Amazon adventures

Lima was cool, 17^oC, dull and overcast. Where was the sun and heat I expected in South America? We were only a hop across the Andes away from Iquitos, our entry into the depths of the Amazon rainforest.

A short flight transported us across the snow covered peaks and then below us, my first view of the Amazon.

The jungle stretched as far as could be seen, and beyond, just a dark mass of rounded shapes with the occasional river winding through it, often partnered by small ox-bow lakes showing the history of the contorted river system that is loosely referred to as the Amazon river.

Stepping down onto the tarmac I found the sun and the heat as they welcomed me by wrapping me in a stifling hot blanket. Baggage was reclaimed, new friends were met and we were whisked off in aged taxis to Iquitos, the Capital of the Amazon. Iquitos sits at the confluence of the Amazon, Nanay and Itaya rivers, 2,000 miles upriver from the Atlantic Ocean. Being totally surrounded by water it is only accessible by air or boat, there is no road leading into Iquitos. 

My first impression of Iquitos was noise, traffic, colour and contradiction. 

The streets were full of motorized tricycles with a covered carriage for two at the rear and motorbikes, often carrying the whole family at once, no helmets and children squashed on where they would fit. 

Amidst all these motor-tricycles and cycles, buses and taxis wove their tortuous way, amazingly without connecting with any of them. The town centre was a mix of dusty roads, tarmac, and concrete in various states of disrepair, and then we were there, we were stopping outside a large elegant white tiled building very much at odds with the surrounding buildings. We entered into a huge reception room with the calm quiet air of a museum, and beautifully cool. We had arrived at the Hotel Casa Morey. 

The hotel was built in 1913 by Luis F. Morey, one of the wealthiest rubber barons. Over the years it has metamorphosed many times, being a bank, a private university and a disco, but has now been restored to its Victorian splendour by AmazonEco, by Dr Richard Bodmer and his wife Tula Fang. 

 

Along with the Hotel Casa Morey, several steamships from the Amazon rubber boom have also been restored, one of which, the Ayapua, was to be my home for the next two weeks. A glass case containing a model of the Ayapua gave me my first real impression of the beauty of the riverboat, photos really don’t do it justice. 

We were taken to our room but I should really call it a suite, it was enormous with ceilings at least 20 feet high.Our bedroom was about 36 foot long and 21 foot wide with three very large windows that opened to white stone balustrades.

 The room comfortably housed a king-sized bed, a double bed, settee, wardrobe and drawers, writing desk and chair; but the room still looked empty, the furniture looking like doll’s furniture against the grand scale of the room. In addition we had a large bathroom and a sitting room, all beautifully tiled and lavishly furnished in velvets and brocades.

 

Having explored the contradictions of Iquitos, thatched huts rubbing shoulders with Spanish architecture and tiled mansions, oh and Eiffel’s iron building, we met with our expedition leader, Dr Richard Bodmer, the lead scientist as well as the restorer of the beautiful hotel and steamships. We were saddened to learn that our trip on the Ayapua was to be her last, on our return she was to be turned into a museum.

The following day we set off by coach for our first view of the Ayapua. She was moored upriver at Nauta, only two hours away by coach but two days away by river. As it was going to take us two days to get up river from Nauta we couldn’t afford to take another two days sailing and so all the riverboats are berthed at Nauta.