On the southern side of Iquitos is the “suburb” of Belen. This is the poorest part of Iquitos and is built on two levels. The lower level is along the bank of the Itaya River and floods when the river rises annually. Therefore, the houses are either built on stilts or on a base of balsa logs so they will float when the river comes up.  During this time Belen is known as the “Venice of the Amazon” and people get around in canoes and small boats. The other part of Belen is on higher ground that does not flood and this is where most of the people live in thatch-roofed shacks on dirt streets too narrow for a car to pass. 
This part of Belen is also home to a number of shops selling all kinds of cheap household goods and clothes as the well as the fascinating Belen Market where one can kind all kinds of tropical fruits and fresh fish and meat (early in the morning). There is also a narrow street that sells medicinal plants, roots and various concoctions that supposedly cure any number of ailments. This is a popular place to visit by tourists.
As people continue to move into Iquitos from villages in the surrounding forest, for perceived economic and social advantages, many find their first homes in the Belen district. In a way, people residing in Belen are still living their lives in a manner similar to when they lived in remote villages.

A photo blog of Belen:

https://scottbelen.blogspot.com/

 

Known as the “Father of Ethnobotany” for his research on the relationship between people and plants Schultes was one of the most important explorers of the Amazon.

https://www.amazonteam.org/maps/schultes/en/?fbclid=IwAR0jq5M-rzrgOMkhx1R_fQcEfRekUjOlqgquiXL8Tf6aC3I37Ebn4q4UuWo

 

Photo history of Iquitos, Peru, PART 2

Iquitos, Peru, founded in 1864 on the banks of the Amazon River, has a rich and varied history. Here we present a photo history of this remote, but vibrant, city.

https://scottiquitos2.blogspot.com/

 

Iquitos, Peru, founded in 1864 on the banks of the Amazon River, has a rich and varied history. Here we present a photo history of this remote, but vibrant, city.
We will post Part 2 tomorrow.

https://scottiquitos.blogspot.com/

 

Four-legged prehistoric whale fossil found in Peru

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/four-legged-prehistoric-whale-fossil-found-in-peru/ar-BBVCErc?ocid=mailsignout

 

Netflix’s Our Planet 

Unfortunately, most news about the environment is bad and true. So for years we have concentrated on celebrating the good things, hoping that might inspire people to become involved. We still do that, but the global situation has become so alarming that the big documentaries are now choosing to confront the problem head on. We applaud them for being honest and we hope everyone watches!

https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2019/04/wildlife-series-finally-addresses-elephant-room/586066/

 

Scott’s house in Pevas, Peru.

I first visited te Peruvian Amazon in 1992. I was immediately hooked by the rainforest, the culture and the people. In 1993 I moved to the small town of Pevas, Peru, where I put my skills as a Registered Nurse to use operating a small clinic for several years. After the Peruvian Ministry of Health built a new facility in Pevas I closed my clinic and worked to assist the new clinic with getting donations of medicines and supplies as well as encouraging visits by volunteer physicians/nurses and working with the non-profit Project Amazonas.  In 2000 I moved to Iquitos to work for a tour operator who owned several river boats. During that time I met Bill Lamar and George Ledvina and in 2006 I went to work for their company, GreenTracks as Iquitos Operations Manager and occasional riverboat expedition tour leader.
It has been an interesting life, to say the least.
 - Scott Humfeld -   https://www.greentracks.com/

The Commandante

I had only been living in Pevas for about a year when early one morning there was a heavy pounding on the door that woke me up. When I went down and opened the door there stood two soldiers with sidearms.

There is an army base just down river from Pevas that is home to a Jungle Battalion that is basically a bunch of young guys with AK-47's. I had met the Comandante and his wife at friend’s house once. The Comandante of the base was a big guy with a beer belly and crew cut who wears combat boots, camouflage pants, a .45 caliber pistol on his hip and a super tight white t-shirt. His wife goes everywhere with him and it seems her entire wardrobe consists of track suits of varying bright colors. She walks a few steps behind the Comanadante. I’m not usually intimidated by people, but I found the Comadante to be intimidating as he was a stereotypical Third World military guy. His default facial expression was “who should I shoot next.”

