ADVENTURE CRUISING
Amazon Expedition
Sarah Gilbert discovers a true Peruvian adventure with Aqua Expeditions
on the Upper Amazon
T
he flight was short and dramatic: below me was an endless, undulating patchwork of green, cut through by a river glinting in the sunlight. It was a scene that appeared
unaffected by the passage of time. From the air, this corner of the Peruvian rainforest appeared vast and unbroken, a magical world of dense forest, uncharted waterways and spectacular flora and fauna. And what better way to explore this watery wilderness than from a luxurious river-boat. I landed in Iquitos, about an hour by plane
north-east of Lima. Only accessible by air and water, this once prosperous jungle city was created by the 19th-century rubber boom and you can still find the metal Casa de Fierro built by Eiffel, which seemed incongruous in such a stiflingly hot place, and buildings covered with ornate Portuguese tiles and wrought-iron balconies. Gentlemen’s tuxedos once had to be shipped back
to Portugal to be cleaned; now the city is in a state of faded grandeur, with streets jammed with motorised rickshaws, all seemingly with horns blaring in unison.
Autumn 2013 I WORLD OF CRUISING 59
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