Salvador to Brasilia

The longest bus journey I have every been on - just a bit over 24 hours! And to boot, the route was hardly scenic. Brasilia, the capital of Brazil is on a plateau of sorts - similar to highveld in South Africa, but just not as high. It is a very fertile area, and thus the only scenery was agriculture and what is left of the original vegetation. The stops were interesting, but to be honest, the bus journeys in Peru we more pleasurable - there was no TV or music on this bus, and the only "comfort" apart from the toilet (which I did not use) was mineral water (which ran out, half way through).

Reflections: Salvador

Salvador is one of the oldest western cities on the Americas - established by the Portuguese, it served as an early capital of Brazil. The old city - the suburb of Pelourinho, has been largely restored, and features a number of old buildings, especially churches. I had intended to go and visit some of these places properly after carnaval, but never got round to it - it was both a bit of laziness and tiredness.

The city is built next to a rather large bay - and for the first time on my trip, it seem a lot like home. In fact, except for the language, it could easily be in Africa - most of the people are descendants of African slaves brought over from Angola and West Africa; the food has a definite west african flavour, the musical style features a lot of drums and the weather reminds me a lot of Durban.

Salvador is a big city - and in terms of population, it is probably bigger than Cape Town. It is also quite spread out, but since there is no big mountain in the middle of the city, distances are more manageable. The public bus system is quite efficient, so getting around is not difficult.

I have not spent much time in Salvador when it was not carnaval, and thus my experience is a bit lopsided. But I have found it relaxing, and even though it has been my longest stop on my trip, and I am restless to move on, part of me also wishes that I stayed on a bit, and experienced a bit more of the culture, and the food.

I have had quite a bit of the Bahian food, and I absolutely love it. The main specialities, not surprisingly, is based on sea food and coconuts and the food has a very rich flavour although not really fatty. It has also been a long time since I have had green cocounut water (really refreshing, especially when the coconut has been refrigerated) and sugarcane juice.



Salvador is on the Atlantic coast, but because of its position, it is one of the few places in Brazil where one can see a sunset over the ocean!

Carnaval in Salvador

Carnaval, or Carnival in English, is celebrated in a number of catholic countries, but IMO, there are only two really well known places for Carnival: Brazil and Mardi Gras in New Orleans. It is based on a catholic holiday (Ash Wednesday), which is based on an earlier pagan holiday, and in Brazil at least, the religious roots seem to have completely disappeared.

Carnaval is celebrated all over Brazil, but there are basically three recomended cities to go: Rio De Janeiro, Salvador and Olinda. Rio De Janeiro is famous for its samba school parades, but in Brazil, Salvador is famous for the party. Simply put, carnival in Salvador equates to a 6 day party, running about 18 hours a day! It is quite possibly the greatest and biggest street party in the world.

The weather has been stunning - it did rain briefly one night, but other than that, it has been clear days and night time temperatures of 29 degrees Celcius!

The Routes

There are apparently four major routes; but I only went to three of them ... the last was just too far away. The most traditional, was the route in Pelourinho, the old colonial quarter of Salvador (see my post on Salvador for more details on Pelourinho). This route mainly features drum bands, some elaborate costumes and is really intimate - the bands walk through narrow cobbled stoned roads with spectators squeezing in between the walls and the bands. The busiest quarter during the day was Campo Grande, where during the day, there are easily over a million people on the streets. The busiest quarter during the night, and also where I spent most of my time, is a 5Km stretch in Barra, the seaside suburb on the Atlantic coast. I think there were less people in Barra, but I am told by Paolo that there is also about a million people on he streets on the busiest days (Saturday - Monday).

Technically Impressive

In Campo Grande and Barra, the bands travel on massive trucks which carry massive speakers, and sometimes also have elaborate light shows and dancing girls (one bloco featured two naked dancing girls covered only in body paint). The trucks can be heard from quite a distance, and apparently all run on Bio-Diesel. After carnaval was over and things were being dismantled, I also noticed that the city has invested quite a bit on providing electrical supplies for lighting etc. on the routes - so they do not have to install everything from scratch every year.

The Music

Across Brazil, Salvador is pretty much known for its music scene, one of the many factors behind the popularity of the carnival. Music in Carnival could be classified into four types:

1. Brazilian Pop music mainly by big Brazilian music stars, most of whom are natives of Salvador or the state of Bahia


2. Samba and similar styles


3. Drums, well with support from saxophones and trumpets, but mostly drums - the most traditional music of Salvador, whose people are mostly descendants of African slaves brought over from Angola and West Africa.


4. Electronic music, well there was only two instances: DJ Tiesto on Friday and DJ Fatboy Slim together with DJ David Guetta on Tuesday

To be honest, while the pop music was very catchy, there was not much variety. The big bands played more or less the same songs, and they played them over and over again (more on that later). That said, the party was the best at these bands, simply because there were a lot more people dancing and partying away! I suppose my disappointment with the bigger bands stems from the fact that many of them are known for their vast music catalogues, and playing simply the top hits and covers of other artists was disappointment.