One of the soldiers said I was to come with them. I asked what this was about and was only told, “We have orders to take you to the base.” This was unnerving as I was still in country on a tourist visa and because the Comandante made me quite uncomfortable. I again asked what this was all about and received the same answer. I got dressed and put my passport in my pocket and followed the soldiers down to the main port.

We got in their boat and headed to the base, a ten minute ride. On the way I was trying to think if I had done anything that would get me in trouble or maybe I had offended someone. The thought of being placed against a wall and shot came to mind. My anxiety increased as we got closer and closer to the base.

Upon arrival we walked up the hill and past the entry gate where there was a mounted machine gun. All the young soldiers stared at me. My two escorts took me right to the Comandante’s quarters where they knocked on the door and then left me. I could feel sweat rolling down my back and it wasn’t from the tropical heat.

The Comandante’s wife answered the door and said, “I’m so glad you are here. I have this new video camera, but the instruction book is in English and I need someone to teach me how to use the camera.” I searched my meager Spanish for a way to say, “You couldn’t have sent a note?”

I went inside and spent a couple of hours teaching her to use the camera. She then invited me for an early lunch and just as we sat down at the table the Comandante came in. He walked up to me, smiled, shook my hand and thanked me for coming. He ordered his wife to bring us a couple beers.

After lunch my same two escorts took me home and I sat for a while until my adrenaline level got back to normal.

 

This article discuses why the Upper Amazon Basin has such high biodiversity, with the highest number of species of plants and animals on the planet. Several theories are explained. While much research has been done on this subject, much more work remains to be done... All while the habitats continue to disappear.

https://greentracks.com/The-Hidden-Amazon-Come-to-Light.html

If you found this article interesting, please share with your friends.

 

Western Black-chested Buzzard-eagle
(Geranoaetus melanoleucus australis)

See them while they last!  Fourteen percent of the global population
 of birds isthreatened with extinction. We go to see them flying wild
 as often as possible.

https://www.greentracks.com/

 

See them while they last!  Twenty-five percent of the earth’s mammal species are presently facing extinction.  Seeing Amazonian mammals in the wild will one day be impossible.

https://www.greentracks.com/

 

See them while they last!  One third of all insect species are endangered and their biomass—the sum total of all insects on Earth—is shrinking by 2.5% annually.  This means a lot of things, none of them good. Seeing and photographing some of the Amazon’s fabulous arthropods won’t in its self save them, but it does inspire a new awareness to do what we can to protect those that remain.


https://www.greentracks.com/

 

See them while they last!  Forty percent of the world’s amphibian species are now threatened with extinction.  We support all efforts to stop the decline, but at the same time we’re traveling to observe them in the wild every chance we get.

https://www.greentracks.com/

 

'Extinct' Galapagos tortoise found after 100 years

https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/galapagos-tortoise-considered-extinct-discovered-intl-trnd/index.html

GreenTracks offers natural history tours in the Galapagos.

https://www.greentracks.com/Galapagos.htm

 

The danger of mis-identification.

 

Photo: Tomb of Lord of Sipán


10% Discount on Northern Peru Programs

Northern Peru: The Coast

The civilizations of the Northern coast of Peru are known for their stunning achievements in architecture, ceramics and metallurgy.

The Moche culture (also known as Mochica), 100 to 600 A.D., located along the coast between Trujillo and Chiclayo, were known for their pyramids and ceramic work which often documented social activities. The temples of Moon and Sun illustrate the wealth and power of the Moche leaders in their murals and burial sites, including the tomb of the Lord of Sipan.

 The Lambayeque culture (also known as Sican), 750 to 1375 A.D., built the town of Tucume in an area now known as the Valley of 26 Pyramids near present day Chiclayo. They also expanded the canal system for use in agriculture. The Museum of the Royal Tombs and the Museum of Sican are filled with exquisite gold and ceramic artifacts.
There are also forests that are home to the Spectacled Bear, the only bear species in Peru and birdwatchers can see the 40 unique species of birds in the area including the Marvelous Spatuletail Hummingbird. Near Trujillo are the haciendas where the famous “Paso Fino” horses are bred and raised. These horses are known for their smooth ride and ambling gait.

