Most of our readers will already know that we love Peru, and that’s partly because the country has a wealth of differing territory to explore. We have enjoyed cosmopolitan cities and colonial gems, coastal deserts and the Andean highlands. In order to complete the picture, we had to be brave, channel our inner Indiana Jones and head into the Peruvian Amazon.

The city of Iquitos, nestled between the Amazon, Nanay and Itaya rivers is classed as one of the most remote cities on earth as it is impossible to reach it by road; quite simply there isn’t one, other than a small stretch between Iquitos and a nearby town called Nauta. Of course these days you can fly right in from Lima, so it doesn’t feel quite that unreachable unless you are approaching by water.

Iquitos has the air of a Wild West border town; one is immediately thrown into the hot and dusty gauntlet of crazy moto-taxis and shocked at the noise and the general state of disrepair. Iquitos is indeed a border town being near to the Brazilian and Columbian jungle borders, and as such there is a substantial army presence to counter smuggling, not least of all of narcotics.

Surprisingly Iquitos is full of expats and gringos and, as a result, has some really quite good natural and organic cafes. Its visitors flock to take trips into the jungle to experience the wealth of wildlife and tribal culture, or seek alternative medical treatment or enlightenment from Amazonian shamans.

Iquitos town is a ramshackle affair of decaying colonial buildings of the rubber boom era, with a Portuguese flair. Most activity centres around the Malecon Maldonado, the boardwalk by the river, where is it possible to find a moment of peace from the hectic streets. Of course you will still be pestered by street hawkers trying to sell you an alligator’s foot or some such nonsense! We enjoyed an exceptional cafe called Dawn on the Amazon where we could watch the passersby and enjoy the spectacle of a storm rolling in.

Apart from the decadent Malecon, the main attraction of Iquitos is Belen market. Belen is an area of the town where there is an impressive and sprawling outdoor market. We have experienced our fair share of markets during our journeys, but nothing can quite prepare you for Belen. This market makes Cusco’s San Pedro market look like Harrods.

It is said that you can buy absolutely anything there, including exotic animals, but we did not test this theory. It’s not for the weak stomached as it is lacking in hygiene and contains all sorts of exotic nasties like turtle meat and eggs and big grubs on sticks. There is also a whole aisle of “witches” supplies for those inclined to cure some malady or cast a spell on an unsuspecting person! Another jungle specialty to be found in the market are mapachos; hand rolled cigarettes and cigars made with Amazonian tobacco. Watching people prepare mapachos at lightning speed is definitely one of the highlights of the market.

Belen is split into two parts; Belen market is in upper Belen and it relatively safe to visit. It is not recommended to visit lower Belen and the shanty towns on the river without a tour guide. We had spoken to a fellow traveller and she had recommended Lito, a tour guide who lives in Belen (litobelenguide24@hotmail.com / Cel. 965894930). After a bit of searching and enquiring, we tracked him and his father down and set off on what was to be an interesting, albeit culturally challenging tour of the slum. We would highly recommend him to anyone interested in visiting the slums, he speaks good English and we always felt safe with him, if you are lucky he’ll even invite you to his house to meet his wife and daughter.

We were walked through the streets (and stares!) of lower Belen down to the river side where we were loaded into a canoe which launched from what can only be described as a rubbish dump. Our cruise was a short trip up and down the river to see the houses on stilts and also the floating houses of the settlement. The water was low when we were there so none of the houses were floating and we could not sail into the streets. In fact, locals call Belen the Venice of the Amazon!

We found the experience quite shocking as the conditions in which people were living were clearly challenging. Although our guide informed us that there was now a system of potable water in place, it was evident that the river was the central place for activities such as going to the bathroom, swimming, washing bodies and clothes and fishing, all within close proximity of each other. There is absolutely no doubt that if either of us fell in, we’d become walking bio-hazards, but the locals seemed to be getting along with things just fine.

On our way back from the river we inquired about the local spirit aguardiente and sure enough Lito took us to his friends’ ‘distillery’ where we were given a taste of both aguardiente and the famed seven roots drink. Despite the unknown hygiene conditions we did not want to upset Lito and the jovial ‘brewers’ and reluctantly gulped the sweet tasting liquor down…guess what, we lived to tell the tale! To our surprise, the owner of the shop spoke good English and was encouraging his young son to practice his English with us. It was quite telling to observe that people who lived in one of the poorest and most difficult places in the whole of South America spoke better English than college educated and well-read Europeans. Perhaps it is time we rethink the notion that these are undeveloped and uneducated people and that we are somewhat ‘better’ than them? At the end of the brewery ‘tour’ we asked the owner to sell us 10 Peruvian soles worth of aguardiente, we were expecting a dribble but he actually filled a whole bottle for us, way more than he should have. We did not feel comfortable enough to drink the spirit before we left town, but sure enough a worker in the hotel where we stayed did and he did not hesitate to accept the bottle as a gift!

It was also heart-warming to witness the kindness with which the locals treated us and the dignity with which they carried themselves despite living in the most extreme conditions that certainly we had seen. Despite everything, the locals were quite happy to receive nosey gringos wanting to peep at the slum, and they all seemed quite proud of their community and their simple life. A challenge to us westerners, who tend to equal comfort and material possessions to happiness and well-being.

Outside of Iquitos

Escaping Iquitos is relatively easy as there are numerous tour operators offering excursions into the jungle. We took a trip into the Pacaya-Samiria nature reserve of the Amazon jungle, which is down the Ucayali river, a couple of hours from the town of Nauta. We stayed at lodges whilst taking day trips on the rivers to visit local villages and look for animals.

If you like your creature comforts then this sort of trip won’t be for you! We spent a lot of time in uncomfy canoes and the accommodation was basic to say the least; there is no air con, no electricity, no hot water (not that you want it in the heat) and tonnes of bugs trying to bite you or come home in your luggage. Sure enough one of our rucksacks was hijacked by a swarm of fierce and bitey jungle ants for a few days, preventing us to go anywhere near it without being attacked. Luckily they left just before we were due back, but not after having devoured a whole packet of chewing gum! The brown river water is also used for washing in and in the toilets which can be a little weird to get used to!

The practical problems aside, we were able to enjoy visits to see monkeys, a sloth rescue house, a search for pink river dolphins (we saw them, but couldn’t get a selfie, sorry!) and other wildlife, especially birds, a visit to an animal rescue centre and butterfly farm, and a visit to a local village and craft market.

The local village was really a highlight as again we were able to see how people really live in the jungle. Their village is basic to say the least, but the community seemed so cheerful and pleased to see us and have the chance to sell some of their handicrafts made from reeds, gourds or jungle seeds. The kids were an absolute delight, being ever so polite and well-behaved, even when sweets were on offer. To see young children graciously accepting a small gift and the enjoying and savouring it slowly should be a lesson to us all as we blunder through life seeking immediate satisfaction.

There was also plenty of opportunity to relax in hammocks and watch the amazing sunsets and purple lighting striking in the clouds as well as bright stars when the skies were clear.

Overall these few weeks in the jungle were probably the most challenging we had had so far in our travels. From the extreme climate to the less than 5* facilities and the culture shock of extreme poverty, we just had to try to absorb the experience and try to learn from it. As our normal technology and amenity driven selves dissolved, we certainly learnt to live a little more simply, if only for a few days.