The final entry of the Amazon, BC (Before Covid).

Below is the final entry I (G) was in the middle of writing in the restaurant/bar area of our hostel in Lima, Peru about our time in the Amazon during our original attempt to travel the world…in 2020. I will add an additional entry to summarize the happenings immediately after this entry:

March 13 - Friday the 13th! Time to head into the Amazon! We woke and had a nice breakfast of eggs, toast, and coffee. Then the doorbell rang; it was our ride. We grabbed our bags and hopped in the car. We drove to the office of our tour company, where we sorted out the final details of our tour and sized out boots for the night hike. Yes, the night hike... in the Amazon... more on that later.

Having made the final arrangements, we headed off once more to the market of Iquitos, which would be the launching point for our boat. Our senses were assaulted with every variety of stimuli. The sights, smells, and sounds of the market are difficult to describe with full accuracy, but I will make a brief attempt here.

The buildings were up on stilts, painted a patchwork of bright colors, on tables or spread in bowls were every edible or partially edible thing drawn out from the depths of the surrounding jungle. Fruits of every kind many of which I had never seen or heard of before. Root vegetables, mostly cassava or "jungle potatoes" whatever they are, as well as a variety of leafy greens. The selection of meats ranged from the most basic chicken to Caiman and large grubs, the size of a normal person's big toe, which were impaled and barbequed on sticks. The ground was a mix of broken concrete and rough-cut wooden planks. The space for walking was tight and littered with random bits of trash in places, everything from parts of animals to plastic bags and bottles had accumulated at the edges. The sound of people arguing over prices, calling out their wares, the thwack of knives cutting through food and stopping in wooding boards, the drone of small boat engines, and the sizzle of fires for cooking were all present. The air was thick with humidity and filled with smoke from the barbeques, with a hint of gasoline wafting in from the long narrow wooden boats docked nearby. It was in one of these boats which we would venture further into the jungle and off the beaten path.

Homes and river boat heading out of Iquitos.

We followed our guide, Kevin a small young man of slight frame with dark black hair cut short, dark eyes, and a bright smile. He led us through the market to a turquoise and blue boat. An older man, Alfredo, was at the stern of the boat and worked the small Yamaha engine with the expert skill of a well-practiced hand. Alfredo navigated through the maze of other boats and out away from Iquitos.

Tricia, Kevin, & Alfredo in our boat.

As the motor hummed, we moved swiftly with the main current of the amazon river. It was flood season and the river while not at its zenith had still thrown off the normal limitations of the main channel and in doing so swept up trees and plants which now floated down along the way with us. After about an hour and a half without any sort of discernable signpost or marker, we turned into a narrow inlet. Alfredo cut the engine, and we drifted in silence towards an unknown port.

The unknown port.

A moment or two more, and it became clear where the boat was headed. A tree with a few wooden planks and a semblance of a path appeared through the jungle. The boat drifted perfectly into place to allow the bow to sink into the mud just to the right of the tree where it could be tied in place.

Our little boat

After the boat had been secured in place, we hopped off onto the dirt path with our packs on, prepared to explore! We found a little way up the path, a raised and covered wooden walkway, this led us past jackfruit, wild mango, and a myriad of other trees, vines, and shrubs to varied to be recorded here. The air became heavier with humidity and the heat more intense as any thought of a breeze vanished in the thick vegetation that enveloped us. We found, at the end of the walkway, a screened dining hall. The hall was to be the launching point for our excursions. It had a very high ceiling, as if

(This is where the soccer game in the background cut to the Peruvian President and everything changed)