The other music styles were a lot more interesting, maybe because they were not repeated that often. I particularly enjoyed the drum bands - the energy of the drummer was amazing. There were also a few fixed stages, which had a more chilled environment, but the music was great none the less.

Performer Endurance

The blocos in Campo Grande and Barra move quite slowly - for example it takes over 5 hours for a bloco to go from start to finish in Barra. While the revelers can take a break anytime, there is no such breaks for the performers - they sing, play and dance for the entire route! And some big name artists, like Ivete Sangalo, performed every night! And one band, Chiclete com Banana, did both Barra and Campo Grande on the same (last) day!

Men in drag

There were not many costumes on show - but a reoccurring theme did seem to be men in drag. And it was not that the men were gay - many were chasing women ... a bit strange in many ways.

Filhos De Gandy

One of the oldest traditional groups of the carnival, they do not have any of the Gandhian traits - they drink a lot, chase women and considering the number of beads they wear, are flashy dressers too. Their main bloco was rather boring though ...

Costs

While accommodation prices sky rocket, other prices are remarkably stable, and cheap really. Drinks and food prices do not seem to rise at all for instance! That said, Brazil is still a very expensive place (when compared to Peru), and costs are higher than South Africa for most things.

Security

There is a massive security presence in Carnival, with raised police platforms and regular patrols by police through the crowds. They are very quick too - and good at apprehending trouble makers who start fights etc. Apart from the threat of pick pockets (which cannot really be avoided in such massive crowds), I never really felt in danger.

Final Thoughts

One of my aims in visiting Brazil was to sample the various music styles - and carnival was a great way to do that! I even got to see performances by one of the greats of Brazilian music - Gilberto Gil, although he played a lot of covers (quite a bit of Bob Marley). I do not go to many parties ... and I probably spent more time partying away here than all the previous hours put together! That was mainly due to a great group of people that happened to be staying together - a core group of about 5/6 of us (such as Jen) went to many of the events together, which made it really good. That, above all else, has made this trip a success ... I doubt I would have enjoyed myself as much if I went to Olinda and Rcife (which have bigger events apparently) alone.

And best of all, the music was all free ...

Carnaval Day 0 ... Introduction to the madness

By reputation, Salvador has the best carnaval in Brazil. Off course the samba schools of Rio are world famous, but as Brazilians and others constantly point out - in Rio, it is all a big a show: people sit (or stand) in "stadiums" and watch the floats go past, doing their thing. In Salvador, Olinda and Recife (the other two big carnavals) it is a big party - oh there are floats - but you are welcome to come and join the party.

Officially, carnaval is supposed to start at midnight Friday ... still 12 hours from now. But, as carnaval has become increasingly commercialised, it has increased in size and time, and the concept of a "pre-party" has been taken to ridiculous levels.

Paolo

When I started my late search for accommodation in Salvador, I came across a post on the Thorn Tree Forums (at Lonely Planet) offering accommodation. I contacted the email address, and was quoted a price, which seemed at the time ridiculously expensive, especially as I was still in Peru. But Paolo, the person at the other end, replied that he understood the constraints but urged me come to Salvador if I could. When I reached Manaus, I contacted him again, and he had one space in a slightly cheaper alternative, and I grabbed it.

Both apartments are penthouses in Barra, a suburb of Salvador and one of the main locations of the Carnaval festivities. The more expensive apartment is certainly nicer, and even features a roof top pool (part of the apartment), but the cheaper apartment is not bad at all.

But what has been great is Paolo's involvement in taking all the people staying at the two apartments (combined) through Day 0 (my term, not sure what the official term is) as well as going out on previous nights. He has really put some thought into organising everything, and since everyone (including his Brazilian friends and with the exception of Paolo himself) is doing this for the first time, he has really been great at explaining the dos, donts, dangers etc.

The Group

Apart from Paolo and myself, there are 4 Irish girls, 1 English girl, 1 Greek girl, 1 American girl, 1 Australian girl, 1 English guy, 3 Brazilian guys and 4 Australian guys (one of them actually emigrated from SA, before 1994). We managed to keep loosing the Australian guys (or maybe they wanted to get lost), but the rest of us managed to stay as a group for most of the night.

Photos

I do not expect to take any pictures of carnaval. It is just too difficult and dangerous to carry a camera in the crowds. My verbose descriptions will have to do.

Blocos

I suppose in Rio, blocos would be called schools. Except in Salvador, there is less of a show. Each bloco has at least two massive trucks - the first truck has the musical performers (and their invited guests) and the second truck as the paid "guests". For many blocos, you can purchase a T-Shirt (with the lowest costing around 250 Brazilian Reals or about 100 Euros, per day. There are cheaper deals for multiple days though, and it is possible to get discounted shirts. By joining a bloco, you basically party with the band as they go down the route: the route in Barra is about 5 Km long, and takes about 3 hours to go through.

