I cannot believe that our first big adventure, planned months ago, is already over but we had the most fantastic time in the Amazon.

Last Friday (6th July), we had a 3am wake up call and headed to the airport to catch a 5:20am flight, which was subsequently cancelled at 6am. In true Amazing Race-style we managed to get two of only a few seats left on the 3:20pm flight, which meant we spent almost twelve long hours in the Lima airport kept somewhat entertained by three small shops, McDonalds, the internet and our travel Scrabble (thanks Ches!).

We landed in Iquitos, which is the world´s largest city that cannot be reached by road, that evening and were so pleased to be warm and to see clear skies after two days in smoggy Lima. That evening we decided to be adventurous and tried ´ceviche´, which is raw fish Peruvian-style – never to be repeated!

The next morning we got up early and wandered through the Belen market – a myriad of stores selling everything from traditional medicine and live and skinned chickens to fruit and vegetables and clothing. After a quick breakfast, which generally seems to consists of jam and a roll in Peru, we were picked up by Muyuna (our Amazon lodge) and taken to the port where we hopped on a tiny boat for the 3 hour trip 140km into the Amazon jungle. It was so exciting being on that boat and watching the scenery change from a city to absolute jungle.

It was great to arrive at the lodge and realise it was a good choice! We had lunch, which like all meals was served at communal tables, and were surprised to meet a South African couple there too – and they were both at Stellenbosch University! It was really fun to have some new friends for this part of our trip.

After lunch and unpacking we had our first excursion into the jungle. Moises was our guide for the trip and he ensured everything was organised, which was such a pleasure, and his knowledge of the jungle was unbelievable – he can identify 1000 medicinal plants in the Amazon jungle, not to mention all the birds, insects and mammals. It was so exciting to be trampling through the jungle that we have learnt about since primary school and it is impossible not to love a place where you see and hear things such as laughing frogs, dancing birds, noisy night monkeys and trumpet screamers. However, the mosquitoes in the jungle were horrendous so we were coverd in clothing and Peaceful Sleep from head to toe.

That evening after dinner, we had a night ride along the river where our guide caught a baby Cayman and we had a chance to admire a gorgeous night sky.

Each of our four days in the jungle was as wonderful as the next and just being there breathing in the oxygen from the trees we´ve all heard so much about and falling asleep to the jungle cacophony was a priviledge. Some of the highlights of our Amazon trip:
– Swimming with pink dolphins (yes they really are pink!) in the Amazon River
– Fishing for our dinner
– Trekking through heavy jungle to find the giant lily pads
– Catching a glimpse of a drowsy sloth
– Witnessing dawn and dusk in the jungle.

An unexpected highlight was meeting really nice people at the lodge and it was super to be able to chat to other travellers from around the world.

After four unforgettable days in the Amazon we headed back to Iquitos en route back to Lima for the next part of our trip. One thing is for sure – we will definitely go back!