3 days between anacondas and pink dolphins in the Peruvian Amazon

In March 2014, I decided to set out on an adventure to the Peruvian Amazonian rainforest. I went with my friend Lore, with whom we were working in Lima. We took a plane from that city to Iquitos (Peru), which is the biggest city on the banks of the Amazon River. You can go by plane or boat, but not on the road.

Maybe supplies or goods turn out to be more expensive due to the distance from Iquitos to the rest of the cities. A curious fact: in Iquitos city you will find the «Iron House», built during the «Amazon rubber boom» by Gustavo Eiffel, the same creator of Eiffel Tower.

It was a rainy season, but we were lucky and the three days that we were there were sunny. After we got to Iquitos, we were taken to the «lodge» in a canoe. It was our accommodation for the following days. The «room» or cabin, as you may want to call it, did not have electricity but it did have a bathroom. We were given torches to illuminate and some boots to move around the rainforest (basically due to the mud). We must consider that it is a mosquito area, so I recommend that you should take repellent. I have had the yellow fever vaccine some years before, and even though it is suggested to visit the area, it is not mandatory.

We had our guide, native from the rainforest, so no one knew the region more than him. We caught piranhas, we slipped through pasture and vines, and we sailed waters of lakes created by rains. We also went to a reserve where you can find anacondas, parrots, monkeys in their natural habitat and we even had the opportunity to plunge into the waters of the Amazon River, the mightiest river in the world. Did you know that you can see pink dolphins? Although they are not easy to see, we were lucky, and I could take some pictures!

In total, we were 3 days in the rainforest. One day, a tarantula and a lizard entered the room. The food was excellent! And home-made from the rainforest! And there was even a bar where they played the guitar and we could buy some snacks! Watching the sunset in the Amazon River is a highly recommended experience!