The Ways of Iquitos

First, through the miracle of the Internet, I was able to wish my father a Happy Father's Day despite being over 6,000 miles away! And keeping in touch with you all is such a blessing that it can’t be anything other than a miracle. So talking about miracles, tomorrow is the day that I have been eagerly awaiting for weeks, months, even years because tomorrow morning, at 6 AM, Samantha arrives in Iquitos. I have been thinking about her all day, where she is on each part of the trip, as I know she will be changing planes many times. She will also be doing the usual routine of an overnight stay in the airport of Lima. But pulling “all nighters” should be no trouble for this gal! And hopefully, all the goodies I asked her to bring me (like wax paper, foil and WD40) will make in her suitcase and arrive in a timely manner. We head out tomorrow to the jungle for all the fun things it has to offer. I fully expect Sam to fall in love with the jungle and Perú as much as I have—watch out, another Snyder may be moving!!

Life in Iquitos continues in its continuous loop of routine activity. A gringo friend described it as “Ground Hog Day” because every day is the same--the weather, the food, the music, the people, the action on the street, the jungle and beat of it all seems to be a constant. Some folks would not care for it but thus far, I’m not one of them. However, I have to say that although I usually sing its praises, there are some things about Iquitos that are not pleasant. One of them is the endless public spitting that is practiced by every man, woman and child! It doesn’t seem to matter where they are or what time of day, nor does anyone bother to look around first before they do it, but someone is spitting. And it’s not done in a quiet manner, oh no! They have to start it all very deep in the throat and really work up a good one first , then they let it all loose (there’s a slang word for this that I’m sure you all know so need to spell it out here)! Thus far, while walking down the street, I have not been personally caught in the line of fire, but it’s been close! I know it’s only a bad habit which can be broken but someone has to start.

Explorama is constantly training its staff to avoid this practice when working with tourists. In the four yeas I have been staying at Explorama Lodges, I have never seen or heard anyone do it. It was only after living in Iquitos that I began to notice the difference. So I know it’s a habit that can be stopped—someone just needs to point it out and I have been mentioning this to my Iquitoan friends as often as possible! If you think of Iquitos as the wild, Wild West you get the picture. Stray dogs roam the streets, public urination is another fun pastime, and there are no road rules when it comes to driving. The street competes with pedestrians, motokars, motorcycles, cars, trucks, dogs and often kids trying to play soccer or volleyball. Sitting outside on the streets, drinking beer, dancing, gathering around a BBQ grill are as commonplace here as rain is each day. People here also have an incredible tolerance for a “live and let live” attitude which allows for everyone to pretty much be themselves and do their own thing. There is some petty theft, mainly from tourists and motorcycles are often lifted but other than that, there is virtually no violent crime. So, when all is said and done, despite some darker sides of Iquitos, I still love the place, the people and the life I have carved out for myself here “in this place, in time and space”. I wish for you all the same level of contentment, peace and joy at some point in your lives. My time here will not last forever, but when one day I return to the States, I will have no regrets about the choices I've made! I hope you can say the same :)