Dawn on the Amazon Captain’s Blog

About the upper Amazon River, the Amazon rainforest, Iquitos Peru, and Dawn on the Amazon Tours and Cruises.

May 31, 2008

Uncontacted Tribe Discovered in Amazon

Filed under: Amazon River Stories — Bill @ 10:40 pm

Uncontacted Tribe Discovered in Amazon

An uncontacted tribe of indigenous has been discovered and photographed from the air near the border of Peru and Brazil. The exact location has not been revealed to protect the tribe from unwanted visits. First contact usually results in half the population of the village dieing from diseases, and the complete disruption of their social order and lifestyle.

I examined the photos of the uncontacted tribe on the Survival International web site. One woman is stained black from either the unripe fruit or seed of the wito tree. Three or four of the men have stained their face red with the fruit of the achiote tree. One man has a wooden spear, three of the men have strips of bark or bamboo around their waist and forehead and are holding bows and arrows at the ready.

Three simple thatch roof structures are laid out in a practical orderly system for communal living for 20 or 30 natives, but only half that many are visible. They might be a tribe of the Amahuaca.

Their days as the uncontacted tribe are just about over.

I am curious about the details of their life. Unfortunately so is every other jungle guide in Peru and Brazil. Anthropologists all over the world are trying to figure out how to hook up with the right jungle guide to get there before it is too late.

Uncontacted Tribe Discovered in Amazon

Bill Grimes, Jungle Guide for Dawn on the Amazon Tours and Cruises

About Bill Grimes

Contact Bill Grimes

May 26, 2008

Tourism Statistics for Iquitos Peru

Filed under: Dawn on the Amazon — Bill @ 9:36 pm

Tourism Statistics for Iquitos Peru

Come to Iquitos Peru to get away from the crowd. Cusco has as many tourists in one week as Iquitos has in one year.

Total international tourists 2005 32,556
2006 37,970
Total tourists from the USA 2005 17,509
2006 19,010
Total tourists from Europe 2005 3,961
2006 4,410
Total tourists from Asia 2005 536
2006 835
Tourists from the UK 2005 1,320
2006 1,938
Tourists from Germany 2005 1,107
2006 1,036
Tourists from Spain 2005 1,757
2006 2,076
Tourists from Canada 2005 322
2006 1,361
Tourists from France 2005 860
2006 1,081

The months with the fewest tourists in Iquitos Peru are Jan., Feb., April, May, Nov., Dec.

The months with the fewest tourists for Dawn on the Amazon Tours and Cruises are April and May. That always surprises me because those are two of the best months for Amazon Cruises. The water is high and the boat rides above the river bank with the best view.

International tourists who went to lodges 2005 30,179
2006 30,208
Peruvian tourists who went to lodges 2005 2,527
2006 3,893
International tourists who did not go to lodges or stay in hotels 2005 6,410
2006 8,603

I speculate that most of the tourists that did not go to lodges or stay in hotels went on Amazon Cruises, were missionaries, or were seeking the services of a shaman, or curandero.

Tourism Statistics for Iquitos Peru

Bill Grimes, President, Dawn on the Amazon Tours and Cruises

May 25, 2008

Your Amazon Cruise and Golf Adventure in Iquitos Peru

Filed under: Dawn on the Amazon — Bill @ 2:50 pm

Your Amazon Cruise and Golf Adventure in Iquitos Peru

I am going to show you how easy it can be to have a safe adventure in the Amazon Rainforest. You will stay at the best hotels, eat at my favorite restaurants, cruise the Amazon on a famous Amazon River boat, play golf at the Amazon Golf Course, and have a great story to tell your family and friends.

Green # 6, Danger, Piranhas, Wolf Fish

This is the Amazon Golf Course, carved out of second growth jungle near Iquitos Peru by men with machetes. Water hazards take on a literal meaning when they are full of large toothy sport fish called, WOLF FISH, Hoplias malabaricus. We rent fishing poles to carry with your clubs and machete. You can use golf balls for bait.

Plan to play a round at the Amazon Golf Course soon.

Dawn on the Amazon Tours and Cruises has teamed up with the Amazon Golf Course to create two travel packages to make it easy for you to play this challenging course, to enjoy exotic Iquitos, and to explore the Amazon River and rainforest cruising on the beautiful Dawn on the Amazon river boats.

