I am beginning to understand why people go mad in the jungle, and we are not really even in the jungle! It is so very hot and humid and either seems to attract mad people or they just go crazy after being here a while!
Iquitos is a very busy jungle town, full of motor taxies and locals trying to sell anything or everything. It is very loud and pretty claustophobic, surrounded by jungle and the the Amazon. The first night we were in a hostel on a main road and it was incredibly loud, we luckily bumped into people who knew Ross and they sorted us somewhere else to stay which is much quieter and has air con, which is a necessity.
Ross and his new wife have arrived and I do now understand why he wanted us to meet him in Cusco rather than here. We had thought we were going to his place in the tranquility of the jungle for a week but that is now not possible so all there is to do is hang around here and have day trips out. To go on a decent jungle adventure it costs a lot of money and you have to travel for at least 3 days. At the moment we don´t seem to have many options except to go back to Lima earlier and wait for the girls flight... still something new may emerge!
People come to Iquitos either on the way to a further jungle adventure or to go and see
Shamans for Ayerwaska (spelt totally incorrectly) ceremonies... some just drink a lot and go mad and stay here! I may be one of the latter but will not stay here!
Jodie is still unwell which is a real shame.
No Wifi so no pics for now. From a very hot and sticky place bye for now!!
By strange coincidence there has been a programme on tv called "An Idiot Abroad" where Ricky Gervais sends his producer friend Carl Pilkington - a guy from Manchester who hates new experiences and any discomfort - to see various "wonders of the world" ... ostensibly to broaden his mind by travel but really so we can laugh at him being such a buffoon and little-englander - he has been doing a similar journey to you (under very similar budgetry constraints) so we have been following you both on this blog and via his programme. He very nearly went mad in Iquitos as well! I am so sorry for Jodie - is she feeling any better at all? How is Ross? is there no way you are going to get to his retreat then? It will be no consolation I know but here is very cold (just remember how much you hate being cold!) I am so amazed by what you guys are doing I can hardly bear to comment as anything I write just seems so trivial and trite.... please know that I love you all and please tell ROss Hi and congratulations - tell him I said it's been a long strange trip for all of us! love you. xxx
ReplyDelete