. or better we passed it...

The flight back was nothing special, same bad food, but the friend of my first guide in Lima picked me up and that after a long waiting for my baggage...again... seems this will be something I get used to here in Peru...;-)
My new Hotel in Lima is also in Miraflores, but this time just about 15 min away from the beach and around 10 min. from Park Kennedy... a little part and marketplace, with restaurants, coffees and shops and also money change on the street, which are actually good, but just into dollars, which is no problem to pay with in Peru. No Problema! :-)
Oh by the way, it is very common that the luggage you check in will be controlled manuel from the stuff/ security... on the little airports, like in Iquitos, Cusco, Juliaca....
But only that, the handbags and "little" backpack you take with you into the airplane will not be controlled and it is allowed to have a bottle of water or so with you... with more than 100ml...
Just I wonder.. what people call a little hand baggage..! The most surly have more then 8 Kilo... which is the limit allowed to take with you to your seat... but still, no one really controls this..
Back to the hotel... it's still a nice area and oh the view from the window shows me, that Lima has also skyscrapers. Mostly houses are just two or three floor high..it is said that one of the reason is the climate. It is very warm, and not much rain, and if it rains, it does not wet that much, if it's cold, it's not that cold, and mostly just at nights and then they have the dry sand storms... but another reason is money.. to be exact..taxes... a house which is ready build cost taxation. 
And again in a hotel a new way to shut a door or better to close one.. they all look so similar but are so different to close... never enough to learn in the world.

.... and so the day ends, with TV and something to eat i bought and the guys I will make the next part of the tour and time in Peru.. I will met them after a nice sleep...

LOVE & LIGHT

Ceiba Tops Lodge... 4. Day

Getting up 5:30 o' clock in the mornin' just to see birds. The rain is still on, but on it's way to go away.. fresh air and the sun is rises somewhere behind the trees... It's bit cold outside, but not much... We're takin' the boat out and then we start our sightseeing of birds on the Rio Amazonas...
We, that is a couple from France, our guide, the driver and me. 
Did we see much.. 
Well it was not that easy, but we saw Hummingbirds, Hawks, green Parrots, Butterflies.. -not so much, but some... then we saw bats and the two small yellow baby birds, who tried to fly, who where just learning how to fly...
We saw them on a big dead trunk with branches, which swam in the water. 
It was so hard to catch them for a picture and you really get an idea of how long and how often the others before you have must tried to get all those beautiful pictures of birds... 

a beautiful wild Ginger

birds, birds, birds

The Amazonas Dolphins did not come up to play with us, but we got a story about them to hear, which you actually can see as a picture on the airport from Iquitos... It is said, that no women is fishing, when it is about standing in the water, because they are afraid, the dolphins will come to them and make a child... you maybe heard about that dolphins like to be near mankind... so the children would be half fish, half man.... 
Next time, we gotta whistle with them... and have a good time... and because breakfast time was still a bit away, we drove to an INDIAN village with a market, so we'ed arrived like all the people there without going on a bridge. Stumping in mud, to come to the marketplace where they sold everything to wear and eat and where you could eat too on the place self, like in those fish halls we know in ol' Europe too. 
Just it is not that clean, but I guess the catfish and piranhas will taste good for them and also the smoked armadillo... You also had some pharmacy there- a little one, but anyway - one. 
I 'm not so much a pic taker, as I know that the people are not so pleased with that and so I think on the internet, you'll gonna find a lot to get an idea of what it was like... also it felt a bit like being in the Zoo. You know... we watch them, and they watch us... 
After this short passing by on a daily live in this part of the world, we had our little breakfast. 
We gotta be strong for the next planed Tour.. a visit in a Village... not just made for the Tourist, just as the people have it... You gotta have some Dollars with you, cos you pay it to the village  or better give it to your guide which gives it to the village people and then you are free to walk, talk and make pics... 

