IQUITOS - Portal to the Amazon - by Cliff Tulpa

IQUITOS

IQUITOS Portal to the Amazon Cliff Tulpa

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First Edition 2014

ISBN : Hardcover 978-0-692-21512-8

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Copyright © 2014 Cliff Tulpa

Cliff Tulpa

Author / Photographer

Adventurer, Explorer, Expedition Leader, Photographer and Videographer, Cliff Tulpa has traveled the world through 40 different countries on 6 continents from the highest mountains, to the coldest frozen Arctic, to the hottest and driest desserts to the flooded tropical rainforests of the Amazon and Africa. Leading expeditions into the most remote places on earth to film and to host the award winning television series, Cliff’s Wild Outdoor Adventures.

Cliff’s love of wild places allowed him to film and photograph the wild animals and the local native indigenous people with their cultures and lifestyles for more than 20 years. Those extensive international expeditions, sometimes several months in duration, have included:

 traveling by dogsled with the native Inuit across the frozen Arctic Ocean and Arctic Islands filming Polar Bears and Muskox

 trekking into the Outback of Australia

 climbing in the high altitude air-less “roof of the world” of the Pamir Mountains in Tajikistan to film Marco Polo Argali, Ibex and snow leopard;

 climbing the vertical Caucuses Mountains of southern Russia to film Tur;

 the north and south islands of New Zealand filming Tahr, Chamois and Red Deer

 South Pacific island nation of New Caledonia to film Java Rusa Deer;

 filming giant Alaska Brown Bears in the falling ash as Mt. Shishaldin Volcano erupted on Unimak Island;

 horseback and climbing throughout the northern Canadian Rocky Mountains of British Columbia filming Stone Sheep, Mt. Caribou, Moose and Mt. Goats;

 living with the nomadic Kazak people in the Altai Mountains of far western Mongolia filming Altai Argali Sheep and Ibex;

 climbing and walking the Great Wall of China;

 filming Desert Bighorn Sheep in the Grand Canyon of Arizona while living with the Hualapai Indians;

 trekking into the Andes Mountains of Patagonia in Argentina to film Red Deer;

 completing 26 lengthy safari expeditions to Africa, Cliff has worked extensively with wildlife conservation programs and anti-poaching in many different African countries including Cameroon, Central African Republic, Uganda, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Botswana, Namibia, Mauritius and South Africa.

Most recently, Cliff has been filming and photographing in the Amazon Jungle, its people, their customs and traditions based out of Iquitos, Peru. Cliff has lived with the indigenous natives in the Amazon, learning and adapting to their jungle lifestyle of hunting, fishing and gathering the jungle fruits and plants.

After 5 years of intense immersion within

this Amazon Jungle culture, Cliff has written “IQUITOS -Portal to the Amazon” and shares his insights of this unique native culture along with many of his photographs.

Cliff adds, “This is the real Iquitos, the way it is now with its people and culture. It is not filtered like tourist books.”

When often asked, “why Iquitos”?

Cliff responds, “because it is the most wild place left on earth” .

5 A young Iquitos woman with a symbol of the Amazon Jungle

a

She is holding a small Green Anaconda of about 10 feet. A large adult female Anaconda can grow to over 30 feet and weigh over 600 pounds. Anacondas, the world’s largest snake, are constrictors and non-poisonous.

6-7 Common method of transport is by use of “peki-peki” - A large wooden canoe with an 8hp to 15hp motor. The propeller is on a long drive shaft for use in shallow water.

8 top Author Cliff Tulpa on the Amazon River onboard his speedboat, the Maranatha I.

9 top Cliff Tulpa visits with the native children in an Amazon Jungle village along one of the many rivers he has traveled to film and photograph.

9 bottom On one of his expeditions of several months, using small dugout canoes, Cliff Tulpa journeys deep into the flooded Amazon Jungle.

Front Cover: top Balsa raft brings bananas down the Amazon to Iquitos. left Peki peki on a river in Iquitos right Casa Fierro the Iron House by Gustave Eifel at the Plaza de Armas, Iquitos

Back Cover: “Boora Snake Dancer” Artwork by Iquitos Artist, David (Slocum) Hewson.

2-3 Photo of Iquitos from space taken by astronaut. The Amazon River, at bottom and golden brown color as it is full of silt from draining the Amazon basin. Image courtesy of the Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center.

Rainforest,

Green Anaconda.

