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 Leaving Lima on 1/23/05 for 719 mile flight northeast to Iquitos. Iquitos (population about 350,000) may be the world's largest city that cannot be reached by road. In January, Iquitos is uncomfortably warm and humid.  This Siemens CT scanner, in the Ana Stahl Medical Clinic in Iquitos, serves a large populace and is relatively state-of-the-art in this locale.  The kitchen staff at the Clinic graciously served our group a delectable lunch.  Boarding power boats for a tour of the Amazon.  Powered by outboard motors, the boats move along at a lively pace. Note the water color (the Amazon moves considerable earth/soil). The Amazon is the world's largest (not longest) river, carrying an estimated 20% of the world's freshwater.  The Belen District. Many houses here built on rafts. Most of the year they float. During low water season (June-November), they often sit on mud, can attract disease-carrying mosquitoes. Most of the group took anti-malaria prophylactic medication.  Some river bank houses are built on stilts, in an attempt to ensure floors remain over waterline. From season to season, the Amazon's rise and fall may be as much as 50 feet.  Off the main Amazon River, one of many inlets, where tourboats docked to allow group interaction with native villagers. Photographing indigenous people can be problematic. Many prefer not being photographed. Those that don't mind often understandably want money. In that event, the photos are usually posed. Nonposed photos (my preference) are hard to come by, and require patience - and luck. PREVIOUS | NEXT Back to Photos Page Site Map |