Have Itch, Will Travel

Like Logan to Brisbane, the port town of Callao sits near the larger Lima and has a bad reputation. One of crime, violence and gangs . But unlike Logan, Callao has an importance to Lima; it has the international airport and Peru's main seaport too. It is the hometown of Peru's most famous bank robbers. "Jango" was so well known that as soon as he walked into a bank, bank customers would lay on the floor without him needing to draw a firearm. He later served his time in jail and is now an Evangelist preacher. "I would not want you to go to Callao alone, but you're with me so it's okay. We're not going to visit the dangerous places and I know the bad boys," Joel said when we were staying a few nights in the town. We stayed in a pleasant suburb opposite a park and school, with a mercado just behind the block. Joel told me of a significant gang member of Callao known as Subaru. He was a young man with a lisp and robbed people with a gun and no spoke...

We finally reached Pucallpa and took a mototaxi to the main square. It was not a particularly interesting town; the church was a strikingly modern structure but there were no signs of colonial style buildings that give many Peruvian cities their charm. Most of our time was spent in the nearby town of Yarina , about 10-15mins on a mototaxi away and situated on the banks of Yarinacocha lake. It is prettier, with a dozen or so topiary ficus trees in the square, sculpted into figures of local wildlife like turtles, armadillos, birds and llamas. But the tourist spot is by the lake, where restaurants, vendors and launches sit, awaiting tourists. We took a launch to a small zoo called La Jungla that was really not worth the visit (Quistococha is superior) unless you want to see and have a photo with one of the several enormous anacondas there. The largest is 6-7 metres long with a body thicker than a man's leg. One night, we found a club with a live Latin band and spent a few hours dan...

After the Gilmer wasted a couple of our days, we eventually found the Henry . The trip to Pucallpa was uneventful, though there are a few things that stand out more in my memory than others. The food was generally worse than the Eduardo , but I found the soup for dinner particularly delicious. It was enough for me, but for most of the other passengers, hardly. The people were more sociable and played card games and chatted. We met a few locals including a middle aged woman and her toy boy, only traveling to experience the boat trip, and a fellow traveler from Korea. There were powerpoints that worked when the generator was turned on in the evenings for lights, so I was able to recharge my iPod and others recharged their mobile phones. There was more hammock space on the top decks than the Eduardo , though the spot we chose was by a broken window and the cold wind chilled me through the smallest square inch of exposed skin. That's about it! We were so glad to finally reach Pucallp...

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 boile...

We were ready to leave Iquitos so we went to the port to look for a barge that would take us to Pucallpa . We chose the Gilmer IV , a large good-looking vessel with open sides. Though it was more expensive, I thought the other option in a small old ship with enclosed walls would make the four day trip unbearable. It was quite empty of passengers and of cargo, and Joel reckoned it wouldn't leave that day. He was right, but we decided to stay onboard that night, hoping it would leave the next night. We were to spend another painful and boring day on the vessel. It was particularly difficult to be cooped there because one of us always had to stay with our bags in case someone came onboard and then back off with them. So, we couldn't even go for a wander in the nearby markets together to entertain ourselves. We planned to get our money back and seek an alternate vessel if it didn't leave that night. As dinner was served, Joel spoke to the gay cooks and learned that the boat wo...