Text

Cliff Tulpa

Photography

Cliff Tulpa

Artwork

David (Slocum) Hewson

Anderson Debernardi

Contributors

David (Slocum) Hewson

Plant Medicine

Dr. Richard Bodmer

Indigenous and Maritime Museums

Dr. Patch Adams Belen Clown Project

10-11 Native hunter travels by canoe with dogs through the jungle in search of animals such as capybara, majas, monkeys, deer, peccaries, rats, ducks and birds.

12-13 Traditional houses in villages along the rivers are built on poles to stay dry, as the water levels of the rivers rise and fall throughout the year.

14-15 Street scene from Punchana, a neighborhood in the northern part of Iquitos. Although mostly a poor neighborhood, Punchana is a busy and fast growing area of Iquitos with many new stores and houses.

16 opposite Living with the rivers, young children learn at an early age how to use and navigate their wooden dugout canoes. Lifestyle is controlled by the river water levels and annual flooding of the Amazon, Nanay and Itaya Rivers .

17 left Floating houses called “balsas” (rafts) - of the neighborhood of Belen. Lower Belen is usually flooded for several months annually. The use of floating houses prevents them from flooding and allows them to use their houses year-round.

18 next - map - Iquitos (red circle) is isolated and located in the northeast part of Peru, deep in the Amazon Jungle Rainforest and on the bank of the great Amazon River.

Introduction

Founded as a village of Iquitos Indians in the 1750’s by Jesuit missionaries, Iquitos is a wild frontier city and a major gateway or Portal to the Amazon Jungle Rainforest. Getting to Iquitos is either by airplane, or several days journey by boat. It is the largest city with no roads connecting it to the outside world.

Situated at the confluence of three rivers, the Amazon River, the Nanay River and the Itaya River, Iquitos is an important shipping port and is the center of trade for the upper Amazon region of Peru. The borders with Columbia and Brazil are just a short distance down the Amazon River from Iquitos. Large commercial shipping vessels can reach Iquitos by traveling up the Amazon River through Brazil from the Atlantic Ocean. It takes about 23 days by boat to make the 2,300 mile journey from the Atlantic Ocean to Iquitos.

With a population approaching 500,000, this frontier city on the edge of civilization is home to a mixture of several tribes of indigenous native Indians of the Amazon Jungle and adventurous foreigners (extranjeros). Some of these extranjeros come to Iquitos looking for a more natural lifestyle, some looking for a more basic life, some to leave a past life behind and start fresh, some lured by the natural plant medicines, natural hallucinogenic drugs, and some trying their hand at the many opportunities available from extracting the rich natural resources of wood, oil, gold, rubber, minerals, animals and plants of the Amazon region.

At the turn of the century in 1900, Iquitos was a bustling business center with about 9,000 inhabitants. It was the days of the rubber boom and the wealthy Rubber Barons

that exploited that wonderful natural resource. They created and brought great wealth into Iquitos and built outstanding buildings with fine architecture. Marble and other building supplies were shipped and imported from Europe. The famous French architect Gustave Eiffel built the Casa de Fierro (Iron House) and it was purchased and moved from France to Iquitos by one of the Rubber Barons. It is situated across from the Plaza de Armas. Baroque and Rococo style was brought in along with architecture styles from Spain, Portugal, Germany and France. Most of these fine buildings are still standing today and are a vital part of Iquitos charm, culture and attraction.

The days of the rubber barons are gone. However, now is the time for the Oil Barons, Wood Barons, Gold Miners, Pharmaceuticals and others extracting the natural resources from the Amazon basin and making fortunes.

Iquitos is now also a major Amazon tourist destination. Over 250,000 tourists are estimated to have visited Iquitos in 2012. Since the Amazon River being named as one of the 7 Natural Wonders of the World in 2012, tourism has flourished and is expected to continue to increase.

New hotels, restaurants, nightclubs and shops have opened. Direct International flights are available. Many new Jungle Lodges have been built along the rivers just outside the city. Iquitos is growing and changing, but for now it is still wild.

“IQUITOS - Portal to the Amazon” will take you on a photo tour and explore the attractions and the charm of Iquitos.

People of Iquitos

The Iquitos natives were here before the City of Iquitos was established. Now Iquitos is a mix of natives from the Amazon basin including the Cocama-Cocamilla, Boras, Yaguas, Huitotos, Shipibos, Urarinas, Matses, Achuars, Jeberos and several more tribes, along with extranjeros (foreigners) and mestizos (children of mixed Indian natives and extranjeros).

