Taking A Slow Boat Through The Amazon

I took two boats while in the Peruvian Amazon; the Eduardo I from Yurimaguas to Iquitos and the Henry VI from Iquitos to Pucallpa. Here are a few things I learned from my experiences that might help you if you are looking at doing the same.

About The Boat And Routines

The passenger decks are clear floors with benches against the sides and usually a table near the kitchen. There are rails to hang hammocks from and toilet/shower cubicles in the back. Sometimes there is a tv or music over the speakers. Cabins with bunks are available for your comfort and security, though the inflated prices makes them hardly worth it since they are often hot, cramped and the food served is the same as the hammock-sleepers.

The food is simple and sometimes not very appetizing. Breakfast is sweetened watery semolina and bread (getting staler each day), and if you're lucky you get butter on it. If you're really lucky, you get a thin bit of luncheon meat too. Lunch and dinner is white rice, a boiled plantain or yucca, and a piece of meat in a watery sauce. The Henry boat served a delicious soup during dinners, and though this was enough for me, I doubt most of the passengers found it close to filling. Fortunately, frequent stops to pick up or drop off passengers and cargo introduce scores of vendors selling juane (flavored rice bundle), fish, drinks, fruit and the like to supplement the meagre meals served by the boat.

Gear And Supplies

The first thing you need is a hammock. Some barges hire them out, but for the same price or cheaper, you can get a new one from the mercado, a vendor at the port, or sometimes a vendor onboard the boat before it leaves. It should cost you between s/20-s/30 for a decent one, but if you like, you can splash out a bit more. I would recommend a cloth one because it is far more comfortable than a string one that has knots which press against your skin. Remember, you will be spending half a day lying or sitting in your hammock.

For meals, you need a bowl or a lunch box, easily purchasable again from the mercado or vendors for s/2 and under. Cutlery-wise, the least you need is a spoon. Occasionally, noodles will be served, but this is manageable enough.

Toilet paper and water are your essentials and purchasable en route, and I would highly recommend flip flops for the showers! Insect repellent is useful, as is something to cover you while you sleep. Though the days are hot and humid, some afternoons bring rain storms that cool the evenings enough to wake you from an uncomfortably cold sleep. A light blanket, sarong or wide scarf is usually a good enough layer to keep the cold off.

The boats use river water for the showers and faucets, and discard all waste including toilet waste into the river as well! While the boat is in motion and the water is moving and dilute, a shower is fine, but I would not recommend a shower while the boat is docked and the water is stagnant. Always use bottled water for brushing your teeth.

I found my cable lock to secure my bags around a post gave me peace of mind while wandering the decks or in the shower, but always remained with my bags while the boat was docked in case someone wandered on board and left with them.