The Chimu culture, 1200-1470 AD,  covered territory from north of Lima all the way up to Tumbes, near the present day Ecuadorian border. Their capitol, Chan Chan, near Trujillo, where the palaces of the Chimu kings can be found, is the largest pre-Hispanic settlement in the Americas. This culture focused on agriculture but was also adept at metallurgy and ceramics. The Spanish were so impressed with the metal works that they moved the metal workers to Cuzco. The Chan Chan site is notable for its very tall walls, some as high as 26 feet, that separated the kings from the “commoners”.

https://www.greentracks.com/Nothern-Coast-Chiclayo-Trujillo.htm

GreenTracks offers 9 tour programs in Northern Peru from 3 to 8 day lengths.
https://www.greentracks.com/Northern-Peru-Tour-Programs.htm

And, for map lovers, like us here at GreenTracks, we have a great map of Northern Peru.
https://www.greentracks.com/Map-of-Northern-Peru.htm

Stay tuned as we have even more to pique your interest in Northern Peru.

 

People hiking to the Revash funerary complex nestled in limestone cliffs overlooking the Utcubamba River


Northern Peru - The Interior

The Chachapoyas civilization (1st to 15th century) was one of the last pre-Inca cultures to be defeated by the Spanish, in the second half of the 15th century. The Chachapoyas built one of South America’s archaeological wonders, the mountain fortress of Kuelap, which contained homes,  palaces and temples surrounded by a 70 foot stone wall. Nearby is the Revash mausoleum & the Mummy museum at Leymebamba. 

The Cajamarca people inhabited an area south-west of Chachapoyas for over 2,000 years before being conquered by the Incas. This area is best known for the Battle of Cajamarca, in 1532, when the Spanish, led by Francisco Pizzaro, captured Cajamarca and the Inca leader Atahualpa. Even though the Spanish were offered a room filled with gold and silver in exchange for his release Atahualpa was executed and the treasure was taken. The Ransom Room still exists and  is open to visitors. Located a short distance from Cajamarca is the Ventanillas de Otuzco, a mortuary enclosure built into the side of a cliff. It is believed that most of the bodies were either moved, or looted, at some point although some skeletal remains and ceramics can still be seen. Nearby is Cumbemayo with its rock pillars covered in petroglyphs and the 3,00 year old aqueduct system that is one of the oldest in South America,

https://www.greentracks.com/Chachapoyas-1.htm

GreenTracks offers 9 tour programs in Northern Peru from 3 to 8 day lengths.
https://www.greentracks.com/Northern-Peru-Tour-Programs.htmhttps://www.greentracks.com/Northern-Peru-Tour-Programs.htm

 

For 27 years GreenTracks has been known for being Amazon travel experts. Beside our interest in the natural world we have an interest in ancient cultures and history so we also offer Machu Picchu and Cuzco as a travel destinations.  Some people have started raising the issue of too many people at Machu Picchu, but it is still worth putting up with all those people, to have a once in a lifetime experience.

Peru is rich in ancient civilizations, history, archaeology and incredible geography. Northern Peru was home to several different pre-Inca civilizations and abounds with archaeology sites, still being excavated.

Only recently has Peru taken to opening up these areas to tourism.  Over the next few days and weeks we plan to expose you to a whole new old-world of travel possibilities. We have 22 inter-linked pages of historical, archaeological and travel/tour information.   So, get ready to expand your bucket list...

We’ll start with the basics and get more specific as we go.

The Northern Coast of Peru: Chiclayo and Trujillo
Evidence of ancient cultures and their incredible achievements.

https://www.greentracks.com/Nothern-Coast-Chiclayo-Trujillo.htm

Lost World of the Chachapoyas
 "People of the Clouds" and the Fortess of Kuelap

https://www.greentracks.com/Chachapoyas-1.htm

The photo is of Kuelap, by the Chachapoyas people.

 

Travel to the colorful  city of Cuzco with its combination of the legacy of the Incas and colonial Spanish architecture is a an experience you will thoroughly enjoy. And Cuzco is the starting point for travel to the Sacred Valley, with its beauty, Andean villages and Inca sites, and then on to a visit to the "Lost City of Machu Picchu", one of the world's most impressive archaeological sites,    with its rich history, stunning views, terraces and unrivaled stone-work architecture makes for a trip that will will be talking about for years to come..