As the largest gateway market to the Peruvian Amazon Jungle, Iquitos draws many indigenous natives from the remote Amazon Jungle villages. They journey for days by “balsa” rafts, “pekipeki”, by canoes or they may get passage on a “lancha” river boat ferry. By whatever means they have, they come to Iquitos to trade, to sell, to buy, and to work making Iquitos their home, even if only for a temporary time.

Most will return to their jungle villages with

new clothes, machetes, boots, stereos, metal pots and pans, salt, spices and other staples they buy. Some will return pregnant with a new baby from a quick romance in Iquitos.

Many of these natives don’t return to their jungle villages and try to make Iquitos their permanent home. Iquitos is filled with jungle natives that are trying to make it in a very different world where they need money to survive.

Voting in Peru is mandatory by law. Thousands of remote jungle natives must endure the journey to Iquitos to vote in the elections or face criminal fines and penalties.

All citizens of Peru are required to register with the government and are issued a government tracking number and national identification card called DNI with photo and fingerprint. Many natives from the jungle do not have a DNI.

22 opposite - The inside of a “lancha” ferry boat shows the need for a hammock for the many days and nights of river travel to get to Iquitos.

23 bottom right - The chief of a native village travels with his wife by peki-peki to harvest “plátanos” bananas, papayas and other tropical jungle fruits. Some will be sold at the market.

23 top Using a “balsa” raft to float down the Amazon River with a load of Bananas to sell in Iquitos. This treacherous journey takes many days and they use plastic tarp as tents to keep dry.

28 top Small monkeys taken from the jungle are favorite pets for the children of the Amazon Jungle villages.

28 left A young boy plays in the street in front of his home. Even though Iquitos is in the tropics and very near to the equator, sometimes it can get cold. The locals use whatever extra clothing or hats they can find on those days. Most young children don’t have or wear shoes.

29 opposite The many years of hard work supporting a family and life in the Amazon Jungle can be seen on the concerned face of this respected local man.

The people make Iquitos a special place. The friendly people are the biggest attraction of Iquitos. They welcome tourists and foreigners with a smile and greeting. They are very open and friendly people.

The streets are safe and clean. Violent crime is rare. However, like any city, there are plenty of street hustlers, cons and beggars. Street markets hold pickpockets and petty thieves, so take extra care about your money, camera and possessions when visiting the many open air street markets of Iquitos.

There are also many “bricheras” (hookers and con-artists) with elaborate con-games waiting for the opportunity to trap an extranjero to get his money, or to pay their way or buy things for them. So take extra care when an overly friendly local wants to show you the city, or has a special deal you need to know about, or would really love it if you were to buy some clothes, shoes or whatever, or invites the family to have dinner and drinks with you and has you pay, or says is very hungry and asks you to buy dinner, then doesn't eat it, and takes it home for family.

30 top Every night, Iquitos is filled with people cooking over “carbon” (charcoal). The alluring scent of the “asado” bar-b-que in the air drifts through the streets and draws you in.

Here on the streets with the many “asado” vendors you can get some of the best tasting food in Iquitos!

30 bottom There are no shopping malls in Iquitos. Small family owned shops are the normal stores in Iquitos.

Here a family-owned hardware store in a Punchana neighborhood also sells parts, oil and grease to service the multitude of motorcycles and the three wheeled motocarros.

Visiting Iquitos is like taking stepping back in time. To a time when families stayed together visiting on the front porch and sidewalks with their neighbors. Iquitos families enjoy taking daily walks in the neighborhood to meet and talk with their friends about current events and things happening in and around the area.

On weekends, the men will normally tell stories, jokes and lies, play cards and drink beer all day. The women will gossip and cook, preparing some special dish for the family. The whole time the stereo blasts out cumbia music at such high levels it’s difficult to hear anybody talking! As a result, the people talk very loud.

The people of Iquitos love to get out. Day and night you find people filling the streets, shops and parks. They will go to watch football

(soccer), to the markets, to the cinema, and to the parks, plazas or Boulevard. And they love to dance.

Every Thursday through Sunday huge outdoor dance halls with live bands such as Explosión or Ilusión are playing Peruvian cumbia, salsa and other music styles to thousands of people of all ages dancing and gyrating wildly. A very provocative and sexy dance style.

The population census also shows far more women than men. You have probably never seen so many young people smiling and laughing, ready to dance, play, and flirt for fun.

Every holiday is celebrated and there are a lot of parades and parties. Iquitos loves to party and it is evident with many festivals and celebrations throughout the year.

