1. The best time to visit the Amazon jungle is June to September, when the water level is low, not as many mosquitoes. Animals would be next to the river, easier to see. October may be okay, and possible to see turtles coming ashore to lay eggs. The jungle tours 1 from Lagunas are less expensive, primitive lodges and equipment, limited food choices (lots of fish, very fresh fish).
2. Reserva Pacaya Samiria is the largest protected Amazon jungle. Knowledgeable guides, expert in canoe, very accommodating, but Spanish only. Everyone we met is sweet and helpful. I saw what I came for (sloth and pink dolphin, both are captivating), so I am content. I'm also glad that our money stays in the rural community, unlike the big operators in Iquitos. The only problem is getting into Lagunas. No flight, no road, very unreliable boat. So budget extra days, and maybe spend more days in the reserve. We only visited a small fraction.
2012/4/14-16 To Lagunas
4/14 at Moyobamba, our driver called a combi to pick us up after 20 minutes, because we wanted to eat first. US: me and 2 other gringos on the same minibus. 20 year old Katherina from Austria, 25 year old Jan from Germany. They were also hoping to sign on a jungle tour in Lagunas. Our combi drove around town hoping to fill his minibus (they seem to run all the time, as soon as a bus can be filled). S10.Arrived at Tarapoto ~3:20pm. There was a scheduled departure at 3:45 (S10), 5pm (S15). By the time we came back from the main square (talked to a travel agency, made phone calls, ATM with S5.6 surcharge, repellent cheaper than Chachapoya), it was 4:15. We got on a taxi in this company next to the combi terminal. 4 passengers S20 each, but got to leave sooner. Arrived at Yurimaguas ~6:40, after a tire change.
Went to Hotel Rio Huallaga, calle Arica 111 for Huayruro Tours. Talked to Miguel the boss. Katherina is great in bargaining. She got down the price to S1150 for 3 of us, including park entrance fee which is S20/day. However she's going to pay less. For now, we each paid S200 as deposit. She also bargained S15/each for us to stay at the hotel. Wifi, but cold shower. It has a pool, even a movie theatre that screens a movie or a football match everyday at different times. Someone at the agency accompanied us to the market to buy hammock (S25) and a container for the food on boat. I also bought a Spanish-English dictionary, Jan bought a kid's Spanish book.
4/15. Sunday. Sunny and muggy. Stuck in Yurimaguas.
6:30 wake up call. Julia at the agency accompanied us to breakfast and to buy bread and water, and rushed to the boat which was said to depart at 9am. They were laying bricks one by one. Bottom floor was full of cows. Met a California lady who was on the boat since yesterday. They were told that it would leave yesterday at 5pm. Now don't know when it will actually leave. With a full and heavy cargo, it would be much slower. Katherina and I went to the town to buy more provisions, and to leave Julia a note. By the time we returned, Jan was outside of the boat with almost all our bags and hammocks, except one plastic bag of mine. I had to tread water to get to the boat, because it was parked a bit south, where they were trying to pull a bull up the boat. It was all muddy and dirty. Julia came and talked to the captain. It was a lengthy discussion. Basically, this boat shouldn't take passengers. We the gringo with our backpacks cannot pass as kitchen helpers or whatever. The captain will get fined. After some negotiation, captain hid us in one of the cabins. We chatted with its friendly inhabitant, a guy who speaks good English (who used to live in US), who had been waiting since yesterday. But half an hour later, the captain said the inspector would come and check the boat, so we had to leave. Well, we had no choice and came back to the hotel. At least it's a nice hotel. Used the pool and Internet.
4/16 Monday. Pouring rain. Boat to Lagunas.
Katherina went with Julia to put hammocks on the boat of today at 7:10. I went to buy a bowl to eat on the boat. During yesterday's chaos, I lost some water and my container. As soon as our motor-rickshaws arrived at the port, 2 young dudes rushed over to carry our bags. Since there were now hammocks blocking the stairs to the part where our hammocks were, the two also retied our hammocks in the main cabin, all for S1 tip each. The scheduled departure at 8:30 didn't happen until 9:40. This boat is passenger only, so not as smelly. About 20 hammocks, 30 passengers. It only goes to Lagunas (S30), making 6 other stops on the way. Vendors came abroad to sell food and drink. Passengers ate and toss the bones and plastic wraps overboard. A couple turned on their radios with competing volume. Peruvians don't have the sense of using earphones. As soon as the engine started, all were drown in its roar. Before lunch, we were given a token each. When the lunch is ready, ~12:45, just went to the kitchen with the token and the container. Rice with beef in a tomato based sauce, a tasteless plantain. Not bad. However, I was a bit sick by then, because I fell asleep with just my t-shirt. When it's raining like this, the temperature is very pleasant, but too cold to sleep without something warmer. After the hot lunch and some sweat, I felt better. People washed their containers with the river water in the tank which is used to flush toilet. I just wiped mine with toilet paper.