The only differences in the two packages are The Luxury Amazon Cruise and Golf Adventure, for $1800, provides the benefit of the additional comfort of staying in 5 star hotels and cruising in Dawn on the Amazon III. The Half Price Amazon Cruise and Golf Adventure, for $900, provide the same golf and other benefits, but you will stay in three star hotels, and cruise through the Amazon rainforest in Dawn on the Amazon I. All of the other benefits are the same. Really, the only decision that you need to make is $1800, or $900. Bring three friends.

Your Amazon Cruise and Golf Adventure, Iquitos Peru

Bill Grimes

Amazon Golf Course, Iquitos Peru, Open Under New Management

May 18, 2008

Hotels of Iquitos Peru; Reviews, Rates, Recommendations

Filed under: Iquitos Peru Stories — Bill @ 7:09 pm

Hotels of Iquitos Peru; Reviews, Rates, Recommendations

I am asked for recommendations about hotels in Iquitos Peru nearly every day. This article should be a valuable resource for travelers to Iquitos. I have listed the benefits and the prices of the hotels I recommend.

Prices range from $5 to $250, and fluctuate with the exchange rate, the season, promotions, supply and demand, and sometimes the whims of the owners.

At some hotels, you can negotiate a discount. It won’t hurt to ask. The lowest rates can usually be negotiated from November to May.

A lot of this information comes from my personal experiences and opinions, from the experiences and opinions of my friends, and from guests who have stayed at the hotels reviewed here.

If a hotel or hostel is in this list you can consider it a recommendation within the hotel’s price range and your budget. If the price is under $20 do not expect hot water and air conditioning. If you require hot water and air conditioning you will not be happy with the low price choices. If you are on a tight budget, you will not be happy with the El Dorado Plaza, or the Victoria Regia. Please choose accordingly. Don’t say, “I can not believe Bill recommended this hotel. It doesn’t have a pool.”

I love Iquitos Peru, and want to share that love with you. I always recommend my guests schedule at least one day in Iquitos before their Amazon cruise or Jungle Cabin adventure and at least one day after we return. That usually means hotel rooms. If you choose Dawn on the Amazon Tours and Cruises for your Amazon adventure, we will make the reservations at the hotel of your choice for you.

The Iquitos Peru Hotel Reviews, Rates, Benefits, and Recommendations

Listed by price, not strength of recommendation

El Dorado Plaza, Napo #252, $150 single, $180 double or matrimonial, $250 Junior suite, the only 5 star hotel in Iquitos, very nice, excellent breakfast, fancy swimming pool with fountain, and water fall. Well located on the Plaza de Armas, one and a half blocks to the river and boulevard, two blocks to our Dawn on the Amazon Tours and Cruises office. The El Dorado Plaza is the best and most expensive hotel in Iquitos. Airport pick-up and delivery included. I like Francisco Grippa’s art on display in the lobby.

El Dorado Hotel, Napo #362, $ 73 single, $83 double, sister hotel to the El Dorado Plaza, continental breakfast and airport pick up included. A half block to the Plaza de Armas, two and a half blocks to the river and boulevard. I stayed here. I like the swimming pool and Francisco Grippa’s art on display in the lobby, but I consider this hotel to be over priced. Be sure to negotiate a discount.

Victoria Regia, Ricardo Palma #252, $66 single, $77 double, $90.20 junior suit $127.60 Deluxe Suit. Well run, arguably the best hotel over all for the price, comfortable rooms, air conditioning, hot water, nice swimming pool, buffet breakfast, complimentary airport pickup and delivery, fairly quiet, but not as well located, 8 blocks from the Plaza, 10 blocks from the Dawn on the Amazon Tours and Cruises office, 4 blocks from the river and boulevard. I have stayed here many times. It is the best hotel in Iquitos for the price.

Acosta, Huallaga # 254, $44 single, $55 double, same family owns and operates it as the Victoria Regia, very well run, air conditioning, hot water, beautiful lobby with fresh bouquets, continental breakfast, complimentary airport pick up, noisy, ask for a room in the back, two blocks from the Plaza de Armas, 4 blocks from our office, 3 blocks from the river and boulevard. I have had friends stay here. The rooms are comfortable. I like the lobby décor, the heliconia and ginger bouquets. It might be the best hotel for the price if a swimming pool is not important to you.

La Casa Fitzcarraldo, Avenida La Marina #2153, not really a hotel, rather a large famous house with possibly the best pool and jungle garden in Iquitos. It is certainly the only place with a three story tree house. It is the house that Warner Hertzog and Walter Saxer bought for a home base to produce the most famous movie made in Iquitos, Fitzcarraldo, considered by many to be the most difficult movie ever made. Marmelita and I lived here for several months. There are a lot of good things about La Casa Fitzcarraldo, but it is a 10 minute moto-kar ride from the Plaza de Armas and our office. If getting away from the hustle and noise of the city center sounds good to you, I recommend it. Cost $44.

