Carnaval in Iquitos, part 2

Carnaval in Iquitos, part 1

Carnaval dance groups getting ready to perform.

Agouti, butterfly, and jaguar.


Freshwater stingray (Potamotrygon motoro).

Rio Amazonas, part 3

Hammock deck.

Cassava, plantain, and fruit trees at riverside farm.

Chinese video night on the river.

Bringing a taricaya (Podocnemis unifilis) on board for sale. It sold immediately for about $15.

Rio Amazonas, part 2

Rio Amazonas downstream from Iquitos.


Tortoises on the cargo deck.

Rio Amazonas, part 1

Riverboats on Rio Amazonas.


Yellow-footed Tortoise (Geochelone denticulata) for sale in Requena market.

Iquitos

Iquitos is the largest town on the planet with no road access.

Mural on youth center.

Mermaid mural in disco bar.

People and cargo travel as much as four days up and downstream on three-deck vessels built like 19th century steamboats.

On the road to La Merced

On the road to La Merced, in the eastern flank fo the Andes, a mechanic repairs our 4WD Toyota truck suspension with a part made by machete from wood.

The general store here has coca cola, inka cola, bottle water, and an excellent selection of leaf springs.

Puerto Bermudez, part 2

Lunch stop on the way up the east flank of the Andes to La Merced. Here a diner approached our table saying "you've got my monkey, right?" We had not noticed the tiny marmoset sitting on my daypack.

Someone remembered to bring a towrope.

Illegal lumber in "tablones" arrives in Puerto Bermudez via Rio Pichis.

Puerto Bermudez, part 1

Fruit salad in Puerto Bermudez.

Towel for sale.

Maybe if we push it back. En route from Pucallpa to Puerto Bermudez.

Liz considers guiso de motelo, stewed tortoise with rice and platano.

Calleria, part 5

Peke-peke to Pucallpa from Calleria with Roger and Elva.

5 am departure, "ya es dia."

A couple hours hunting motelo, searching for fruit trees with fresh fruit on the ground of the sort motelo likes, finding uneaten fruit, finding week-old motelo scruff-trail emerging from a treefall tangle, but no tort. Agusto is thirsty, no water bottle, chops una de gato for a drink of clear tasty water. Agusto wears a thick Nike hoody for skeeters.

Calleria, part 4

Restinga (levee, so higher ground) forest near Calleria.

Liz and Agusto paddle up a cocha (oxbow lake) to hunt for motelo, tortoise, in restinga forest.

Storm approaching Calleria.

Teolinda and her daughter Kelly painting with dye made from bark. Their "brushes" are filed slivers of metal.

Calleria, part 3

Shipibo embroidery, some on clothed dyed with bark and clay. Lots of women make these and eventually bring them to Pucallpa for sale to tourist shops. They also make skirts for themselves in these patterns. Experienced artists generate their own designs, we never saw a pattern repeated on another piece. We purchased a bunch in Calleria.

Roger chops coconuts for Elva and the girls.