The boredom is not easy to take. Limited space, nothing to do. Very slow boat with the same scenery. I started reading my dictionary. Sleeping in hammock gives me backache. When half the lunch crowd was back to their hammocks, I lied on the narrow bench, meanwhile laying yesterday's wash in my hammock. Eventually I fell asleep again in the hammock, covered with my sleeping bag.
Arrived at Lagunas ~7:20pm. Miguel's people came to the boat to fetch us. Abrahan the guide and Luina the cook. They took us to the agency. We paid the rest of our tour fee (Jan and me each S200, Katherina S150), got a briefing. Stayed at hospedaje Miraflores for the night (not good). We had to pay the motor taxi: S5 each, but the lodging was paid for (I guess our low fee contributed to the choice of hotel). By now, I also realized that I had lost my headlamp, pen, and I ran out of soles :(
No dinner tonight. Instead, I ate my purchase at the Yurimaguas bakery. Repacked for the 4 day 3 night jungle tour. Since the guides would supply almost everything (rain poncho, rubber boots, mattress, sheets, food, water, even toilet paper), we were advised to take as little as possible.
4/17-20 Jungle Tour
4/17 Tuesday. Cloudy with a bit of sun.The room was unreasonably stuffy, despite of the nice temperature outside. Noisy too. Our neighbor was listening to something loud way into the night. Woke up a few times in sweat through the night.
Good breakfast at the agency. Fried eggs, jam, butter. Bad toilet. Juan at Aguaje Tours came to chat to us. A very nice and jovial guy. He is the first person I contacted for the jungle tour. 
A motor cart carried a full load (our provision for the next 4 days), 3 of us, Miguel, Abrahan, Luina, on a rutted and muddy dirt road to the reserve. On the way, we passed a patch of flat grass area. Miguel told us that up to 8 years ago, it was used as an airplane landing area for drug trafficking. We had to pour water on the engine from time to time. Eventually some screw fell off, and a wheel got off the axle. We carried everything the last leg, ~15 minutes. Registered at the park office. Lots of French tourist came here. Not many Peruvians. Miguel gave us some orange and zapote.
Loaded everything on a canoe. Abraham in front, Luiana at the end. Two of them rowed expertly on the narrow river. Saw 4 Papagayo (parrot). Ahuaninga (little snake), brown capuchins, hanging nest of Paokai (a small black bird with shiny yellow belly).
After lunch (spaghetti and boiled egg) in an inundated hut (is on dry land in dry season. Now the water level is high), a giant brown sloth, 4 flying yellow parrots. We saw many sloths later, one very close, and the guide dragged its foot to get him out of the tree, at Katherina's urge, even knocked his head. More yellow parrots.
Dinner is fish and tasteless fried banana at the refuge, over candle light. The fish is fresh and tender. The table Shower is a bowl to pour river water over yourself. I washed my sweat soaking clothes. Yes, river water too. And the same river they clean fish, wash pots, brush teeth (i used drinking water) and flush the toilet in, no filtration. Afterwards, Abraham rowed us out to find night creatures via a route one walks on in dry season. Saw a few big spiders, a big catava (?) tree which canoes can be made of, 2 conoconos (ba,mboo rat). The night sky was beautiful, but I wasn't able to take a star photo even with 60 second exposure. The night was uneventful other than I was waken up by Katherina's flash light ~12:40. Thin mattress. Mosquito net. I still got bugs inside. Frog and bird calls everywhere.4/18 Wednesday.
6:15, Abrahan rowed the canoe ~60m from the refuge where a net was hung under a tree branch. He picked some fish there. Bocholoche? bird. Pichico monkey (10cm long), many times. More birds. It was sunny and hot, then it poured, for hours. We got to a hut drenched. Ate fish, potato over rice, and waited. Abrahan laid plastic overhead, otherwise it drizzled inside the hut.
Around 2:15, the rain abated. We reloaded the boat and continued downstream. 2 hoatzin, a red head woodpecker, red monkey who makes a lot of noise. We reached the next camp in 2 hours, due to the strong current.After dinner, we found a small but poisonous snake on the roof beam. Jan went on another night ride into the jungle. Katherina and I hid in our mosquito nets they brought, which were hung on nails they just put on the wooden wall. But the nets are a bit too small. My head and feet would stick out, if I lie straight.