Hotel Marañon, Located on the corner of Fitzcarrald and Nauta # 285-289, $36 single, $44 double or matrimonial, $56 triple, air conditioning, hot water, swimming pool, continental breakfast, airport pick-up. Well located two blocks from the river and boulevard, one block from the Plaza de Armas, rooms on the street side are noisy; rooms facing the pool are quieter. Arguably the best value, considering the pool, location, and price. Reservations recommended.

Hotel Doral Inn, Raymondi #220, $35 single, $45 double, $60 triple, includes continental breakfast and pick up from the airport. The top floor is an observation tower, the floor below is a roof top patio occasionally used for parties. The lobby and rooms are small; the rooms to the back are quieter. Well located a block and a half from the Plaza de Armas and the boulevard.

Hotel Safari, Napo #118, $32 single, $45 double or matrimonial, price includes continental breakfast. The Safari is only a few yards from the boulevard, and one block from the Plaza de Armas. The matrimonial rooms have a view of the river. The Safari was completely remodeled in 2006-2007, so it is practically new.

Hotel Ambassador, Pevas #260, $24 single, $37 double or matrimonial, $49 triple, includes continental breakfast. I do not have any personal experience with the Ambassador, but a friend of mine always stays there and likes it, so I include it on his recommendation. The Ambassador is two and a half blocks from the Plaza de Armas, and the boulevard.

Hostal El Colibri, $13 single, $16 matrimonial, private bath rooms, safe, clean, affordable, fairly quiet, well located, you can choose to pay extra for hot water, and air conditioning, no complimentary breakfast. El Colibri is located right around the corner from the Dawn on the Amazon Tours and Cruises office, half block from the river, and boulevard, one block from the Plaza de Armas. I frequently recommend this hostel to my guests.

Hospedaje La Pascana, Pevas # 133-A, $11 single, $15 double, $18, triple. Well located on a quiet street that ends at the river. Three blocks to the Plaza de Armas, two blocks from the Dawn on the Amazon Tours and Cruises office, and the boulevard. The two best features are the quiet tropical garden every room faces and opens on to, and the nice family who owns the hostel. They will help you with nearly everything you will need. I lived here for several months. If you are on a budget, and are staying for a month or more ask for the monthly rate, it is a small discount that helps makes La Pascana a good choice.

Hobo Hideout, Putumayo # 437, budget alternative three blocks from the main square. The rooms to the back are the quietest, $7 dormitory bed, $13 double, $18, matrimonial. The Hobo Hideout is a good choice for outdoors people, fishermen and hunters on a budget. The décor tends toward a hunter’s den, with pet parrots and macaws, snake skins, animal hides, trophy fish, etc.

Mad Mick’s Trading Post and Bunkhouse, #163-202 Putumayo, up the stairs, $5 bunk bed, dormitory style. Well located a half block from the Plaza de Armas, half block from the river and boulevard, two blocks from the Dawn on the Amazon Tours and Cruises office. I know this place well. Mad Mick’s is the most secure place to stay on a tight budget. Be sure to bring your own lock for the security box. Mad Mick is actually Mike Collis, owner and editor of the Iquitos Times

There are many more hotels and hostels that are not mentioned here, either because I do not know them, do not like them, or because I do not consider their location to be favorable for most travelers.

I stayed at the Real Iquitos over a decade ago. It has fallen on hard times, but is still an interesting place, with huge rooms, a view of the river, and a great location.

I lived at the Posada Del Lobo, Cabo Pantoja 417, for six months. It has a nice pool, friendly staff, nice owners, but is a 10 minute moto-kar ride from the city center.

The Parthenon and the Sol de Oriente are both fine hotels but not well located for most travelers. They have excellent swimming pools. The Sol de Oriente is the best hotel near the airport, and makes a good choice if your flight is delayed or canceled.

Posado Del Lobo, Oro Verde, Amazonas, Real Iquitos, Anaconda, Europa, Sandalo, Copoazu, Jhuliana all have their loyal guests.

I invite you to share your opinions and experiences about the hotels of Iquitos with us in the comments below this article.

I will update this article periodically as prices change and with new additions to the recommended list as you convince me with your comments.

Hotels of Iquitos Peru; Reviews, Rates, Recommendations

If you found this article to be valuable, and you have not done so already, please subscribe to my RSS feed to make sure you do not miss future articles that might help make your stay in Iquitos Peru more enjoyable and productive. Thank you.

