Travel With us along the Amazon River from Iquitos, Peru to Leticia, Colombia
Travel With us along the Amazon River from Iquitos, Peru
to Leticia, Colombia
Our tour departs weekly
I found a wonderful river cruise. A gringo by the name of Paul Wright owns an old river boat that looks like something out of a studio back lot. Paul takes his boat, the MV Rio Amazonas, and puts together an eight-day tour that has some of the feel of the six-week journey I was fortunate to take in 1997. Paul's guests live on board as the Rio Amazonas makes it's way along the Amazon and pokes into the tributaries and bayous along the way.
It's amazing where I find that boat. I'll be canoeing along some little stream photographing or buying crafts. Then up ahead I see something big and white. I'll round a corner and see the MV Rio Amazonas with the passengers out on the bank talking with some tribespeople. How the captain managed to maneuver up that little stream is beyond me.
Paul suggests we depart Miami on any Saturday for his Sunday noon departure aboard the Rio Amazonas.
Hope to see you on the river.
About the Boat The M/V RIO AMAZONAS was built in the late 1800's in Scotland. After following a long career as a cargo/passenger ship on the Amazon river it was completely rebuilt in 1981 to enable the international traveler to experience the Amazon in basic comfort.. It was again refurbished in 1994. She carries 44 passengers in 21 air conditioned cabins on an itinerary which explores life on the Amazon river and its people. The ship has been designed as an informal cruise ship. The major public rooms on the M/V RIO AMAZONAS - the dining room and library - are air conditioned. There is ample deck area, both covered and uncovered, with comfortable deck chairs and hammocks for a leisurely look at life on the river. Upper deck cabins all have private bath / showers and picture windows for a perfect view of the river. Two lower beds with reading lamps and a small writing desk and chair complete the cabins' furnishings. Sun deck cabins are slightly larger, have two twin beds, a third bed, a small closet and a chair.
...and our itinerary
Day 1 - Saturday: Depart Miami late evening via Lima to Iquitos, Peru, arriving in this typical Amazon River town in the morning hours.
Day 2 - Sunday: After breakfast we'll have plenty of time to explore the city of Iquitos, get to know its friendly people, and observe the Sunday morning routine. Late morning transfer to our dock area. Board the M/V RIO AMAZONAS for our six night / seven day round trip Amazon river cruise. Accommodations will be provided in air conditioned cabins. The cruise program includes all meals, shore excursions and guided services by our English-speaking naturalist guides. We'll sail down river in the afternoon. (B, L, D.)
Day 3 - Monday: After breakfast we'll leave the ship for bird watching and a visit to Bora and Huitoto Indian villages. The natives from these villages will perform a blow gun demonstration. Later a stop will be made at Pevas, the oldest Peruvian town in the Amazon where, time permitting, we'll have a chance to visit the house of Francisco Grippa, famous Peruvian painter who gets his inspiration from living part of the year in this village. An afternoon jungle hike will be undertaken in the dense rain forest of the Shishita river. Night exploration by launch up a small tributary. (B, L, D.)
Day 4 - Tuesday: On a morning jungle hike, we'll observe the Victoria Regia water lilies, followed by a piranha fishing expedition in one of the small backwater lakes. Afternoon arrival at the missionary village of Caballococha where, after sunset, we'll will cross the lake to look for caimans in the lake's reedy shallows. (B, L, D.)
Day 5 - Wednesday: We'll arrive early morning at the island of Santa Rosa (Peru), opposite the twin cities of Leticia (Colombia) and Tabatinga (Brazil). While the ship will remain at Santa Rosa we'll transfer across the river for a morning without ship's activities. This will allow us plenty of time to shop and visit both cities in the Tres Fronteras region where we may want to visit the local zoo and museum. At noon we'll return across the river to start our up river sailing. Time permitting there will be a shore excursion in the Cayaru river area. (B, L, D.)
Day 6 - Thursday: In the morning we'll travel by launch up the Ataquari river for some fishing in a small backwater lake. We'll return to the ship for lunch and an afternoon stop at the remote leper hospital of San Pablo. Later we can browse in the primitive gift shop which sells the patient's handicrafts. (B, L, D.)
Day 7 - Friday: After a brief stop at Pijuayal, for a document check, we'll continue up the Ampiyacu river, then visit the Huitoto and Bora Indian Villages for native dances and a bit of bartering (trading manufactured goods for native handicrafts). (B, L, D.)
Day 8 - Saturday: We'll have breakfast on board our boat before arriving at Iquitos in the late morning then transfering to our flight to Lima. At Lima we will enjoy a tour of the city with dinner before returning to the airport and boarding our flight to Miami. (B, L, D)
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