Check out the new page on our website with photos of the Sacred Valley, Cuzco and Machu Picchu taken by GreenTracks staff and travelers.

https://www.greentracks.com/Cuzco-Sacred-Valley-Machu-Picchu-Photos.html

 

The GreenTracks 5th Annual Amazon Herping Tour, November 2-9, 2019, is half full at this time, so space is still available, but likely to go quickly. There is only going to be one trip this year, and these  trips do Sell Out, so getting signed up soon is a good idea. It’s easy to do with the online booking application. A partly refundable $200 deposit is all it takes and the balance isn’t due until September 18. These trips have become quite popular and we always come across a lot of cool reptiles and amphibians, as well as other rainforest wildlife. Here is the link to the webpage with all the details.

https://www.greentracks.com/Amazon-Herping.html

 

Iguanas reintroduced to Galapagos island after 200 years.

https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/galapagos-island-iguanas-scli-intl/index.html

 

What adventures will the new year bring for you?  Maybe the exotic Amazon... Here is your chance to explore the rainforest and see an incredible amount of wildlife. We are now taking bookings for the Fifth Annual Amazon Herping Tour, November 2 - 9, 2019.  Again your hosts will be Tom Crutchfield, Danté Fenolio and Bill Lamar whose combined experience make this a special trip indeed.  Once again the focus will be on reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates, but there will also be plenty of birds, monkeys, sloths and other Amazon wildlife. There will both day and night excursions and visits to a Canopy Walkway.
There will only be one trip this year and we expect the trip to fill up quickly. These trips do Sell Out, so best to get signed up soon. It’s easy to do with the online booking application. A partly refundable $200 deposit is all it takes and the balance isn’t due until September 18.

All the details about the trip are here:
https://www.greentracks.com/Amazon-Herping.html

 

We hope to see many of you in the Amazon next year.

 

Amazon Photography Tour
with Dante Fenolio
November 9 - 16, 2019

An exciting opportunity to observe and photograph the fantastic wildlife of the Amazon Rainforest in a relaxed and fun setting.
Dante Fenolio, wildlife photographer and renowned zoologist with world wide experience, led this photo trip for us last year and is now returning to his favorite forests.
Extraordinary experience at a GREAT price. You can get on a  list to receive more info as it becomes available (there is a link to that on the web page).

But, we are now taking bookings and the trip will likely fill up quickly.

https://www.greentracks.com/Amazon-Photography-Trip.html

 

   

                                                                           














The Manu birding tour and Machu Picchu trips we did through GreenTracks were great. I was amazed how organized and professional the team was. Our guide Lady provided an informative tour of Machu Picchu. William our birding guide was extremely knowledgeable and very accommodative to our requests. The weather was quite rainy but we knew this would be a possibility when we booked the trip for the start of the rainy season. The van drivers, boat drivers and lodge staff were very professional and gave outstanding service. We managed to find approx. 240 bird species, 6 species of monkeys and one sloth and got some great photographs. William is an amazing birder and I would highly recommend him to anyone going on a Peru birding trip. Thanks very much for your efforts and to GreenTracks for making this a very memorable and enjoyable trip.

Lennart Sopuck, 2018

https://www.greentracks.com/ 

 

We are now taking bookings for the Tom Crutchfield Amazon Herping Tour, November 2 - 9, 2019.  (There is only one trip planned for 2019. Tom Crutchfield can not commit to another and we expect the trip will fill quickly again this year.) Get signed up for this annual experience in the Peruvian Amazon hosted by three leading experts: Tom Crutchfield, Danté Fenolio and Bill Lamar. Some folks have done this trip several times. As always, the focus will be on the wide variety of reptiles and amphibians (and invertebrates), but we will also be finding lots of incredible birds, monkeys, sloths and other rainforest wildlife. There will be excursions both day and night on forest trails and on the fantastic Canopy Walkway.  With Tom, Danté and Bill you will have tons of entertainment and laughter as they regale you with stories of past adventures and insights into the amazing animals you will be seeing.  See old friends and make new friends. And who knows what new critters might be found as no two trips are ever exactly the same.
    Book now as these trips Sell Out every year. It’s easy to do with the PDF Application or the NEW on-line booking application.  A partly refundable $200 deposit is all it takes and the balance is not due until 45 days before the November 2 - 9 trip starts...September 25.

All the details about this trip here:
https://www.greentracks.com/Amazon-Herping.html

A PDF document of the Itinerary and Details can be downloaded here:
https://GreenTracks.com/PDF/Crutchfield Lamar Fenolio Amazon Herping Tour 2019.PDF