Bill Grimes

Here are more links where you will find value;

Bill’s and Marmelita’s Favorite Restaurants in Iquitos, Peru

Navigating the Lima Airport and Arriving in Iquitos Peru

Geographic and Climatic Data for Iquitos Peru

Peruvian Cuisine with Dawn on the Amazon

To Answer the Questions You Should Ask Before Booking a Jungle Adventure

May 11, 2008

Charter My Boats, Hire Us

Filed under: Dawn on the Amazon — Bill @ 4:22 pm

Charter My Boats, Hire Us

Dawn-on-the-Amazon-3-and-Dawn-on-the-Amazon-1

Charter My Boats

Charter my boats for your group or for your personal privacy.

Charter-My-Boats

Charter My Boats, Hire Us

For scientific researchers and nature lovers, the quietest boats in the upper Amazon. Do you want the cheapest prices or the best experience? For the best experience, contact Dawn on the Amazon Tours and Cruises, someone you can trust.

Marmelita-and-Bill,-with-Edson-and-Alberto-in-Pacaya-Samiria-National-Reserve

Hire Us

Why do most foreigners fail in Iquitos? They hire the wrong people! Do you want someone you can trust?

Hire-Us

Hire Us, Someone You Can Trust

Marmeltia-in-charge-of-making-everything-better

Meet Marmelita, the most trustworthy, organized, smart, likable person in Iquitos

Do you want to open a new business? Build a house or boat, buy property? Clean up immigration problems? File for residency? You will have a better experience, a better result, and save money in the long run when you hire us, someone you can trust.

Charter My Boats, Hire Us

Bill Grimes, President of Dawn on the Amazon Tours and Cruises,  About Bill GrimesContact Bill Grimes

Our Amazon Riverboats Dawn on the Amazon Tours and Cruises

To see 143 photos of my boats, and crew click this link; Dawn on the Amazon Riverboats and Wood Carvings

May 9, 2008

The Bats of Allpahuayo Mishana National Reserve, and How They Could Benefit You

Filed under: Amazon River Stories — Bill @ 9:06 pm

Long-nosed-bats-in-Allpahuayo-Mishana-National-Reserve

The Bats of Allpahuayo Mishana National Reserve, and How They Could Benefit You

Allpahuayo Mishana National Reserve is home to the 2nd highest density of bat species in Peru. Of the 65 species captured and identified, 28 percent are fruit eaters and 26 percent are insectivores.

The report I read was incomplete and caused me to speculate on the other 11 species that are presumably divided into nectar eating pollinator bats and fish eating bats, probably in that order of distribution.

The number of bat species is another of the many indicators of the mega bio-diversity found in the Reserva Nacional Allpahuayo-Mishana. Bats pollinate orchids, control insect populations, and disperse seeds.

The Short-tailed Fruit bat is the most common bat in Allpahuayo Mishana National Reserve. The Short-tailed bat will eat 30 different fruit species but prefers Piper and Cecropia. They ingest the seeds with the fruit, but the seeds are usually not digested and are excreted, ready to germinate. One colony of Short-tailed bats, might account for over 100,000 new seedlings per year, making them one of the most important species for regenerating disturbed rainforest.

The Nanay River area of Allpahuayo Mishana National Reserve has few mosquitoes

Allpahuayo Mishana National Reserve and the area upstream of the reserve on the Nanay River has the fewest mosquitoes of any place I have explored in the Amazon Rainforest. Part of the reason is the water in the lakes and rivers is very “acidic”. The rainwater that collects in bromeliad cups, indentations in trees, and hollow logs is “sweet” and provides ample breeding areas to generate a large mosquito population, but the 25 species of insect eating bats help keep the mosquito population at a minimum.

On many tours and cruises up the Nanay River into Allpahuayo Mishana National Reserve and beyond, I have slept out comfortably with no mosquito net. To put that in perspective, every time I have slept out without a mosquito net in any other part of the Amazon Rainforest I spent fairly miserable nights under extreme circumstances.

My smaller Amazon adventure cruise boat, Dawn on the Amazon I, does not have screened in areas. I usually recommend my Dawn I guests go into Allpahuayo Mishana National Reserve. The Nanay River is one of the most beautiful rivers in the upper Amazon watershed, a protected, rare, white sand forest famous with bird watchers. Enjoying your Amazon adventure is a lot easier without mosquitoes pestering you.