here we come up to the village

The village was about 20 min far away from our Lodge. This time the french couple, Christopher and Carlos and myself and the guide did the visit. 
When we arrived and I smelled the air, it was much like I remember my grandmothers village, with it's smokin' and wet earth tone and the warm breeze.. Of course, the people are poor, living in wood houses which do not have much space and they cock in them, have birds in them, cloths and a table and some chairs... little, small houses you cannot really understand how they live in that. But unhappy did they not look and calm as always here they were... people are not, in no way stressing them selfs.. not like us white chicken ;-)
The luck with this village is, that it also has a school. The country made it a rule to all children to have 8 years of school time, but the truth is many children have to work if possible... or if it just because they have to get some money to feed them self. The school seems to be at the highest place of the village. A big part is for soccer games and then two or three buildings, very simple but all you need is inside those walls and of course teacher, who are very dedicated to help and teach.... 
First of all things we have to get through here was, to hear all the names of the children, which seems not only to take endless time, it also seems that every child has an other name and really I tried but could not keep one single in mind. Then the Tourist had to say the names and where they come from. Mostly beloved Carlos was translating into spanish. Also when the teachers talked about the songs the kids where singing. It was very nice to hear them. We where clapping with our hands and then came the dance... Dancing children are nice, but much better for all is, when the tourist has to dance... we had the talent to dance, so it was not such a pain..;-) You know it's kind of makin' yourself a monkey... make yourself a bit a fool... ;-)
The children learn in spanish and in the dialect from this area. The schools try to keep them alive with this way.. teaching in two languages. But after school, the most just speak spanish, so the dialects die out more and more. 
So... the Anaconda dance was something we did and then some other traditional music came, which sounded much like a Samba tune.. So I could not help and did the Samba, which did really surprised the teacher... 
Yes there outside... we can dance too...  :-))
Still I am waiting for the pics of the school dance... but my dear friends did not had the time to send it all to me.. so just pics from the village, with flowers, the river Amazonas, water collecting system, Coconuts and waterlilies... 
What do these people do all day.. well, mostly fishing, because fish and rise and bananas is what they use to eat all the days.. sometimes a coconut, sometimes a papaya... sometimes an egg... simple.. so the little money from the tourist helps them too to buy some other things... oh it's not that their is no radio, we heard one actually from two houses... but then.. they sew, they collect in the forrest.... they sell on the marketplace.... 

from some strangers?

this is the view from the school garden

one of the water collect system

As this would not be enough for the day, after lunch we took our place in the boat again and where did it went? To an Indian trial, a real one... well bit is made for the curious tourists... We met the Indian on a meeting point... imitated of course, cos the original place where they live is deeper inside and should never been touched by us... well it is a compromise.. The deal is, they show us they dances and clothes and craft and peruvian people hope they can keep the dialect alive for another 5 till 10 years...
The problem with the Indians is, when they got contact to the new world, everything changes, that's why some organization try to find new tribes, but don't get in touch with them, instead they will be watched from outside and noticed in papers to safe the live and culture of them, cos still the most danger are those illegal deforestation... means, the industry sends out people who should kill those indians, when they don't want to leave the place they want to have... Better watch out where your wooden furnitures comes from!
The way to the meeting point is very nice... the Indians dances for and with us...
The most funny thing is, on the one side in the tent are all those americans and on the other side, we three boys, sitting in the same position( one leg over the other) and getting bit bored, because all the guide is telling to us, the others don't know about it, but we... 
So we look around and it seems that some of the Indians did not enjoy the compromise that much. Well, I can understand this somehow. 
Then the Indians showed they hunting instruments... explain the way it's function and then we had to try to blow inside and then to meet the goal, an parrot of wood. 
Actually, I did not wanted it to do... but at the end ...I was one of two or three who actually made it (right) (from the tourists). 
Then we had some time for buying or watching around, seeing monkeys and holding a three month old sloth. We were so carefully, but when we gave it back to one of the Indian women, she just put the animal with a fast and big swing into her crook, as it was nothing special and it looks like a modern women wearing her back these days. We laughed- it was kind of too crazy... we took the animal like china and they ... it was nothing special for them.... 
The fur felt like wet paper from the lazybones. 

in the back the INDIAN market place, where I was in the morning ....................................................................................

termite nests... big and bigger.. and me under one very big hanging on a tree

that's what I call a wood, a forrest... you need a machete to get through

a nice american woman with the sloth or lazybones

my dear Christopher...

our guides sitting and standing and talkin' in front of the imitated indian tent

Well, if it was my luck, I had also seen a shaman but this was an other group. Anyway, I doubt it would have went the way I expected. But so did I had time to collect some dead leaves from the Amazonas to take with me home. 

