Iquitos

Hey hey were the Monkees!
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We flew out of Cusco the morning after getting back from the trek, so when we arrived in Iquitos the first port of call was the local clinic for an x ray. They confirmed my suspiscions that I have indeed broken my nose (again)! Donations for nose job gratefully recieved!

Iquitos is a bit of a let down...despite the fact it is in the middle of the Amazon and can only be reached by boat or plane it is one of the noisiest and fume ridden places we have been. There are hundreds of motor taxi´s that create most of the noise and fumes and the buildings that were once beautiful are decaying. An Urban jungle!

An urban jungle?

The hungriest catapillar.
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I have been feeling a bit miserable the past couple of days because my head looks like a beach ball and it hurts more now! I cheered up today though because the swelling is improving a lot and we went on a fantastic excursion (self propelled) to the Butterfly Farm.

We took a motor taxi, then a river boat on the Amazon, then walked fifteen minutes through a lovely little town on the banks of the river to reach the paradise animal hideaway, Pilputinwasi.

We were greeted by the owner, a very dedicated woman (possibly dutch), who had moved to Peru 20 odd years ago. She set up the butterfly farm in 1995 but it has turned into much more than that.

Sunday dinner. Amazonian BBQ fish with a view of someones floating house.
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She has rescued many animals; very friendly monkeys that sit on your head or shoulders grooming you and wee down your back when they REALLY like you!! A Jaguar, an anteater, turtles, caiman, parrots and of course a large butterfly enclosure.

It was amazing being so close to the monkeys...nose to nose literally. You could look at them in so much detail. One of them had been trained to steal and was very adept in pickpocketing, quickly stealing some boiled sweets out of my pocket!

People say we Monkee around!
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We reluctantly left at closing time and took the river taxi back to Bellavista Port and sat, over looking the Amazon having our tea of whole barbequed fish and banana washed down with an Inca Kola...delicious. A perfect day!