Iquitos - the Peruvian Venice

The busy port with supplies arriving and being shipped out..

This morning we returned to Iquitos and went by small boat to see the floating houses that make up a significant proportion of the city dwellers

Many of these people fled from the countryside in order to escape the reign of terror during the dark times in 1980 upto about 2000 when the Guerrilla terrorist movement Marxist Sendero Luminoso (Shining Path) were hunting and killing many citizens throughout Peru. The bloodthirsty internal war between them and the Marxist Movimiento Revolucionario Tupac Amaru resulted in 70,000 Peruvians being killed both by the terrorist and the military forces fighting them.

Since Iquitos can only be reached by water or air, the city and its' peoples had a natural defense against the Terrorists. The population mushroomed and houseboats and their families flourished

Today a floating city is operating and tax free with many services like electricity, junior schooling etc, provided free to the citizens by the government.

The water level was very high due to the heavy rains - not the street lights almost submerged.

Timber being transported from the forest.

On leaving the ship and en-route to the airport we visited the Manatee Rescue Centre where a team of biologists and volunteers help and care for the Amazon Manatees that have been rescued. The species are endanged and the centre is very important to their future.

Hugh feeding the Manatee.

Then we caught the plane back to Lima

Flying out of Iquitos at sunset we saw the river weaving through the rainforest.

Iquitos

Today we flew to Iquitos from Lima. Iquitos is the major Amazon port in Peru. The city's heyday when rubber boomed until the 1880's. Much of the city today has older buildings that are representative of former times, although there is a large number of people who live on the poverty line

Iquitos is isolated- the only access to other major part are via air or the river. The poverty and lack of resources are evident everywhere

The old buildings were owned by rubber barons

The highest building is seven stories high but condemned because the riverbed does not provide sufficient foundations. The tv station and radio only use it.

The markets are right in the heart of the city

This is main square

The main wharf at Enapu on the Itaya river (a tributary of the Amazon) was our boarding point.



Overnight we traveled up the Amazon river in our luxurious ship, M V Aria

It's like a floating luxury houseboat