Into the Amazon

A trip to the Amazon is a right of passage for those backpacking South America, since at some point, nearly everyone spends a few days touring from a cheap jungle lodge, of which there are many. The jungle can be accessed from most South American countries, and after trekking the Huayhuash Circuit, James (who I met in Argentina) and I decided we’d make our Amazon appearance in Iquitos, the Peruvian access point.

Simply getting from place to place is a big part of what keeps me busy these days, and nothing exemplifies this concept quite like our journey into the Amazon: a 6 day process, complete with 36.5 hours on 5 different busses and 2 nights on a cargo boat. Transit might not be as interesting as some of my other endeavors (although living in a hammock on the cargo boat was cool), but it’s a key part of the experience, and thus deserving of a blog.

To reach Iquitos post Huayhuash, we had two options: an overnight bus back to Lima for a flight, or 6 days of transit via bus and boat. The backpacking spirit tends to favor travel by land and sea, so we chose the latter option, and kicked things off with Bus #1, which was painfully hot and drove the windiest roads I could possibly conceive of. The woman next to me was vomiting (understandably), and multiple fellow passengers were playing music and movies aloud, which is painfully common in South America. Needless to say, we were simply not having a good time on Bus #1.

Bus #2 was more pleasant, but it drove through the dinner hour, and we had no food. Around midnight, it dropped us in a city called Trujillos, where I had a great stroke of luck when I googled “Starbucks Trujillos” with wonderful success:

We spent the morning playing chess at the local Starbucks, which is one of my favorite pass times abroad (this is only sort of a joke), then we boarded Bus #3, which was a 16-hour, overnight ordeal. The following morning, we reached the town of Chachapoyas, where we brushed our teeth and changed clothes in a cafe restroom.

Next up was Bus #4, which was actually a minivan that departed when full. The van was packed, the heat was atrocious, and the seat would have been suitable for a person half my size. The ride lasted 9 hours, and in the last hour, maintaining composure was more challenging than summiting Huayna Potosi (also not really a joke).

The following afternoon, Bus #5 dropped us in the port town of Yurimagaus. After 36.5 cumulative hours on the bus, Yurimagaus marked the end of the road in the literal sense: the only possible route further North was by boat, on a river system that eventually joins with the Amazon River. Iquitos-bound cargo boats depart from Yurimagaus, and locals (and the occasional backpacker) catch a ride on the top floor of the boats, where hammocks serve as beds for the two-night journey. Here are two photos, the photo on the left is my hammock:

Here’s a video of our boat in the port:

I had ridden a cargo boat once before, and for reasons described in the Paraguay blog, the experience left me highly skeptical of this mode of transport. But to our pleasant surprise, the boat to Iquitos was simply delightful. For two days and two nights, we chilled in hammocks with a nice river breeze and a bunch of friendly local people. It was exceptional, and we had no desire for it to end:

Along the way, the boat delivered cargo to remote communities that were not connected by road to the outside world:

The boat trip had just two minor inconveniences: we ate only bread and peanut butter for two straight days, and when we got to Iquitos, James realized that one of his hands was double the size of the other. We theorized he got bit by a spider:

From Iquitos, we signed up for a typical two-day jungle tour. Here’s our jungle lodge, which was two-hours away by boat:

Twice a day, the guides took us on canoe excursions to spot animals, like this monkey that stole our food:

Here’s us on the canoe with the guide:

After the tour, I had originally planned to head to Ecuador via a series of boats, which would have taken about four days. James was Colombia bound to meet a friend from home, also via boat. Here’s a map to illustrate our respective plans (and our route from Yurimagaus). You’ll see that the three jungle towns of Iquitos (Peru), Coca (Ecuador), and Leticia (Colombia) are linked only by river:

The Ecuador journey wouldn’t have been pleasant (or safe) alone, so I had planned to link up with others at the hostel in Iquitos. According to the hostel staff though, while the route to Ecuador is totally viable, its relatively uncommon amongst the backpackers, most of whom either boat to Colombia (as James was) or fly back to Lima to connect to Ecuador.

Apart from the local hostel, I tried a few other methods of finding a partner, like when James was watching sports in the lobby of our hotel:

But he was completely useless:

With no desire to hang around Iquitos any longer, I got the boat to Colombia with James (after the great effort we'd put into Northbound travel, I had too much pride to fly back to Lima and connect to Ecuador). I had never struggled to find travel partners when needed, but in Iquitos, my luck ran dry, and for the first time, I felt limited by solo travel.

The boat to Colombia was strictly for passengers (no cargo), and was an overnight voyage but with seats unsuitable for sleeping. It dropped us on the Peruvian side of the river, and we then paid a local to take us to the Colombian side in a wooden canoe. Here are photos of my backpack on the canoe, and of the canoe pulling up to Colombian migration:

Leticia, Colombia, is accessible only by plane, so we went straight to the airport and took a short flight to Bogota. In Bogota, I checked into a nice hotel for the first time in my five month trip. I was desperately craving comfort, and found a deal for 50% off on a same-day booking. The Bogota hotel is the nicest place I’ve slept on the trip, and the spread between best and worst is rather large:

The photo on the right is the cargo boat in Paraguay, for those curious.

From Bogota onwards, James and I are parting after nearly two months. He’s heading South with his friend from home, and I’m heading North. For those keeping track of our great chess rivalry, here’s the final score (which I am not proud of, but facts are facts):

James: 26

Holly: 13

In other trip-related news, I’ve finally made a legitimate plan for post South America (I’ve been pondering this for a long while). This summer, I’m headed to Pakistan for a one month climbing expedition of Spantik Peak, which means I now need to incorporate fitness training into my daily routine. This might not be easy in a party place like Colombia, but I’m going to do my best. Thanks for following!