Popcorn

If you are not in the bloco, you can still party with the bloco as they walk down the road, and be part of the "popcorn". Popcorn is intense - it is like a giant, moving moshpit, but about 10 times as intense as any other moshpit that I have come across - and I have seen a few. The energy is intense, and is one of the most intense partying experiences I have ever had (although, I am hardly a veteran of parties). It is a tiring experience - I went through over 2 litres of water!

Pickpocketing is rife - and although I had a money belt, one cannot keep everything in the money belt, and even though I swatted away a lot of hands, I managed to lose some money. I have decided to buy a hydration pack (they are fairly cheap) which I can fill with water, and then not have to carry too much money.

Camarote

Off course you can escape all the bustle and take a seat in one of the many stands next to the road. These are almost as expensive as the blocos, but many are catered and some of them have unlimited drinks as part of the equation. While the music is great, there is no real show (there was only one float that had people dressed up in costumes), and it seems a bit of a waste - especially when I don't have much knowledge or understanding of the differences in Brazilian music.

So that was Day 0

We got to the parade around 8pm, and got back to the apartments about 2pm ... the party was hardly over, but most of us were. The main event starts tonight, and apparently, there will be double the number of people. I will post again, assuming I am in a position to do so ...

In Salvador ...

I have given up going all the way down the Amazon - it is just too damn boring! Instead, I am currently in Salvador, where I will stay for the next 10 days, through Carnaval. The move has proved to be an expensive exercise - not only in terms of the expense of staying at the "best" carnaval city in Brazil, but also the cost of flying to Salvador from Manaus.

Brazil is a massive country, and my original plan of traveling down the coast is just not practical for the time I have. So, I have decided to focus on a few cities and stay there for a longer time, and really explore the cities.

And a rant - Gol is a completely unreliable airline. In this leg, I had two flights: Manaus to Brasilia and Brasilia to Salvador. Both were late, and it was not that the flights were late, but at neither times were the passengers informed that the plane was late, untile about 30 minutes after the plane was supposed to leave! And my flight between Sao Paolo and Lima, was also on Gol, and was also late (by over two hours). In fact, at both Manaus and Brasilia, there did not seem to be a single Gol flight that was running on time!

Voe Gol? Nunca Mais uma vez!

Manaus

Just over 100 years ago, Manaus and Iquitos were two of the most important cities in the world. As the Amazon was the sole supply of rubber to the world (back then, before rubber tree seeds were smuggled out to the far east), the two cities grew rich, particularly Manaus. Much of the colonial architecture remains, and makes it a somewhat fascinating city to walk around in. The highlight is off course the Opera Theatre, built materials almost completely imported from Europe. It is supposedly magnificent inside, but I could not go in as there are Carnaval preparations underway outside.





Manaus is now known as the "Hong Kong of South America", because of the cheap costs of electronic goods. Most electronic goods manufactured in South America take place in Manaus, and coupled with a low tax rate, it is no wonder that almost every street corner seems to have an electronic store, while malls seem to have more electronic stores than clothing stores.

Apart from the docks (which have massive ocean going cargo vessels, docking over 1000 Km from the ocean), Manaus becomes a rather boring city. Most travelers come here for jungle tours, and after sunset the city seems to go to sleep. That said, when there is a party, it seems like everyone joins in: a club here had a band playing, and there seemed to be more people partying outside more than inside, complete with street vendors selling alcohol and food outside. It was a great vibe actually.

Fast boat to Manaus

Tabatinga is over 1000 Km away from Manaus ... and the fast boat covers the distance, including a few stops in about 28 hours. For the speed, the money is definitely well spent, and it is a fairly comfortable ride, with much better food than the normal boat. However, in terms of overall comfort, the hammock was actually much better option - there is a lot more space to move around, and there is also the fact that you can actually lie on the hammock to sleep which is a lot better than a reclining seat.

The main problem with boats, especially when you do not speak the lingo is boredom. The fast boat had a constant rotation of B grade movies (dubbed and subtitled in Portuguese) and music videos (which were a lot more interesting), but one can only stare at a small screen for so long.

The fast boat is a bit too fast to really appreciate the scenery - but the sizable increase in deforestation (compared to Peru) is hard to miss regardless. The rivers is also a lot wider, almost stretching into the horizon from one side!

Edit: I forgot to add this ...

The most and only exciting part of the trip was when the boat was stopped by the Police about 2 hours down river from Tabatinga. Identity documents were scrutinised, bags were thoroughly searched (surprisingly, no dogs though) and two people were yanked (with their luggage) for further questioning. One person came back, and then the boat left. With my crudest Spanish and Portuguese, I managed to learn from one of the passengers (who had decided to take a smoke on the docks) that the yanked passenger had 2 Kilos of cocaine strapped to his thighs.

