Dana's Travelogue Peru Sept '18 part 6 final&home

Day 4. Sept 13 (and Lanette’s birthday) Dolphins and Yaguas Village morning excursion

After breakfast we loaded into a boat (almost all excursions start out in a boat from the lodge). We motored a bit and then stopped to see the pink dolphins swimming in the river. They were interesting looking and luckily there are superstitions that keep them from being hunted for the most part.

We climbed ashore and walked into the jungle yet again to the Yaguas village. The highlight when we arrived was a baby sloth which is the epitome of cuteness. Lanette immediately fell in love and declared her birthday a complete success. The tribe dressed up in traditional garb for us and performed a song for us to ‘dance' to. Then there was a demonstration of the blow darts they use for hunting. We were invited to try it by aiming at a mask on a pole.

We showed our appreciation by buying a few knick knacks before heading back to have lunch, swim one last time and pack up to go to Iquitos for our last night in Peru.

In Iquitos they dropped us at our Hotel, Casa Morey. It was a very historic building originally the home of a rubber baron then a few other things including a discotec before being restored to the hotel it is now. Part of the downstairs is a bit like a museum showing pictures of Iquitos in it's heyday, the rubber plantation era, around the early 1900’s. After check in we walked to the post office, passing the main Plaza Armas which we'd seen on our walking tour a few days before. I mailed postcards and then we went to the Indigenous Peoples Museum. Fascinating to find out there are over a 100 voluntarily isolated tribes living in the Amazon River basin. And pretty much living just as they have forever without the outside influences (and diseases) that modern man brings with him.

Parked ourselves at Amazon Cafe by the river in another historic building that at one time housed the bank. Stayed until the sunset brought enough mozzies to chase us back to our hotel for extra clothes and a few minutes of AC. After such mild to cool weather in Lima and then at elevation in Aquas Calientes and Cusco, the intense heat and humidity of the Amazon has been a bit rough.. I'm not sure I've ever been so sweaty..every inch of me..when you notice your eyelids and kneecaps are sweating you know it's hot-I didn't even know I had sweat glands there!

We searched online and settled on Peruvian bbq skewers at a little neighborhood place, El Sitio. Ironically it was just around the corner from where we were earlier at the post office. But this time we took moto-taxis there and back. All were deliciously grilled over wood coals. My favorites were the mushrooms (wood ear), ham& broccoli and the pineapple& cheese.

We had a nice time although town is so sadly polluted, trashy and run down with rough broken sidewalks, buildings and streets. The Iquitos of the old black and white photos from the 19teens looked so affluent and beautiful even with dirt streets. Now that I know that, I'd choose to go back to Lima instead of staying there.

Departure Fri Sept 14

Another early morning taxi to the airport to start the long trek home. Flight to Lima then over to the international terminal to check in for our flights to Panama City and then on to SFO. Of course our flight was late getting in so we got to hoof it quickly from gate 4 to the very furthest gate, 31, just barely in time to board. We are supposed to get in around midnight and have a late night drive back to Sacramento. We all agree we wont miss the air pollution in tyre cities, the jungle bugs & humidity and are looking forward to being home.

Kim will have some catch up to do for work, SacTaxPro.com. He's doing his continuing education credits for the year and attending a Tax Preparers Conference. I will also, but I have kept up on my dried shrimp business via phone and emails so that's ok. And I may have a couple of people to book into the Amazon Ceiba Tops Lodge already!  Catching up as well, not just on massages for my personal clients, but I recently bought out my long time business partner and dear friend Audrey when she relocated to the coast. So Colfax Healing Arts has closed and Colfax Healing Massage is taking it's place(ColfaxHealingMassage.com)!
David, you will be proud to hear I took your advice. I have roped two great independant contractor therapists into helping me with the extra workload and the expenses. But running it like a business instead of just renting a space to see my people in is so much more involved of course. So far it is working out well, her people are transitioning to their new therapists and I've managed to do most everything necessary these last 2 weeks via T-mobile and Wi-Fi.
I also have an exciting rest of Sept to look forward to with dancing, a family reunion in Miami Beach, a reservation at The Kitchen with friends and a board game birthday party to attend!

As always thanks for tagging along! If you need me to take an email address off the list just let me know. Also, I welcome input on the new format.

Until next month! Hasta Luego!
(spoiler alert: steamboat +Mississippi River!!)