Do you dream about unspoiled Amazonia? Iquitos is the gateway to the Amazon adventures. You will find here many excursion offers. From half day boat tour for 35 USD to the few days stay in the remote jungle lodge where they charge like 120 USD per day. All of that is too expensive for me.
Looking for the cheap solutions I too a motorcarro (motocycle riskshaw) for 2.50 soles to Buena Vista landing place then there are public boats going frequently to Padre Cocha. Locals pay 1,50 but gringos like me – 3 soles. It is still less then a dollar for 20-minutes sail.
From the village Padre Cocha there is 25-min walk to the Pilpintuwasi – butterfly farm and animal orphange. For 15 soles the offer a tour showing you butterfiles of Amazon – big blue/black morphos are just amazing, buty very difficult to photograph. Thera are also Amazonian animals including minkeys, jaguar, tapir…
After return to Padre Cocha I took another walk to San Andres Village where native Indians Bora live.
In their maloka – meeting house they were just preparing food for Bora tribe fiesta on 28th February. They invited me to join, but sorry – I will be far away…
I asked them to wear their national costumes to see some tribal dancing and take few pictures. They asked for donation – they were happy to get 10 soles.
I retirned tp Iquitos tired (the heat is incredible) but happy – such an interesting day cost me just few dollars… Try, Amazon is also for the backpackers!