4/19 Thursday. sunny - rain.
Woke up at 1:30 scratching my bites.
6am depart for a short walk with 2 guides each armed with a machete, a short canoe ride downstream. Not much land now, so terrestrial animals are more confined and supposed easier to see. But we made a lot of noise simply by walking. It's mud in water and fallen branches. Surprisingly, the guide in front spotted something, only the first in row was able to see its tail: black pig like Habali, and more than one. I only saw their track in mud. They sure made a lot of noise running around. Also saw animal burrows in mud.
On returning to the camp, Katherina and the new guide got off the boat. The rest went to see the Big tree: a giant Lupuna blanco, ~300 year old. There's also Lupuna Colorado, barks turn red on the top, can be a deadly medicine. Abrahan seems to know everything in the jungle. He pointed to various trees and palms and told us their names and use. Too bad, I only wrote down huasai palm (acai)'s red root can treat malaria.Breakfast is fried fish with fried banana, tasteless tea (bag) with canned milk.
I was entrusted a paddle which I can row whenever I wanted. Saw more Pichico monkeys. They have bear faces, very small and cute. Saw red howler monkeys, this time closer and clear. They are the biggest monkeys we saw in this jungle. Gold brown. A poisonous snake. An anteater up on a tall tree. No dolphins at the dolphin lake:( Lunched at the same hut. Rain started pouring down as we approached the hut. Had to wait. Abrahan went and picked bijao leaves to make tomorrow's lunch. Saw a pink dolphin swam across in front of the hut.
~3:30, we had to head out. It was still raining. Put our belonging in a big dry sack, donned our poncho. Poor Abrahan and Luina drove the canoe without any protection. In the rain, we saw a group of maybe 4 grey dolphins swam back and forth. Some white Capuchin monkeys and mono negro. A big pink dolphin in another pond ~5pm. He even followed our boat for a bit. By then rain had finally stopped. But we didn't wait to see more of that lovely creature, because Katherina was bored already. Saw 2 ducks flying, one big heron. Reached Gloria almost in dark. Today, the generator ran a bit longer.
Fish and potato for dinner. Katherina had omelet and fries. I retired earlier. Jan went on another night ride, despite of the drizzle, so he can be away from his travel companion. He saw crocodiles!
4/20 Friday. Sunny.
Coolest night of all 3. I put on my fleece in early morning. Used my iPod for light going to toilet at night.
Left after 9am. Blue sky. Tamare fruit for pain, but not very good to eat. An eagle who eats Pichico monkeys and other birds. Kiwango: a big black bird with orange face. Squirrel monkey (Fraile): yellow, very small, lighter belly. Musmuki (a kind of Nocturnal monkey, golden hair, small), cute. Luina picked Kamitiyo (?) for us to taste. Finding a place to pee is difficult when it's flooding like now.
~2pm Huane of rice and egg, salad for lunch, at a hut. There is a sandy pen used as turtle hatchery. Depart again after 3. Arrived at the park office ~4pm. Miguel and the motor cart driver was there waiting for us. This time the motor didn't give up. Back to the agency. I gave Abrahan and Luina each $5 as tip, which they deserved more (Jan gave them more). But I was short of soles, and didn't have more small notes in $ either. I also left my fancy tea with Luina. No boat today in either directions. On top of this, all decent hotels were full due to the upcoming road work this weekend. We were back to Miraflores. S27. At least shower with normal water! Jan went to the market trying to find an Internet spot, unsuccessfully. Very warm. Washed clothes.
I had enough of the biting insects, being sweaty and sticky all the time, and my clothes smelling damp. I was also keen on parting with Katherina 2. I announced going back to the coastal highway and go north to Columbia via Ecuador, instead of continuing the boat downstream with them to Iquitos, boat to Leticia, then plane to Bogota. Dry heat is more tolerable, and road transportation is more reliable. Unfortunately Katherina decided to go back to the coast with me.
4/21-22 Back to the road
4/21 Saturday. Sunny, hot.Woke up sticky today with a worm on my neck, and more bites on my ankles. I was sleeping in long sleeve shirt and long pants, both in insect shield material. Any exposed skin was smeared with Peruvian repellent, but of little effect. I have to reconsider the trip to Columbia's Lost City (5 day hike among mud and insects).
