Peru - The Rough Guide to South America on a Budget - page 812

9

When the tide is high enough, ask around
to take a canoe out to look back at the area
from the water - a very special experience.
Puerto Belén has changed little over its
hundred years or so of life, remaining a
poor shanty settlement. While filming
Fitzcarraldo here, Werner Herzog merely
had to make sure that no motorized
canoes appeared on screen: virtually
everything else looks like an authentic
slum town of the nineteenth century.
he Mercado Belén (best in the
mornings from around 7am-1pm) is
one of Peru's finest markets - ask for
directions to Pasaje Paquito, the busy
herbalist alley, which synthesizes the very
rich flavour of the place. The whole area
is filthy, yet highly atmospheric and
somehow beautiful. Remember that this
is one of the poorest areas of the city, so
leave valuables at home, take no more
than S30-40 (in small denominations)
and do not buy any animals or animal
products from the market - it encourages
illegal poaching, and setting them free
may introduce disease into the forest.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
BY PLANE
Flights land at the Aeropuerto Internacional Francisco Secada
Vigneta, 8km southwest of town. LAN ( T 080 111 234),
Peruvian Airlines ( T 065 231 074) and Star Perú ( T 065 236
208) all have flights to Lima, some go via Tarapoto or Pucallpa
- from around US$90 one-way. Departure taxes are included
in the price of tickets. There are also flights to Caballo Cocha
near the three-way frontier (see box, p.821).

day of travel, while the speedboat companies have of ces
in town. On the Yurimaguas-Iquitos route, it's possible to
stop off in Lagunas or Nauta to find guides and tours to
Reserva Nacional Pacaya Samiria (see p.820). Prices should
include all meals.

DESTINATIONS
Lagunas and Yurimaguas : Motonaves Eduardo, at Puerto
Masusa, Punchana (2-3 days; daily at 6pm except Sun; from
S100; T 065 351 270, E [e-mail]).
Pucallpa : Motonaves Henry, at Puerto Henry, Punchana
(4-5 days; Mon, Wed & Fri at 6pm; from S100; T 065 263
948).
Santa Rosa (three-way border): departing from either
Puerto Pesquero or Puerto Masusa, at Av La Marina (2.5-3
days; daily at 6pm except Sun; from S60; T 065 250 440
or speak to tourist o ce); Golfinho, at Jr. Raimondi 378
( T 065 225 118), and Transtur, at Jr. Raimondi 384 ( T 065
221 356), both have rápidos to the border (8-10hr; daily
except Mon at 6am; S200).

BY BUS
The stop for Trans del Sur buses to Nauta is in Belén at the
corner of Jr. Prospero with Prolongación Libertad (hourly;
2hr; S8). Colectivos also go to Nauta from block 14 of Elias
Aguirre (cars leave when full; 1hr 40min; S10).

GETTING AROUND
By boat For any local journey on the river, head to Puerto
Bellavista Nanay, in the suburb of Bellavista. Take a motokar
( mototaxi ) (10min; S3-4). Canoes can be rented and you can
catch river colectivos to islands and other villages nearby.
By combi The majority of the unusual wooden combis
in Iquitos generally go one-way back and forth out of
the city to the airport (S1).
By taxi or motokar There are very few cars in Iquitos,
but motokars ( mototaxis ) can be taken everywhere. In
the city the most expensive ride would be to Bellavista
Nanay (S3-4). There are only a couple of taxi companies
that you have to pre-book; Fono Taxi Flores, at Calle Pevas
169 ( T 065 232 014), is reliable.

FROM THE AIRPORT INTO TOWN
Taxis (S15) and motokars ( mototaxis ) (S8) run to central
Iquitos. Taxi Aeropuerto is recommended by the tourist
board ( T 065 241 284).

BY BOAT
If you've come by boat from Yurimaguas, Pucallpa, Leticia or
Tabatinga, you'll arrive at Puerto Masusa, some eleven
blocks northeast of the Plaza de Armas. Local boats go from
Puerto Bellavista Nanay (see below). If you plan to travel by
boat, email the iPerú o ce (see opposite) as they can
provide detailed information in English. Your basic choices
are rápidos (speedboats) or motonaves/lanchas (slow cargo
boats), the former being more reliable and a lot faster,
and the latter calmer and cheaper, if a little unpredictable.
Tickets for lanchas can only be bought from the ports on the

JUNGLE FIESTA
At the end of June (supposedly June 24,
but actually spread over three or four
days), the main Fiesta de San Juan takes
place across the Peruvian jungle. It is
believed that, on this date, Saint John
blesses all local rivers; locals flock to bathe
in them to bring good luck for the year to
come. In Iquitos, dancing, parades and
a feast mark the festival.