This also reminds me about the extra scrutiny I got at Peru (see last post). I learnt later from the guide that many South Africans pass through the tri-border area; and most of them carry false papers, and are involved in the drug trade.

The boat was very prepared for the search: all the bags were left on the aisle and only after the police check were they placed in the hold. Clearly, it is a regular occurrence - I just wonder how the police conduct searches on the bigger riverboats - esp with cargo and passengers and no dogs ...

Pevas to the Tri-Border, and plans forward

The 24 hour trip from Pevas to Santa Rosa, a small island on the river was more of the same in many respects. The river boat was less crowded (compared to Iquitos to Pevas and Yurimaguas to Iquitos journeys) which certainly made the journey more comfortable. The food was worse than the Yurimaguas to Iquitos trip, but since there were only 3 meals, this was not too big a deal. This was the first trip in quite a while where I am back traveling alone, and I must say boredom does become a factor - especially when we are talking of such long journeys (in terms of time). Not speaking much Spanish was a hindrance, but I did manage to converse briefly with some of my fellow passengers. I did spend a bit longer speaking to the seemingly only English speaking person on board, Mario, an engineer in the Peruvian navy, who was with an evangelical church group going towards the border. One thing I have noticed is that it is not only the Americans (as from USA) who think of Africa as one big country ... much of the conversation I have had with locals has been on ho big Africa really is (yes, much bigger than South America, let alone Brazil) and the various differences between the Amazon and African savannahs.

Santa Rosa is where all passport formalities for Peru is done, and it took considerably longer than it took to enter the country. It could be to do with my slightly disheveled look (slight beard, longer hair than normal), could be to do with my slightly disheveled passport (after being in pockets and hidden pockets) ... don't know ... it took a while.

At Santa Rosa, an English speaking Peruvian guide offered his services - well offered is the wrong term, he decided to tag along, and I decided that having someone to translate between Spanish, Portuguese and English for the officialdom and boat tickets would be worthwhile. After concluding passport formalities in Tabatinga (Brazil), we crossed over to Leticia (Columbia) to change money (there are no formal border checks or formalities) before heading back to buy the boat ticket. The normal river boat (much better than the Peruvian ones) to Manaus, the first major stop for me, is 4 days and leaves in two days time and I am tired of hammocks so was looking for a cabin. The cabin costs only slightly less than a speedboat - which seems quite luxurious and will get me to Manaus in 36 hours. For me it is a no brainer - this way, I have a chance to get to Belém for Carnaval ... let's see what happens.

For the record, neither Leticia nor Tabatinga, are delightful places to be at. I am here only because the first boat out happens to be tomorrow. Neither towns are very attractive, nor are they very touristy ... they just get the job done I suppose.

At Play in the Fields of the Lord

No, I have not turned religious. When I was in high school I watched a movie, and later read the book, which is set in the Peruvian Amazon (back then I preferred the movie because there is a lot of sex and violence ... I think I would still prefer the movie :p). After 4 days (more on why not 5 later) in the jungle, I think it is a rather apt title for this post ...

Downriver from Iquitos

Most tours from Iquitos operate up the river, and getting a company willing to do a tour down the river (towards Brazil) was difficult. Luckily, I was wanting to do a proper jungle trip, and not stay in lodges - past 20 or 30 Km from Iquitos, such facilities simply do not exist. This is a pity in some respect, because this is a very nice part of the country. It is brilliant in other respects - less tourists mean that the experience is more real, not staged.

The trip "officially" started (and would end) in Pevas, on old Amazon frontier town about 190 Km down the river from Iquitos. From there, we still had another 2 hour trip in motorised canoe, up the Ampiyacu River, to Nueva Esperanza, a village of the Ocaina tribe. Nueva Esperanza would be our "base" camp for the trip.

The Guide(s)

Initially I was looking to contract a freelance guide directly, but searches on the Internet revealed that the two freelance guides I did know off, both had rather bad reputations. So, eventually, I settled for an agency, Amazon Adventure Expeditions, owned and operated by one of the most experienced guides in Iquitos, Moises Torres Monteluis. The deal was organised with Moises directly, and my guide from the agency was Moises' brother Israel.

Israel (nick name Commando) speaks English quite well which the primary reason he was assigned to me. He has been guiding in the jungle, mostly trips similar to mine for about 10 years, which is a long time when one considers he is turning 28 next month. I got on quite well with Israel, which is an important issue when one considers the fact that it is only him, his "assistant" and myself for most of the trip.

Israel (left) does know the jungle quite well - both the fauna and the flora. He had a good eye in spotting birds amongst the trees, but he was not as good, in my opinion, as his assistant, René (right), a local resident of Nueva Esperanza. René is a pastor as well as the radio operator for the town. Israel and René were actually in the army together 12 years ago (when army service was compulsory) and René trained as a radio operator in the army.