31 top The people cook “asado” or bar-b-que everyday on the streets and in open air markets. It is actually a social time for them to talk about current events, politics and gossip. The traditional way of cooking fish is in bijou leaves. The bijou leaves give the fish a unique and delicious flavor. Sabalo, Corvina, Doncella, Paiche, Paco or Gamitana, Boca Chico, and many of the catfish species are the local fish favorites. Also on the “asado” here is “lagarto” (caiman), chicken, chorizo sausage and “cecina” (red colored dried pork jerky)

Many of the visiting foreigners “extranjeros” find the flirting of the young friendly native women of Iquitos very attractive and easily fall in love.

There are old and deep rooted superstitions and legends of the beautiful women of the Amazon River or “sirens” that capture the hearts of the extranjeros, then never leave Iquitos.

The children of a mixture of these indigenous natives and extranjeros are called “mestizos”.

This has been happening for hundreds of years, since the Spanish Conquistadors fell in love with the beautiful native women, then followed years later by the extranjeros of Europe during the rubber boom, and continuing today with the extranjeros that visit or come to work in Iquitos.

Some extranjeros never leave Iquitos as they become enchanted and captured by their new “jungle love”.

The young women (chicas) of Iquitos are friendly, talkative and approachable. Since they are so outwardly friendly, sometimes tourists mistake their smiles as personal flirting to show interest, but really it is just their custom here in Iquitos and they just love to smile, laugh and dance.

34 - 35

39 top Overlooking the Plaza de Armas, one of the most famous buildings in Iquitos is the Casa de Fierro or “Iron House”. Designed by famous French architect, Gustave Eiffel. It was shipped from France to Iquitos and reassembled in 1890 duringtheRubberBoom era.

38 opposite Also overlooking the Plaza de Armas is the clock and bell tower of the Catholic church “San Juan Bautista Church, or “Iglesia Matriz”. The church, built in 1919 is listedasan historicsite.

39 right Many elegant mansions were built during the Rubber Boom. Faced with painted tiles “azulejos” from Portugal, is the former Palace Hotel, built between 1908 - 1912 on the corner of the Malecon Tarapacá andPutumayo.

The commerce center of the Amazon region is the Belen Market. One of the largest open air markets and largest in the Amazon, the native villagers bring their products to trade and sell.

You will find tobacco and toe’; rice; fish of all kinds from the Amazon rivers and lakes: paiche or arapaima, sabalo, doncella, corvina, paco or gamitana, sardines, ractacara, tucunare or peacock bass, carachama, boca chico, arawana, jacunda, payara and piranha; vegetables, yuka

Belen Market

or cassava; jungle fruits; chicken - both domestic raised and wild from the jungle; wild bush meat (some illegal) from caiman or lagarto, peccaries, red brocket deer, turtles and turtle eggs, monkeys, majas and armadillo; bananas, jungle honey, spices, oils, coconuts, aguajes, peanuts, beans, sacha inchi and other medicinal plants, roots and potions; clothing and house supplies.

Almost everything available in Iquitos can be found in the Belen Market.

78-79 Fresh Fish in the upper Belen Market. Some of the popular fish here are tucunare (peacock bass), paco, gamitana, corvina, sabalo and boca chico.

80 top Almost all items needed by the native villagers can be found in the Belen market including clothing, shoes and housewares.

80 bottom At one of the main entrances to the Belen Market are many vendors of juanes (rice wrapped in bijou leaves) and tropical fruit juices.

81 top Fresh fish is cooked on the bar-b-que in Belen Market. Here they are cooking carachama, boca chico on bijou leaves, and sweet ripe bananas (maduros). Tell them which one you want and take a seat for lunch!

81 bottom A very tasty and popular fish is the carachama. Almost prehistoric looking with hard bony exterior scales, fresh carachama with the eggs is a local delicacy. Chili Cano is a favorite soup made from carachama, onions and cilantro. Usually for breakfast, so you need to get to the market very early!

82-83 next pages Many illegal sales in the market tropical birds, bush meat of brockett deer and other jungle animals. Also protected turtle eggs.

In and Around Iquitos Beaches

With the many rivers and lakes, Iquitos has several beaches close by that the people enjoy. Most famous and very busy on the weekends are the beaches at El Tunchi Beach - Quistococha, the beach at Pampachica on the Nanay River, and the beaches at Santo Tomas on the Nanay River

Young, old and entire families enjoy going to the beach with the refreshing waters to help cool off on a hot tropical Iquitos day.