Had breakfast in the small market. Exchanged some money at the bank at the plaza. Not the best rate. But I was down to less than S60. Used my computer in the corridor of the hospedaje for shade. Lagunas has little to offer. Katherina inquired about the tour of indigenous homes, but didn't want to go alone. No electricity during the day. I don't know how they keep their drinks chilled: yes you can buy cold beer here. We had lunch in the hospedaje's restaurant, run by the old lady's daughter. Stayed there for the rest of the afternoon: not as stuffy as our room, and bright enough to read. Now that my plan has changed, I busied myself with the Ecuador chapter of Katherina's Lonely Planet's South America book. We showered and said goodbye to the nice duena at 5pm. At the port office, we confirmed our boat to Yurimaguas at 8pm, but Jan's boat hadn't left Yurimaguas yet. Bought ticket: S30. We went back to town to eat. I ate fish and rice. Katherina wanted cake, so Jan and her went look for a shop that sells sweets, which wasn't easy. Back to the port at 7pm, as was instructed. Jan's boat to Iquitos finally left Yurimaguas, which would get here around 4-5am. The ticket seller told him that the next door rents rooms upstairs for that, so he got himself a room for S10, which he claimed better than our hospedaje.
Shortly before 8pm, boat to Yurimaguas arrived (left Iquitos on 19th 6-7pm). It's much bigger, and more properly equipped (at least a spotlight, unlike our last boat needed a guy with flash light for it to moor). Getting on it is not any easier. We had to wade water and mud, fight with women carrying stuff to sell (the one in front of me had a basin of raw fish) and other passengers, on to a 30° slippery plank which I had to use my hands too. Luckily, Miguel and one of his people took the same boat. They carried our small bags. Otherwise with our shoes in hand, we would have no spare hand to steady ourselves on the "ladder". He also put up our hammocks (3 times for Katherina). Even with a lot of passengers, this Gilmer V is more spacious. Men and women separate toilets, 3 sinks, 3 stalls with lockable doors, running river water. However I ran into a guy in women's bano. Garbage cans every few meters, but all full by now. Staff mop the floor every morning, clean the toilet and empty the garbage cans. A red sign of no garbage in river. Quite some gringos too. Katherina was happy talking to them. They smoked next to the no smoke sign. When I asked one of the German speaker to stop smoking, I got an answer: this is Peru. In fact, none of the Peruvians were smoking. We departed ~8:30pm. 4/22 Sunday. Rain. Back to the coast.
~7am, breakfast with boat ticket. Sweet porridge, 2 buns with butter inside. Arrived at Yurimaguas ~11 in pouring rain. Miguel has called taxi to pick us up and on to Tarapoto. Katherina asked 2 gringos to join us (taxis won't leave until filled with 4). Once in the taxi, the 2 German speakers refused to part with a few soles as tip to the poor guy who carried their bags. The Irish guy and I carried our own stuff. Also we had to listen to German conversation all the way to Tarapoto. Dropped the Irish at his hotel in town, the rest to the terminal.
3pm Ilucan bus S45 to Chiclayo. No AC, no water in toilet. But this was tge fist bus to leave out of many. Less an hour in Tarapoto's bus terminal area (lunch, buying ticket), I got more bites on my feet! Of course, our bus didn't leave until 3:20. Dinner stop at Nuevo Cajamarca. There and Moyobamba's terminals have buses go to Lima/Trujillo/Piura directly.
4/23 Monday. Overcast. Heading north to Ecuador.
Arrived at Chiclayo shortly after 6am (after many stops along the way, Katherina's new friend got off at Pedro Ruiz). In Tepsa terminal, lots of other small companies going south and east. I said goodbye to Katherina who's going to Trujillo at 7am. Now that we are parting, I started worrying a bit about her. I walked to Linea terminal half a block to the right. Cleaner, free toilet, free wifi. Got on a bus to Piura at 7am (S14, every hour).
Arrived at Piura 10:10, missed the morning bus to Loja Columbia. Went into town (taxi S4), exchanged Soles to $ at 2.66. The cathedral looks better outside. The plaza is ok. Lots of police. Bought milk and water at a supermarket, a small flashlight at an electronics store on Loreta (not easy to buy). Lots of computer stores on Loreta. Near the bridge, many street stalls sell various fruit drinks, loaded with sugar and ice. Only S0.5 a glass. Here they also serve a lemony coffee drink with the menu. Beaches are 1 hour west via a collectivo, then 12 minutes on taxi. I was dripping with sweat, too lazy to go. There's a town east of Piura 15 minutes by bus, Catacaos, renowned for straw hats and silver jewelry. Next to it, Narihuala is a ruin with a temple. East of Piura, Chulucanas pottery, and more ruins.
Walked to Transporte Loja. Hot. There's no outlet. The clerk let me charge my gadget in the office.
Notes