The Village

While there are a few tribes in the Amazon who still wear only reeds and hunt with bows and arrows, the large majority of the Amazon tribes have had a touch of western civilisation infused in their lives. According to Israel, the western influence has probably gone too far - young children no longer learn their mother tongue, and thus Ren's generation will probably the last who can speak their mother tongue.

The village is relatively small - about 100 persons including the children (who make up a large percentage of the population). Although hunting still takes place (in fact a wild pig was hunted on the day we arrived), fishing and farming are the real activities of the village. Contrary to my expectations, there does not seem to be any gender defined divisions of labour: both men and women were working together to make new roofs for the village houses, I saw both men and women making baskets, rowing boats, cooking and going to gather fruits from the forest.

The village is very open - people do close their doors, but more to prevent dogs and other animals from coming in that to prevent people from coming in. Children seem to drift in and out of the houses all the time, and while there is a definite parental upbringing, there is also a community upbringing aspect to their life. The villagers were very friendly and very hospitable. As I explained earlier, not many tourists come to this area, and at least from Israel's point of view, I was the first in years. I really enjoyed my time in the village, and the time I spent in the village has been one of the most relaxing in a long, long time.

Ask, and the Jungle will Provide

It is widely promoted that the seeds of the Andean cultures lie in the jungle - and the concept of duality - the balance - the yin and yang if you prefer - is so applicable. While the forest can harm (insects, disease) it can also heal. The forest provides nourishment, but the forest floor is a massive pile of decaying plant matter.

I had a number of walks in the jungle, and Israel pointed out many of the plants that are used by the Indian communities for various purposes: from building material, to nourishment, to medicinal, to creating souvenirs. One of the amusing examples was a tree whose sap can be used to cure vaginal cancer (according to Israel, although I think he probably means cervical cancer, which I know is curable) which has branches shaped like penises ... rather apt in a way, one would think.

While the jungle does provide, more and more villages have created resorted to slash and burn to clear the forest and farm. While, in this part of Peru, they are still farming native plants that grow in the jungle, I wonder how sustainable this venture will be. I have also come to realise that living in the jungle entails living ecologically is a myth. Villagers take what they need - and sometimes this can be very wasteful. For example, one palm's edible portion is only the top part between the trunk and the leaves (which Israel described as jungle spaghetti). Thus to get that portion, an entire tree needs to be pulled down.

We went fishing one of the afternoons, and René managed to catch 6 fish for 4 different species, unfortunately no piranhas. Israel managed to catch 2 (cat fish, which were also caught by René) and I managed a grand total of 0 ...

Animal and Bird Life

Ironically, the most fertile time of the year for the fauna - the wet season (now) is also the worst season to go to the jungle to watch fauna. Because there is so much rain, animals do not have to come to the river looking for water. Furthermore, when it rains, the animals stay put - thus making it harder to find them. Both these factors together meant that I did not see much wildlife in the forest. I certainly did not expect to see the two big animals of the jungle, which are rare to spot anyway: the jaguar and the anaconda - but apart from monkeys, two snakes in the water I did not see animals in the jungle.

That said, I did see a lot of varieties of birds, and with the exception of the parrots and macaws, all them quite close (close being around 15m max from me) which helped since I did not have any binoculars. The Amazon is a bird watchers paradise, and sunrise and sunset makes it a very picturesque place for bird watching.

Camping

We spent two nights camping in the forest, and that was an experience in itself that I will not forget anytime soon - just the noise of birds chirping at sunset to insects and frogs through the night to the birds chirping at sunrise ... not quite an orchestra but close. The camping system was funky too - a hammock, surrounded by a hammock mosquito net, covered with a plastic sheet for rain protection. On the first day, there was a massive rain downpour, and I was quite amazed at how quickly Israel and René managed to start a fire with wet wood.

Mosquitoes and Ants

Not only is the wet season bad time for finding animals, it is also high season for mosquitoes. It is a good thing that I have been taking anti-malaria tablets and have had my yellow fever inoculation. It is said that prevention is better than cure - but I am wondering if there is any such thing as sure bet prevention of mosquito bites. You see, insect repellents (at least Tabard) simply does not work effectively. Firstly, there is the fact that it has to be really applied thickly to have any real effect. Secondly, after an hour or so of walking, and sweating it has all run off anyway, so it needs to be reapplied. Lastly, I noticed that it needs to stored at 25 degrees Celsius ... please find me a fucking area with insects where the temperature is below 25 degrees ... what were they thinking? I also have a hand sanitizer with a "natural" insect repellent which I can also testify does not really work. And for the record, Israel's jungle mosquito repellent also does not seem to have any long lasting effect.

Ants are a more interesting proposition. Israel claims that in his experience, he has never had anything similar to what we experienced. Simply put, we were attacked by ants - not the humans directly, but rather my mosquito net on the first night and Ren's t-shirt the next night. Ants have also more or less destroyed my rain jacket - which has served me well for a long time now - Cape Town rain and wind to snow in Hungary and Germany.