Starting with a Coca tea in the late afternoon, I feel good. The tea taste like a mix of black tea and peppermint tea. The sugar here is natural and made of fruits and is very sweet so better try the half and then decide if you really need it sweeter... The coffee here on the other side, is better not to drink... it is not a real good coffee, but it is always better to drink a cocktail, a juice or some water... isn't it?
The food self is not strange... you'll have no problems to eat it all... and when you're a lucky kid you meet an animal the biggest here like a pig... don't remember it's name...
...but just look at the pics... he was always searching for food but never did he seemed to be disappointed when he did not got something... slowly he went... calm it was... 

You think this is really enough for one day and I should lean back...?! No, not for me, I did the night walk after supper. :-)
Seeing ants carrying leaves, spiders bigger then home, move from and back, grasshoppers, millipede, moth and others... was thrilling and what a noise! It was loud! And to watch on the flowers and trees, palms and leaves with the flashlight... so beautiful... not really to catch with my mobile camera... I really tried... but no, this is too much, to big, to good..:-)

a millipede

And because I liked it so much to be the lucky one to get to know Christopher and his dear friend Carlos, this Blog is dedicated to them both. Miss you guys...!

LOVE & LIGHT

Lima- Iquitos... 3. Day

Breakfast with something which has the name coffee.. it was more hot water with a bit of coffee taste.
But then I got the lucky card again and got real good coffee. My Detour (that's the name of the traveler agency) Guide comes and pics me up and drives me to the airport. Her german is so very well.. I really enjoy being with her and so we change numbers too... Again the sky is cloudy but typical for this season. But there are moments I ask myself if this could be more smog then cloudy fog? On the way from the south of the town to the north I pass the cliffs on the beach and am so grateful. On the way it is clearly to see, that they started with Miraflores to make the beaches beautiful. And the Tsunami stairs are mostly new... but needed maybe on time too. It's maybe 25 meters high to climb from the beach to town... Then at the airport we make the deal that a friend of her should pic me up when I come back to Lima. Feels much better, then lookin' for a taxi with just tourist spanish. The stuff on the airport is very nice and lovely in it's attitude. The airport self is not that big. On the journey, which started in time, the food was horrible and not much to see, then clouds, sometimes the hills and then came the sun through and I could see the rain forrest, the River- Rio Amazona... Oh what an adventure... I have absolutely no idea how it will be, but am so exited. 

the Anden

airport Lima

By the way, when it is about the restrooms on the airports or the hotels... dear male Tourists don't think the toilet is broken, they use to be so full with water and it's not an automatic flush, you have to push a button or do it other way ... but it does not go on without your help... For the south american people.. for us in Europe.. the toilets have much less water inside and we are not afraid of wetting our best friend... and the other thing is.. it is not allowed to throw paper or anything then what comes out of the body into the toilets. You have to throw in a bucket. Forgive us south american people that we don't remember this all the time. A habit is not so easy to deny. :-)
Well before landing on the little little airport in Iquitos, I could see little villages all around, see streets, see poor villages, see fire going on- it's the "burning" time.... 
First thing after showing your luggage number and passport.. again... we make a tour with our guides from Iquitos through the town, which once was a little village and became a very important place in the marketing of the jungle and to keep people alive, and away from terror and illegal things, like cutting trees, drugs and other stuff. It's not so long ago, that the times where unsure, even for the indians and peruvian... but now we have a good time, with a lot going on, but don't expect a town beautiful like in Europe... it's more like India... a lot of those tuk tuks, which they call here bikecars... smog worse then in Lima, but we sit in a big old bus, without windows, it's really warm, sunny and we see how people live... taking their kids on the bike or driving with much more on the car to bear then we would allow back in ol' Europe... The people live near the streets and so a long time this town looks like those typical villages we have in Europe too, which goes along just on a main street... but then we reach the centre and the marketplace and the harbor.  A lot of people bustle around. A lot of bananas, melons and fish are going to be sold. 
And.. Dogs, dogs, dogs... like in Lima and the rest of the country.. dogs are very typical and they walk around, like the cows in India, sometimes more or less dirty and some have an owner, some are free and yes a lot of them are mixed race. 
My guide in Lima, she said, they love dogs, not cats... just in Lima, the most dogs have an owner... mostly are they little once - like pugs, terrier, peaks... 
The most tourist are Americans, some French and me the German... The time the most german comes, is the autumn time... Don't know why this is like this, but it is... anyway...

