Because Iquitos is difficult
and expensive to get to, its fairly off the main backpacker circuit, so
you won't find an overwhelming number of tourists here. Furthermore, you
won't find a lot of tourists who show up without a pre-arranged guided
trip. Because of this and the nature of some of the guides near the main
Plaza del Armas, you will most certainly be harassed by these guides
upon your arrival in Iquitos. There is a small number of "rabid guides".
These type of guides will say ANYTHING to get your business. They will
blatantly lie, they will approach you on the street, they may put their
hands on your body, they will pretend to be your friend, they will make
up stories they think you want to hear (like I'm studying English can I
practice with you) and they will invite themselves to sit down with you
while you are eating. In my personal experience, the guides who do this
are NOT to be trusted. Speaking with the former commissioner of tourism
for the Iquitos area, I was told that he prosecuted over 350 of these
types of guides during his tenure in that position. These guides often
will inflate the
price and then buy you the cheapest tour they can find - usually with
bad equipment which may break down during transportation.
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If you are interested in getting GOOD knowledgeable advice, talk to
Gerald Mayeaux. He is the owner of the excellent bar/restaurant, The
Yellow Rose of Texas located at Putumayo #180, just off one corner of
the main Plaza del Armas square. He is willing to give tourists several
options for guided trips and he will point out the good and bad points
of each tour. Gerald's direct email is:
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theyellowroseoftexasiquitos@gmail.com Additional contact information
is:
Gerald and Pamela
Mayeaux
Putumayo 180
Iquitos, Peru
Telephone (51-65) 23-1353 E-mail:
theyellowroseoftexasiquitos@hotmail.com
or
yellowroseoftexasiquitos@yahoo.com
Most of the main jungle tours will incorporate jungle walks during the
day and night, Pirahna or other Amazonian fish fishing, viewing jungle
animals, "natives" performing - usually all transportation, lodging and
food is included in the base price. Most of the close jungle lodges by
fast boat, are within 1-3 hours from Iquitos. |