Concluding Thoughts

This was definitely one of the most interesting experiences I have ever had. Because it was a solo experience, it cost a lot, and on that front maybe it was not the best value for money - after all I did not see much wild life. But it was also a lot more than just an experience in the jungle, and for that maybe it was worth the expense. In the end, I had to cut my stay by effectively half a day - there was a boat from Pevas to Santa Rosa (at the border with Brazil and Columbia) on Wednesday, and the next boat would be on Saturday. Taking into account all the additional time for waiting around in both Pevas and then in Tabatinga (border town in Brazil) it was just not worth waiting around.

I am very much a city boy - and this trip has taught me, how much I depend on modern conveniences to survive. If civilisation were to destroy itself (not necessarily unrealistic IMO), surviving would be difficult for me. There is an interesting byline to this however ... I did manage to teach Ren on how to use the programmable features of his radio ... the manual was only in English, and was a horribly written manual at that ... I actually just played around with various combinations of buttons to work out how it worked :p

I would definitely recommend taking a jungle tour, and recommend Israel as a guide. If I do come back to Peru, I would like to do a longer jungle trip - only this time it would be in the summer. And hopefully, there will be someone else to share the burden of the costs ...

Iquitos and Beyond

Iquitos - one of the largest cities in the Amazon jungle, yet there are no road connections to any other major city in they world (there is a recent road to the town of Nalta near the official start of the Amazon). For once, the phrase "All roads lead to Rome" (or to Cusco) has no meaning. Even this far up the river, it is navigable by ocean going ships, although they do not usually come up this far.

Being a city on the banks of the Amazon, fish dominates the menu. And a quick walk through the old Belém market this morning, I was quite impressed with the variety and quantity of fish for sale. And like the rest of Peru, fresh fruit is also readily available, and quite cheap.

Because of its relative isolation, it is a bit more expensive when compared to some coastal towns, but not really that much more expensive. It is a vibrant town, and the setting for many expeditions to the jungle. And like most tourist trades, it caters mostly for the tourist: luxury and semi luxury lodges, speed boats, swimming pools ... some of the offers almost seem like theme parks.

After a lot of thinking, especially considering the considerable financial outlay, I have decided to go for a much more of a wild jungle trip. At this point, both Asher and Daniel have decided to press on to Brazil and make their way to Salvador. I have decided that instead of spending money on expensive dorm beds in Salvador (50 US $ a night, minimum 7 nights) to spend it on the jungle trip ... I will still make it to Brazil for the Carnaval, just not to a major Carnaval city.

The jungle trip, is in many ways roughing it. It will be just me, the guide (who speaks fairly good English) and his assistant, for 5 days in the Jungle, far from any luxury lodge. There will be camping on 2/3 nights and at least one night in an Indian village before, one night in a simple hotel before I get a boat for a day and half to the border. Like all nature expeditions, nothing is really guaranteed - but I have a fairly good chance of seeing animals in the wild and it should be an interesting experience.

I leave later today ... and if all things go well, I should be able to blog about my experiences in the jungle next week, from Brazil. Of all the things I have done on my trip, this is both the most terrifying and the most exciting ...

Yurimaguas to Iquitos

The Lonely Planet labels this part of my trip very much as "off the gringo trail". While Machu Picchu and the Incas have been very much a more recent fascination, sailing down the Amazon is an old dream ... and this is the start of what could be a very long trip down the river.

This is not a cruise trip down the river. Nor is it a speedboat down the river. In fact, much of the journey is not even on the actual Amazon ... which officially begins as a river much closer to Iquitos. It is a throwback to the stories of Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer - large cargo/passenger boats, slowly, almost drifting, down the river.

The Good Doctor

Asher and I arrived in Yurimaguas on a Sunday. Weekends are not really a great time to do anything in rural Peru - they seem to be all asleep. Regardless, the docks were somewhat busy, and there was a boat leaving for Iquitos at noon the following day (but we could stay overnight for free). We were in fact one of the first people that enquired about a ticket (and one of the only tourists). One of the earlier passengers was a retired British doctor, Tony, and his Peruvian girlfriend, and in many ways he has become a major figure in my trip in Peru.

Tony is an almost stereotypical cranky old man ... except for the fact that he is not really that old. He is 55, has been retired for 15 years, and runs a pro bono clinic in the jungle for 6 months of the year. The other 6 months of the year, he spends in the Canary Islands, and thus he speaks excellent Spanish. And for a man who is a doctor, and has apparently had 7 minor heart attacks and a heart bypass operation, takes numerous pills, he still chain smokes and drinks probably a lot more than he should. But as he correctly points out - for him, life is too short ... so he might as well live it the way he wants to.

