06-MAY-2009
Breakfast-- Tacacho plantains and grubs.JPG
Tacacho- Plantain and bacon mixed into a ball and cooked in a leaf. A breakfast staple in the area.
The grubs here are skewered and sauteed, but many of the people in the area just eat them raw, directly from the tree they are found in.
06-MAY-2009
Bellavista 2.JPG
Port at Bellavista De Nanay, at the north side of Iquitos at the mouth of the Nanay.
This picture is at high water, the levels vary greatly during the different times of the year.
Bellavista is the starting point for trips up the Nanay and for tourists going to Yagua and Bora native villages up the river.
06-MAY-2009
Bellavista 1.JPG
Another veiw of Bellavista.
The buildings along the walkways have another complete story that is currently flooded.
What you are seeing is the top story of the two story structures.
07-MAY-2009
Waiting for rain to stop.JPG
Canoeists waiting out the rain under overhanging branches on the Rio Nanay.
This photo was taken just before the thunderstorm hit.
10-MAY-2009
Soccer at San Antonio.JPG
Iquito boys playing Soccer during a break from school at San Antonio on the Rio Pintayacu.
07-MAY-2009
Rio Nanay family Fishing.JPG
A family fishing along the Pintayacu in late afternoon.
07-MAY-2009
Rainbow over Nanay.JPG
The Amazon Basin has marvelous rainbows after showers. I never tire of looking at them.
many are huge double rainbows that are hard to get photos of, even with a wide lens.
07-MAY-2009
On the Nanay 2.JPG
A young boy from Santa Maria De Nanay leaving early on a foggy morning.
07-MAY-2009
On the Nanay 1.JPG
Photo taken at a farm on the Nanay river.
We stopped to talk to the farmer and his wife about possibly using the farm as a campsite on future trips in the area.
08-MAY-2009
Mario Jacob on Nanay.JPG
The Mario Jacob is operated on the Nanay as a combination bus, delivery truck, mail carrier and all around work horse.
There are no roads and few trails in the region. Virtually all commerce is via river.
07-MAY-2009
Mario Jacob at Santa Maria.JPG
09-MAY-2009
Making Iripay thatch on Machacuy plantation.JPG
We camped overnight at the Machacuy plantation. This is the last year round occupied site on the Pintayacu river. Any place further up river is flooded during high water and uninhabitable during these periods.
This man is weaving Iripay palms into roof thatching, which will eventually end up as building material in Iquitos down river.
10-MAY-2009
Lumbering at San Antonio.JPG
There usually aren't mills in the villages, just chainsaws used to rough cut the lumber.
Some of the operators are very skilled at this work.
13-MAY-2009
Kids from Provedencia on Tigre river.JPG
We always attract attention from the local kids when we are traveling through.
All travellers are interesting, but I am 6'2 and 250 lbs. I am sure the largest person that many of these young kids have ever seen.
08-MAY-2009
Kids at San Juan Ungurajual.JPG
07-MAY-2009
Irapay Palm thatching.JPG
A raft with thatching materials being floated to Iquitos for sale or barter.
09-MAY-2009
Iquito kids from San Antonio.JPG
As we were leaving San Antonio, these kids bailed out of the water quickly.
I never did find out what the cause was, but it was probably a turtle or snake.
09-MAY-2009
Iquito boy in San Antonio.JPG
08-MAY-2009
Hunters camp on Nanay.JPG
A typical temporary camp along the river bank. A tarp is stretched over the poles to keep rain off.
The lower platform acts as the floor, the upper as a bed. It is left intact for use again or by others.
09-MAY-2009
House on Pintayacu River 1.JPG
09-MAY-2009
Fishing from the doorstep.JPG
12-MAY-2009
Evening at Intuto on Tigre river.JPG