Iquitos

Iquitos, this very busy, chaotic city in the middle of the Amazon jungle. It is both beautiful but also very strange to think that we are in the middle of the Amazon. There are many tourists and everyone tries to get their part of the share (everyone wants to sell or somehow get a couple of soles from the "gringos").

We have mostly been working, selling our jewellery, producing a lot and enjoying that they have good material here in Peru. Every day we go to the malecon in the afternoon/evening to sell a bit. On our way to "the office" this is the scenery:

the river is very dry, so this boat (which normally is in the water) is stranded and deserted

Something like 2 weeks ago they had a 48 hours strike here because of something with oil. This meant that all stores were closed, just a few dared to open, they had demonstrations and so on. It was not very nice though, the streets were filled with garbage and if the striking people saw someone selling or doing their job they would either destroy everything or steal it. Not the best way to get people to sympathize if you ask me:

destroyed tvs and other electronics

lots of people used the days to play football or volley in the streets

burning stuff in the streets.

Hello Peru - Amazonas

Just before we left for Peru, we found a great pizza place in el Coca, so we enjoyed great pizza at the hotel the last two nights :D

We left el Coca, on what turned out to be a long, but very incredible journey. By the river Napo we travelled in a big canoe 8-9 hours to reach the boarder between Ecuador and Peru.

a family in a peque peque

A small village on the way where we had lunch

we had a small problem on the way, so some of the guys had to jump in the water and push te boat.

Nuevo Rocafuerte is the boarder in Ecuador, and here we were lucky to catch a small canoe, called a "peque peque". When we saw just how small it was we weren´t sure if it was a good idea, but the locals didn´t seem like it was a problem. We left at 6 so we saw the sunset and travelled on the river almost 3 hours before we arrived in Pantoja, the boarder in Peru.

these are some of the most common canoe/peque peque in the area.

In Pantoja we saw this amazing sunset:

Gus is having a great time

After waiting just one day we catched the boat to Iquitos. It was a beautiful journey, 3 days in the same boat with the same people. We got to see how people live far away from everything, and the only acces was by river A very authentic expirience.

relax in the hammock

Evelina, a finish girl who was on the boat as well, and I hanging out in our hammocks :D

Gus had a quick swim

Enjoying some panela on the boat

Another beautiful sunset

full moon

Having a quick nap

Kids in one of the villages we passed on the way

Good morning Santa Clotilde

There were lots of  things on board, smoked meat and fish, hens, lots of people, plantains (bananas you can use in the food) and a pig:

This is all for now, we have arrived safely in Iquitos and we are enjoying life here :D