101 top A young Iquitos mother takes her family to the El Tunchi Beach at Quistococha.

100 opposite Pretty Iquitos girl enjoys her weekend playing at El Tunchi beach in Quistococha.

101 bottom Two young “chicas” go for a swim after playing in the sand at a Napo River beach.

In and Around Iquitos

Quistococha Zoo

and Tunchi Beach

102 top The Jaguar or “tigre” or “otorongo” as he is called locally, is the largest cat predator in the western hemisphere. With powerful jaws and a strong swimmer, he rules thejungle.

102 bottom left El Tunchi Beach - clean sand, warm bathing water, good food and cold beer. Tables with leaf roof to shade from the hottropicalsun.

102 bottom right - Tapir or “sachavaca” one of the largest mammals in the jungle. Very elusive, rare toseeonein thewild.

103 top right The scarlet macaw or “guacamayo” is a colorful bird of the jungle. Some people have themaspets.

103 bottom left El Tunchi Beach at Quistococha is a favoritefor families.

Iquitos Dining Jungle Cuisine

130 bottom Piranha are a delicious fresh fish in the Amazon Jungle. There are many varieties: White, Black and Red are common.

130 top A Blue and Gold Macaw (Guacamayo) watches closely from his perch.

131 top Jungle camp cook prepares a monkey for lunch. First burning off the hair and scraping the skin clean, then BBQ or in a stew with yuka (also spelled yuca).

131 bottom Native jungle guide prepares a fresh catch of lagarto (caiman). This size are delicious and a food staple in the jungle hunting camps of the natives. Usually the tail is cut into very thin fillets, and pan fried. The remaining parts are cooked over the BBQ.

The markets in Iquitos are filled with the many different tropical fruits from the jungle. Visitors to the markets see all the fruits and wonder what they are. So here is a reference for your next trip to the market. As with most natural fruits, some of these have seasons and you may not find them all at the same time.

Some of the fruits are eaten, some are used to make the sweet refresco drinks that you find in

the Iquitos restaurants and in the street markets. Maracuya (passion fruit), camu camu, cocona and carombola are the most popular.

More of the fruits are starting to be sold and shipped internationally, like the antioxidant rich Camu Camu, with one of the highest vitamin C content (up to 60 times more than orange juice). Camu Camu can be eaten raw although a bit tart. Best in a refresco!

Cacao (also page 138)

Arasa - Guayaba Brasilera

Macambo

Uvos

Coconut

Taperiba

Cidra

Tumbo

Shimbillo

The most popular fruit for the locals is the aguaje that comes from the aguaje palm that grows in the flooded jungle. Most locals in Iquitos eat the aguaje fruit and many believe they are addicted to it and have to have it every day. You will see aguaje stands where they peel the aguajes and sell them in little plastic bags normally with some salt. Depending on the time of year, they are usually 5 or 6 for one sole (about 30 cents). The aguajes are a great antioxidant

and one of the best natural sources of beta carotene Vitamin A (reported at 20 times more than carrots) as well as vitamins C, E and minerals. Aguajes also contain phytoestrogen. Because of the phytoestrogen, many believe this fruit to cause curves in women for larger butts and larger breasts and make them more fertile.

The most favorite fruit drink in Iquitos is Aguajina, made from the aguajes. Enjoy trying some of the great fruits and drinks of the jungle!

Guayaba

Lucuma

Carambola - Star Fruit

Guava

Mandarina

Maranon - Cashew

Guanabana Huito

Caimito (also page 141)

Jungle Tours & Wildlife

Green Anaconda

150 top and left This is the largest male Green Anaconda measured in the wild. This Anaconda (Eunectes murinus) measured 20 feet, 10.5 inches long from nose to tip of tail (6.4 meters). This is a male, females will grow much larger.

There are numerous reports of large Anacondas of 10 meters or more, however, so far they are just exaggerated stories and none proven or actually measured. Over the years, many of the Anacondas that the villagers have told me are 10 meters or more, actually turned out to be 5 to 6 meters. So far in the wild, none have been measured over 10 meters and claims of that size are only rumors. If you were in a 3 meter canoe and saw a 6 meter Anaconda, you would think it was over 10 meters!

151 top Notice the multiple teeth all angled back allowing only one direction when holding prey - inside the snake!