In many ways, conversations with Tony is more of him ranting about some topic, and someone else listening. He is a bit paranoid, has a few too many conspiracy theories but is also knowledgeable in a lot of areas other than medicine. He worked as a forensic pathologist in the UK, and thus has lots of stories about crime and punishment. He has interests in photography, radio and apart from treating locals in the jungles, he is doing his own research into the medicines of the local shamans.

He has become a major figure, mainly because he has guided us, before the boat journey, during and even after in Iquitos. He does not really have to ... but he does and does not demand anything in return. Because he has been doing his volunteer work for over 5 years, he has a reputation which has helped us in return. He has definitely been one of the most interesting people I have come across during my trip so far.

Onboard

There are basically three types of accommodation on the boats (launcha in Peruvian terms): cabins (140 Soles), upper deck (120 Soles) and lower deck (60 Soles) hammocks. Being the cheapskates we are, we bunked down with the locals in the lower deck hammocks - and in many ways, I think this must be what a sardine locked away in a tin can feels like.

The food, which is included in the price was interesting ... well it was edible, and fairly good ... but hardly food for the gods. The cabins got a lot better food, but that is to be expected. Since Tony was traveling in a cabin, he offered to allow us to put our backpacks in there, thus reducing the need to keep a constant eye on our bags.

Having limited Spanish knowledge was definitely a disadvantage in terms of keeping ourselves from being bored ... that said, one of the Peruvian passengers was quite keen to improve his English and was also quite helpful in his own way. I also managed to get a game of Rummy (cards) going with two other passengers.

The only real negative part of the journey was that I managed to lose my towel ... which, if you follow the Hitchhikers Guide, is a disaster. It is not really I lost it, but it was stolen - and I was not the only one who had their towel stolen ... oh well ... it was a good towel though.

Last thoughts

It is only when you are on the river, that you realise how big it really is. For most of the journey, we were on the Marañon river, which only becomes the Amazon when it joins with the Ucayali River about 70 Km upstream from Iquitos. The river itself is very brown, a far cry from the clear mountain waters in the Andes that feed these rivers.

Since the boat sticks mainly to the middle of the river, it is not the best place for wildlife spotting. There are a lot of birds to be seen, although I cannot identify what I did see. But it is still an amazing experience to slowly drift down this massive river

Chachapoyas, Pedro Ruiz , Tarapoto and the road to Yurimaguas

We only stayed one night in Chachapoyas, and left Chachapoyas for Pedro Ruiz after our visit to Kuelap. There are no direct busses to Tarapoto, our next stop, and given road closures, it was best to leave at night. For a small town, I have spent more time in Pedro Ruiz than in larger, more well known towns, such as Nasca.

The intention was to take shared taxis (collectivos) all the way to Tarapoto, but we discovered that was a rather expensive option. So we took a chance, and bought a bus ticket from an "agent" for 28 Soles to Tarapoto. It turned out to be one of the best purchases - as we got effectively a first class seat (bed like seats) for the 7 hour trip.

Tarapoto, also known as the "City of Palms" is not much to write about. It is the first forray into the jungle - a welcome relief from the mountains into the heat and humidity of the jungle. After spending the night in the city, we took another collectivo to Yurimaguas - from where we were to take a boat down to the Amazon city of Iquitos.

The road between Tarapoto and Yurimaguas is still under construction, but once completed it will be one of the most spectacular roads in Peru, if not the world. Winding over the last remnants of the Andes, with some spectacular waterfalls (Cataratas de Ahuashiyacu) and some spectacular views of the jungle below. Right now though, the road is still muddy in large parts and quite difficult to drive through in places.

Kuelap

Off the beaten track, the reason I made the trek to Chachapoyas was to visit the Kuelap ruins. The Chachapoyas area was inhabited by a pre-Inca civilisation known as the Chachapoyans, of whom not much is known. Peru tourism authorities would like to make Chachapoyas the second Cusco - as there are a number of fascinating ruins around the city, with Kuelap being the principal attraction.

Again, not much is known about Kuelap - it is a fortress built on top of a mountain ridge, very much like Machu Picchu. Unlike Machu Picchu, it is not as dramatic - nor does there seem to be any complex geometry. However, unlike Machu Picchu, it does seem to be a more functional complex, and in many ways a lot more accessible. While the fortress is slowly being restored, it has its own charm being largely unrestored - with trees and vegetation covering much of the ruins, one feels a lot like Indiana Jones.

Kuelap was definitely worth all the trouble to get to Chachapoyas. It still has a cloak of mystery surrounding it, and the high walls of the fortress, untouched by earthquakes and time, give it a feel of solidity. Once restored it will look spectacular, but I just hope that it does not become the tourist money making machine that is Machu Picchu.

Asher and I visited Kuelap with a Peruvian, Gabriel and his Dutch girlfriend, Marije. This allowed us to pool together for a taxi, instead of relying on tour guides based in Chachapoyas. At the moment, this is probably the best way to explore Kuelap, although it is possible to get there by public transport from Chachapoyas.

