Iquitos: the world's largest city that cannot be reached by road

We settled into Iquitos easily. We had a pool at our hostel, good restaurants nearby, and friends from the boat with us. Plus, because of a brilliant idea of Arturo's, we also had a flight home already bought and paid for. So, we booked our trip into the Jungle and relaxed in Iquitos for several days before we left. This included a barbecue (yes, Arturo arranged this and cooked), some delicious meals out, and sightseeing around Iquitos.


One of the most amazing things about Iquitos - that I kept repeating over and over - was that there is no road access to the city. There are almost half a million people living there, huge RVs, public buses, stores filled with everything you could need or want and there is no road access. Everything in Iquitos comes in an airplane or by boat. It is unbelievable.

BELÉN
One of the most famous markets and areas is Belén. The market is amazing. Not only is it enormous, but they sell anything and everything you can think of. Some of it was wonderful to see, while other things - like the rare or extinct animals for sale as pets or food - was difficult to take in.

The rest of this floating shantytown is referred to by locals as the "Venice of the Amazon," but this only refers to the fact that most of the town is surrounded by water. In fact, this is where the similarity with Venice ends. Belén consists of huts built on rafts which rise and fall with the river and the rainy season. At the recommendation of many people, including the local police, we hired some boat drivers to safely take us through the community where several thousand people live.

The tiny little shack directly on the river is a bathroom, more evidence of incredible pollution to the river, along with a photo of an average house with the Peruvian flag hanging proudly.

During the 28th of July, the Fiestas Patrias, Peruvian Independence Day, it is a law that everyone must hang the national flag. Obviously, this isn't a law that is enforced in the sense that police are going around giving ticket to those with no flags. Still, the people of Belén, a community of shacks which the government has done so little for, proudly hang their flags throughout the town. Something we found amazing.

LA PLAYA ZOO

Before we left for our trip into the jungle, we went to a local zoo to see some of the animals. We hoped to see a lot of animals on our trip, but you never know....


We saw a fresh water dolphin, various birds, alligators, turtles, monkeys and other animals I have never heard of before.


Part of the zoo - and the reason for its name - includes a beach. For a 4 soles entrance fee (less than US$2), there were countless animals and a beautiful, fun beach where people could swim, play beach volleyball, and picnic.