Allpahuayo Mishana National Reserve is a hotspot of biodiversity that deserves protection at the highest possible level

I agree completely with the conclusion of the research in the report, “Bats of the Reserva Nacional Allpahuayo-Mishana, northeastern Peru.”

“Although the Reserva Nacional Allpahuayo-Mishana enjoys a relatively high protected status, this has yet to be translated into sustained conservation. As a hotspot of biodiversity in Peru, it deserves protection at the highest possible level.”

In a future post I will propose what I consider to be “protection at the highest possible level”.

The Bats of Allpahuayo Mishana National Reserve, and How They Could Benefit You

Bill Grimes, Allpahuayo Mishana National Reserve Dawn on the Amazon Tours and Cruises

Photos of our Expedition Through Allpahuayo Mishana National Reserve

Photos I took while Bird Watching Allpahuayo Mishana National Reserve

May 5, 2008

Rosemary Potato Croquetas

Filed under: Recipes of Peru — Bill @ 5:39 pm

For the Dawn on the Amazon Peruvian Cuisine Cookbook

Rosemary Potato Croquetas

Rosemary Potato Croquetas

Our Peruvian Grandmother Judy and Marmelita worked all morning perfecting these ingredients and techniques. Our crew and I spent half an hour finishing them off. That’s just the way it is…

1 cup diced chicken
1 cup diced cecina (substitute cured ham)
9 small yellow potatoes (substitute favorite potato)
3 tbls. olive oil
1 tbls. fresh diced rosemary
1 tsp. sage
1 tsp. thyme
1/2 cup unbleached flour
1/2 cup bread flour
3 eggs
salt and pepper to taste
oil to fry

Boil the potatoes, peel, and mash in a large bowl to the texture of pastry. Set aside.

Heat olive oil in pan, fry cecina or ham, add chicken, rosemary, sage, and thyme, stir fry four minutes. Set aside.

Make a crater in the potatoes to add one egg, and the cecina, herb mixture. Mix everything while slowly adding the salt and pepper.

Knead for 10 minutes, then make over 20 oblong shapes of the croquetas.

Put the unbleached flour on one plate, and the bread flour on another plate, mix the two eggs in a bowl.

As you heat the oil to hot, roll the croquettas in the plain flour, then the eggs, then the bread flour.

Fry each one until golden brown.

Rosemary Potato Croquetas

Bill Grimes Sample Menu Dawn on the Amazon Tours and Cruises

May 2, 2008

We Build and Own Our Amazon River Boats

Filed under: Dawn on the Amazon — Bill @ 1:47 pm

Dawn-on-the-Amazon-Reflected

Dawn on the Amazon III

If you Google search “Amazon cruises”, you find Dawn on the Amazon ranks second, (May 1st 2008) and that Dawn on the Amazon Tours and Cruises is the only company on the first search page that owns the Amazon River boats used on the cruises. We build our own boats.

If you Google search “Amazon tours and cruises”, or “Amazon Cruise”, you will find Dawn on the Amazon ranks 3rd and 6th and is the only company listed on the first search page that owns the Amazon River boats used on those cruises. We build our own boats.

We build our own web sites. We take our own photographs. We write our own articles.

We are not a travel agency. We are responsible for our own Amazon Tours and Cruises. We are unique. Choose Dawn on the Amazon for your Amazon tours and cruises.

Not like other companies, we run our own cruises, we build our own boats.

Dawn-on-the-Amazon-1-on-the-Amazon-River

Dawn on the Amazon I

Bill Grimes, president of Dawn on the Amazon Tours and Cruises

Dawn on the Amazon Tours and Cruises

May 1, 2008

Water Level, Amazon River, May 1st 2008, Iquitos Peru

Filed under: Amazon River Stories — Bill @ 8:35 pm

Water Level, Amazon River, May 1st 2008, Iquitos Peru

Water Level May 1st, Iquitos Peru

The green line is the record high water, the red line is record low water, yellow line is average, blue 2007, and the black line is this year up to May 1st.

Do you think the 40 foot rise and fall is because of the rainy season and the dry season in the rainforest near Iquitos Peru, or is it primarily triggered by weather patterns on the east slope of the Andes far upstream? Be careful, trick question, better click this link; Geographic and Climatic Data for Iquitos Peru

Water Level, Amazon River, May 1st 2008, Iquitos Peru

Bill Grimes, Welcome to Iquitos Peru Dawn on the Amazon Tours and Cruises

Geographic and Climatic Data for Iquitos Peru

Water Level is Dropping, Iquitos Peru

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