160 opposite “Mitologias Amazonicas” - visionary art by Anderson

Debernardi

Myths and Superstitions

MYTHS - MITOS

As the native people of the jungle in their tribal villages try to understand their surroundings, and things that happen they cannot understand or explain, it is normal for them to create stories, myths and superstitions to use as explanations. Most of these myths and superstitions are related to the jungle and the animals they encounter on a daily basis there.

Some myths were created and repeated time and again to keep children afraid and not to wander off alone into the jungle. Some legends are perpetuated and used by parents to try to control the sexual urges of their growing children. And some myths are ways to explain the

Pachamama

Pachamama is the goddess of nature or mother earth. She is the goddess of harvest and fertility. After receiving sacrifices, she is considered benevolent and giving.

Many rituals are performed with offerings to Pachamama. Some of the older rituals involved sacrificing animals, although today most are providing a plate of food.

The worship of Pachamama is to preserve the nature and the Amazon rainforest for sustainable use practices by the native indigenous people. The purpose is to live in harmony with the natural world.

There has been an increase in awareness of the need for balance with nature and mother earth with the increasing extraction of oil, gold, wood and other natural resources from the Amazon Jungle.

fear created of living in a jungle where most of the animal life is nocturnal and to explain what goes bump in the night…

For millennia, before the present day churches and missionaries brought their recent new religions to the natives, they had their own gods, beliefs and religions. Most of the native religions were based on the life of interaction with the natural world around them. Myths and legends were their way to pass on these beliefs to future generations. Their gods and religions are based on the natural plants and natural order of life in the jungle.

161 above - “Pachamama” - visionary art by David „Slocum‟ Hewson

Shamans and Healing

Ayahuasca Ceremonies

Contribution by David ‘Slocum’ Hewson of Amaru Spirit

Ayahuasca comes from a native Quechua word “aja-waska’ meaning literally “spirit vine” or “vine of the soul”. Ayahuasca ceremonies have been used for thousands of years by indigenous groups in the Amazon regions spanning Peru, Colombia, Ecuador and Brazil for healing, insight and spiritual cleansing. Ayahuasca is an extraordinary healing force, perhaps the most powerful in the world.

Ayahuasca, the highly hallucinogenic, psychedelic concoction brewed from the Banisteriopsis caapi vine with other plants containing DMT (Dimethyltryptamine) such as Chacruna, is producing tremendous tourism to the Peruvian Amazon.

People of all ages and backgrounds are taking a journey to Iquitos and nearby specialized healing centers deep in the jungle to experience the magical healing powers of the Ayahuasca, vine of the soul.

Ayahuasca claims include the ability to cleanse the body physically and make it stronger, healthier and more resistant to disease. Ayahuasca can also make us aware of our addictions and unhealthy emotional patterns so we gain insight and the ability to choose differently in how we do our life and relationships.

For many people, the use of Ayahuasca is a deeply spiritual experience.

Iniciacion Shamanica - by Anderson Debernardi

I hope you have enjoyed IQUITOS - Portal to the Amazon as much as I have in putting it all together.

This project began as an idea to share a snapshot in time of this rapidly evolving part of the world. As an explorer and adventurer, I love the wild places and the people that I meet along the way in my journeys. It is the different cultures of these native people and their traditions for adaptation to their local environment that makes each place unique and special.

The jungle is rapidly changing as the indigenous natives move away from their homes along the great rivers and tributaries to give up their hunting - gathering lifestyle in order to live in the city. Jungle life is not easy. It is hard work to depend on yourself everyday by hunting for food, obtaining or creating shelter, defense and protection, self medicine for health, as well as trying to raise families in a communal village.

The awe and impression of the new world life of the city is exciting and alluring to the people of the jungle. They have hope for a better and easier life for their families. However, most find the transition difficult or impossible as they do not have the education or skills to live in the modern civilized world. Many become an ever growing part of extreme poverty, living in shanty -town slum neighborhoods. Losing their proud and independent life where the jungle provides everything they need, and become dependent on the need for money to survive. Just as most people from the city would not be able to survive in the jungle, the natives from the jungle find it equally difficult to make a life in the city.

So the jungle, its people and Iquitos will continue to change. The Iquitos you see here in these pages will not last long. If you are in Iquitos now, or are able to get here soon, please enjoy this magical and unique city with it’s wonderful friendly people. Iquitos and the Amazon Jungle, the last great wild place left on earth.

If you are dreaming of visiting and experiencing the wonders of the Amazon Jungle, I believe the best place to start is here in Iquitos, Portal to the Amazon.

Wishing you the best on your journeys,

Cliff Tulpa Iquitos, 2014