After about 45 minutes we arrived at our harbor, where several boats where waiting for the white mans.. and some colored..;-)
I take a little boat with two Americans who come with me along the way and get to another Lodge... My Lodge has the name "Ceiba Tobs Lodge". It's about 40km away from Iquitos and so we have to go out by the little boat on the Rio Amazonas... and because we are just three people coming in and don't have that many cases, we are permit to take all of it with us... The river is low and the rain times will start in a few weeks... tourist have to reckon, that they are permit only to take luggage of 5 kg with them. The life vast was on board, but they said we just have to take them if we must... they don't take it so... exactly with the rules... they also try to never be so far away from the beach.. 

here you see how low the water stood...

the boat we have to take to come in to the rain forrest 

While we are on the river, we see the harbor in the beginning with a lot of very old and dented and scratched ships, but all of them are still on the water, taking people, food and wood... Can't imagine one of those here in Germany... Would surely be not allowed... :-) Then we pass oil industry, which makes me feel a little bit uncomfortable.
The rain forrest, how does it look from the water...? Big and well to be true, like every wood looks from far away.. green, big and beautiful... and this was the picture.. wood, wood, wood, some beaches, some people in little boats, some fishing, some washing cloths on the beach, some children playing, and a lot of little wood houses, sometimes colored, mostly not... rice fields, corn fields... water and wood again... never thought so many people would live here... Well, documentation just gives you a little part of what is truly here... of course you see some garbage too and the Rio Amazonas is warm, but nothing I would like to swim in, not because the snakes, which can be there, it's because the water is not very clear... Don't know if my immune system can deal with this... 
My Guide in Ceiba Tops, does not speak very well english or german and has problems with walking, but he tries to be nice and has patience.. I have to have them too.. cos I gotta ask him a lot times to repeat what he was saying... 
The Lodge however was very nice, some place you can fall in love with... embedded in the jungle... and that is the first thing after arriving.. We take a walk into the jungle to big trees, very big.. and I have the luck, the big luck of two guys who become my company... one is Carlos from Lima and his friend Christopher from Chile... from the first moment we have direct contact.. we feel really good with each other and have so much fun immediately. 
The rain forrest is exactly like you dream of and the big tree we are able to see, looks a bit like those from Avatar or the trees from Avatar- the movie - looks much like them, just much bigger... Of course we were swinging on a vine. :-) Not that sporty and elegant like Tarzan...
Through with sweat we have the ability to do in the afternoon what we want, so we dive into the pool and talk, talk, talk... The view from my window is romantic, especially in the night, when the lights are on... The Mosquitoes comes out in the late afternoon, but we just see maybe two or three of them, just flying around us, but we discover very soon, that not only did it help to have impregnated cloths, it also helps a lot to put your feet on a chair or stool...with a towel under or around your feet. The main time for mosquitoes comes later.. much later.... But this is why it feels like being on a fantasy island... Just a bit music in the evening is missing... and I don't mean those traditional flute music, which you can and must hear next to everywhere as a tourist. 
Staying out late is not an idea..gotta go up very early, because I gotta watch birds in the very beginning of the day, before breakfast time....

one of those giant trees

Christopher.. just him and the tree :-)

inside the tree trunk

Rio Amazonas is in sight

the houses we sleep in...

Carlos and Christophers view from the window... River Amazona

LOVE & LIGHT