Amazon River Life | Angela Neal Grove

Amazon River Life: Borderd by dense jungle, the Amazon River is a superhighway. It is only link with the outside world for families living in the headwaters region. Here a family of seven is crammed into a small dugout canoe with an outboard motor.//Photo: ANGROVE — Bordered by dense jungle, the Amazon River is a superhighway. It is the only link with the outside world for families living in the headwaters region. This family of seven is crammed into a small dugout canoe with an outboard motor.

This is the third update on my recent Lindblad/National Geographic Amazon River Headwaters Adventure.

Here we meet the people who live in the remote Pacaya Samiria National Reserve of Peru. There are no roads in the dense jungle and trails are often flooded. Here the Amazon River is the only link with the outside world.

Amazon River Life: This large ferry is bound for Iquitos, a city of almost half a million people which has no road or rail links with the outside world. The Amazon River is its lifeline. //Photo: ANGROVE — This large ferry is bound for Iquitos, a city of almost half a million people which has no road or rail links with the outside world. The Amazon River is its lifeline.

Amazon River Life Superhighway

To reach the headwaters area, and the National Reserve, we flew into Iquitos. It is the seventh largest city in Peru with almost half a million inhabitants. It is also the largest city in the world with no road or rail access. The only way to reach Iquitos is by air, boat or ferry.

Amazon Headwaters River Life: Iquitos is a week by river from any other town. This water-bus has hammocks so passengers can nap and sleep at night. //PHOTO: ANGROVE — Iquitos is a week by river from towns. This water-bus has hammocks so passengers can nap, and sleep on the long journey.

Village Community Life on the River

When Spanish Jesuits founded Iquitos around 1757 the lives of indigenous people began to change. This continued during the days of the rubber boom which lasted 1890 to 1920.

Today tourism is the major source of revenue for the area. The Riberenos, the people who live on the river, live in small communities. They fish, hunt, and as well as subsistence farming, grow sugar cane and bananas.

Riberenos are also employed as guides for the tourism industry. Their knowledge of animals, birds and plants is unmatched. They know which plants in the jungle are used for medicine, and can relate the oral history which, along with tales of spirit life, give great insight into the area and the culture.

Amazonas Community

We visited the Riberenos community of Amazonas on the Maranon River. This has the support of NGO Minga Peru. There is a school and workshops on environmental conservation and impact of deforestation. Other classes focus on health, womens issues and eco-friendly income-generating projects.

Amazon River Life: NGO Minga Peru has helped teach eco-friendly income generating projects. Here the women show how they dye raffia which they make into beautiful baskets, placemats and other items to tempt the tourist. PHOTO; ANGROVE — NGO Minga Peru has helped teach eco-friendly income-generating projects. Here the women show how they dye raffia which they make into beautiful baskets, placemats and other items to tempt the tourist.

Amazon River Life: Child from the Amazonas River Community in Peru.
PHOTO; ANGROVE — It was a delight to meet the children of Amazonas.

Amazon River Life: Community village life is simple in the Peruvian Amazon. These two young women are washing clothes in a backwater of the river.//PHOTO: ANGROVE — Community village life is simple. These two young women are washing clothes in a backwater of the river.

Amazon River Life: This girl in Peru watched as a tour group visited her village. PHOTO; ANGROVE — This little girl watched as our group toured her village.

Amazon River Life: Here village women extract juice from sugar cane.//PHOTO: ANGROVE — Here village women extract juice from sugar cane.

Amazon River Life: NGO Minga Peru develops and leads workshops on women's health.PHOTO; angrove — **Minga Peru** develops and leads workshops on women’s health.

Amazon River Life: A guide gives a ride on a small skiff to some village children of the Amazonas Community. //PHOTO ANGROVE — One of our guides gives a ride to some village children he knew.

Amazon River Life: Riberenos cultivate revenue-producing crops such as bananas along the river in Peru. PHOTO; ANGROVE — Riberenos cultivate revenue-producing crops such as bananas along the river.

Amazon River Life: Bananas and fish being loaded onto a large transport vessel for the trip to Iquitos where the produce will be sold. // PHOTO: ANGROVE — Bananas and fish being loaded onto a large transport vessel for the trip to Iquitos where the produce will be sold.

Amazon River Life: Each time we moored our boat for the night we would attract visitors. These five children stayed for a while chatting to crew members who gave them a Coca Cola. PHOTO: ANGROVE — Each time we moored our boat for the night we would attract visitors. These five children stayed for a while chatting to crew members who gave them a Coca Cola.

Amazon River Life: There are no bridges anywhere along the 4,000 miles of the Amazon River. The river flows through or is bordered by seven countries. //PHOTO: ANGROVE — There are no bridges anywhere along the 4,000 miles of the Amazon River. The river flows through or is borderd by seven countries.

Off The Grid

This Amazon headwaters region is one of the remotest regions of the world. The river is the source life for those who live there.

For us, while we were there, we were away from all communication for ten days. Off the grid with no internet, TV or news of the outside world. It was novel for us and we bonded as a group. It also maybe gave us some tiny insight into lives of the Riberenos and those who live along the Amazon River.

Amazon River Life: Iquitos from the air. PHOTO; ANGROVE — Iquitos from the air

Amazon River Life: From the air: The Amazon River winds through the jungle. PHOTO: ANGROVE — The Amazon winds through the jungle

Amazon River Life: Lemonade Seller in Iquitos, Peru. PHOTO;ANGROVE — Lemonade seller on the street in Iquitos

Amazon river Life: Latex spills down the side of a wild rubber tree in the Amazon jungle in Peru. PHOTO;ANGROVE — Latex spills down trunk of a rubber tree

TWO PREVIOUS AMAZON POSTS: were Amazon River Headwaters Adventureand Amazon Live Adventure

COMING NEXT: After spending two weeks in Peru I went to the Atacama Desert in Chile. It was surrounded by snow-capped volcanoes. Stay tuned..

Comments

Cheryl McLaughlin says

March 24, 2019 at 11:39 am

hey angela, I really enjoyed learning about this part of the amazon river life and Iquitos through your photography and color commentary that gave me a sense of place. Your photography capture the color and spirit of the people and place.
Angela says

March 24, 2019 at 5:52 pm

Hi Cheryl:
Thank you so much. This is a truly unique and remote area of our planet. All of the people I met were very friendly and open. The local guides were extremely knowlegeable, after all they had grown up in the area. It was an epic adventure.

Amazon River Life Superhighway

Village Community Life on the River

Amazonas Community

Off The Grid

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Comments