Trujillo to Chachapoyas

There are two roads to Chachapoyas - the first is a really picturesque dirt road over some spectacular mountain passes and the other, is a mostly tarred road, over lower mountain passes, which is not as spectacular. Normally, the latter route can be done in about 14 hours by bus. The more scenic route, even though it is shorter in length can take over 2 days, and there are no direct buses. If I had the time, I would have taken the first route. If I could foretell the future, I would have also taken the first route.

Early in the morning, there was a rock slide which caused an accident on the road - a bus was "swept" away by the rocks into the valley below. People died, I am not sure what the casualties were. I don't know much about the accident except that I was lucky in not being in that bus, which was not far ahead of my own bus. I was asleep at the time, and only heard about the accident later. That was only the first delay.

The second, longer delay happened only an hour later, when another landslide completely blocked the road, coupled with a river that had burst its banks about 2 Km earlier. It took about 5 hours to clear the road, and quite amazingly the buses used a pedestrian bridge to cross the river ... which looked at times that it would collapse.

We then stopped in a town called Pedro Ruiz, not far from Chachapoyas, where we were told by the bus company, Movil Tours (rated very reputable by many in Peru) that we would only continue our journey in about 4 hours time. We weren't told of the reasons, but I assumed it had to do with driver fatigue etc. However 4 hours passed, and there was no sign of the drivers, and after almost 6 hours, the drivers pitch up. We then learnt that the road to Chachapoyas is closed in the morning for road works, and thus the delay. This off course infuriated all the passengers since the company had not actually informed anybody about this problem - and people could have found a lot of other things to do rather than sit around in the bus terminal.

That said, after a day of accidents and rockfalls, I was glad to reach my destination safely.

Trujillo

The original plan was not to stop at Trujillo at all - but rather take a bus to Chiclayo (2 hours north of Trujillo) and then take a bus to Chachapoyas. However, there was a direct bus from Trujillo, and thus we decided to change our plans.

Trujillo is one of the biggest cities in Peru, and is literally an oasis in the northern desert. It is quite picturesque, and with the remains of Chan Chan and the seaside town of Huanchaco close by, it is a rather nice destination. I think I should have spent a bit more time here ...

Chan Chan

Long before the Inca empire came into prominence, the Chimu empire dominated northern Peru since around 1100, and their capital was based in Chan Chan, a few minutes bus ride out of Trujillo. After the Incas conquered the Chimu, Chan Chan was apparently largely abandoned, and the desert around Trujillo started to take over.

Today, Chan Chan is slowly being restored, with the temple citadel at the heart of Chan Chan the closest to full restoration. Unlike the Andean civilisations, the Chimus used mud to build Chan Chan, and not stone. However, like their Andean counterparts, their buildings have also stood the test of countless earthquakes. There are a few other parts of Chan Chan that have been restored and open to the public. However, as we were leaving Trujillo that afternoon, we did not have time to visit the other places.

Huanchaco

Huanchaco is a small fishing town near Trujillo, my first stop after Huaraz. After arriving at 6am in Trujillo on an overnight bus from Huaraz, the three of us (Asher, Daniel and myself) decided to spend most of the day on the beach before taking the next bus out - around 2 pm for Daniel who was going to go straight to Tarapoto and then Iquitos and 3 pm for Asher and myself as we were going to make a short stopover in Chachapoyas before carrying on to Tarapoto and Iquitos. It is a picturesque town, but definitely nothing amazing. We met a surfer girl, Kath, from Sydney who was equally unimpressed by the beach. The best part of the day was definitely lunch - we had the "national" dish - ceviche (also spelled cebiche) which is raw fish marinated in lime juice ... a bit like pickled fish I suppose ... but really really tasty. We bought it in a small restaurant on the side streets of the town - which in the end was a great idea as, by the time we left, it was full of locals!

Reflections: Huaraz

In my original plan, Huaraz was supposed to be a one night stop-over at most - visit Chavin De Hauntar and then carry on. Instead, I ended up staying in the area for longer than any other area in Peru. As a base for hiking in the Andes it is superb, and although there are more attractions around the area that I did not visit - such as more ruins, lakes and thermal baths - I definitely had a great time here.

Although Huaraz is a pretty small town, it has an amazingly big market where one can buy everything from fresh fruit (with mangoes, avocados, bananas and oranges being the most prevalent) and vegetables to meat to clothing to pirate DVDs.

I stayed at Hostel Caroline - amazingly cheap deal at 10 Soles (just over 3 US $) per night for a dorm bed including breakfast and transport to and from the bus terminals. The hostel is quite big actually - 4 storeys high, and the owners live with their family at the hostel, making it a very friendly family atmosphere. It has definitely been one of the best hostels I have ever stayed in. I also managed to find two guys - Asher and Daniel (both from England) who are keen to go to Brazil for the carnival, via my mad idea of sailing down the Amazon. Let's see what happens ...