The Great River Amazon Raft Race Blog, 2009

The Great River Amazon Raft Race has been held in Iquitos Peru since 1999. At first it was just a one day affair attracting local people. In 2006 the race was extended to cover 180 kilometers or 112 miles of the mighty River Amazon over three days making it the longest raft race in the world.

Each team of four must construct their own raft out of balsawood logs and other materials (which are provided) and then paddle the raft for three days through the magnificent rainforest to the finish line in Iquitos.

The Great River Amazon Raft Race 2008 race attracted 46 crews from 18 different countries including the famous Sisterhood and Brotherhood teams from London, England. Most of the teams were sponsored and raised money for their favorite charities.

The big surprise of the 2008 Great River Amazon Raft Race was that a Peruvian team did not cross the finish line first. Dave Kelly, West Hansen, Carter Johnson, and Mike Scales of team “Easy Living” from the USA completed the course in a record 12 hours and 19 minutes, followed closely by the reigning champions “Los Increibles de Padre Cocha”.

Another exciting part of the 2008 race was when Dave Petroski’s “Canada One” team was swept into some fallen trees by the strong current, wrecking the raft and spilling the crew into the water. They were rescued by Dawn on the Amazon’s safety boat.

The next Great River Amazon Raft Race Race will be in September 2009 with raft construction on Thursday September 24th and the race will take place over the next 3 days finishing in Iquitos on Sunday, September 27th.  At present over 20 international teams have expressed an interest to compete in this race which will be even bigger and better than ever.

It is advisable for all teams to be in Iquitos by Tuesday September 22nd for the Raft Race Reception in the Amazon Café.

Mark these dates on your calendar;

• September 22, orientation, reception, party.

• September 23, support boat leaves for Nauta.

• September 24, raft construction.

• September 25, race begins.

• September 26, 2nd day of race.

• September 27 race ends in Iquitos, award ceremony, party.

Join us for a great Amazon adventure

For more information please click this link to the Iquitos Times.

For those participants or spectators who would appreciate more comfort and better food during the race, I will have space available on my Dawn on the Amazon riverboats on a first come first serve basis. To ensure the best experience for all, Dawn III will be limited to 10 guests. Dawn I will be limited to 6 guests. To put those limits in perspective, Dawn III’s legal capacity is 24, sleeps 12 comfortably, and Dawn I’s legal capacity is 14, sleeps 8 comfortably, so there will be plenty of room to be comfortable on both boats.

For information about the Dawn on the Amazon riverboats prices, schedule and benefits to spectators of the Great River Amazon Raft Race, click this special cruises link, one day is free.

To see more great photos from the Dawn on the Amazon photo gallery of The Great Amazon River Raft Race click the link.

If you would like to leave a comment, if you have a question, or if you have already competed in a previous Great River Amazon Raft Race, please share your thoughts with us by clicking on the comment link below. We want to hear from you.

The Great River Amazon Raft Race Blog, 2009

Mike Collis and Bill Grimes

Other articles of interest about the Great River Amazon Raft Race

The Great River Amazon Raft Race Blog, 2008, with 380 comments

Iquitos Peru and the Great River Amazon Raft Race

The Great River Amazon Raft Race and Easy Living,  by John Fenner

Behind the Scenes of the Great River Amazon Raft Race 2008

The Great River Amazon Raft Race, Iquitos Peru

The Great River Amazon Raft Race, 2005

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We Don’t Sell an Amazon Tour, We Provide a Dream Come True For You

We don’t sell you an Amazon tour, an Amazon cruise, or a city tour. We provide the experience of going back in history to discover 1899 at the apex of the Rubber Boom. Why would you buy just an Amazon tour, or an Amazon cruise instead of investing in the experience of being on a voyage of discovery on the Amazon River in the rainforest with Dawn on the Amazon.

We built our Amazon River boats of beautiful tropical hardwoods, retro-designed from the rubber boom era. The boats give you the feeling of following the flow of the river back in time to a way of life that no longer exists in most of the civilized world. Along the way you will discover that life has not changed much the last hundred years in the upper Amazon rainforest.

We are selling what you get after you leave us, when you get back home. We want you to have more than memories and photos. We want you to have an emotional association with Iquitos, the Amazon River, the rainforest. You will be welcomed aboard as our guest, and leave as part of our Dawn on the Amazon family.

Dawn on the Amazon, the beginning of a new day, everything seems possible, but nothing is carved in stone, or locked into a set itinerary. We rarely do business with travel agencies. They sell Amazon tours or Amazon cruises. They do not sell dreams come true. They have to to sell an itinerary scheduling every hour, every detail. How is that a voyage of discovery? It is a commodity, a product.

We are always looking for the opportunity to experience the unexpected. If you want an hourly itinerary, Dawn on the Amazon may not be right for you. We do business with independent travelers hoping to have their dreams come true. That is what we do.

We Don’t Sell an Amazon Tour, We Provide a Dream Come True For You

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

We Build and Own Our Amazon River Boats

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Top 10 Things to Do in Iquitos Peru

Iquitos Peru is well known as the gateway to Amazon adventures. It is also a charming destination in its own right, deserving at least one or two days to explore, either before or after your Amazon cruise or lodge stay, preferably both. Iquitos is surrounded by rivers and rainforest, with a rich history, and a unique culture that has evolved in isolation from the rest of the civilized world.

We all have different interests, but there is sure to be something here for everyone. Most of you will not have the time or inclination to enjoy all of the Top 10 ten things to do in Iquitos Peru, but my hope is that you will sort through the list to learn your options. Choose two or three of the choices listed in no particular order, and pursue your personal interests. Make the best use of your available free time, even if only for a few hours before your flight out to Lima and beyond.

1. Belen “Super” Market, the Opposite of a Tourist Trap
2. Amazon Animal Orphanage and Pilpintuwasi Butterfly Farm, the #1 Tourist Attraction in Iquitos
3. Watch How Real Indians Live at the Yagua and Bora Indian Villages
4. Hold a Sloth, or be Squeezed by a Giant Anaconda at a Jungle Menagerie
5. See the Big Cats at the Quistococha Zoo
6. Take a Cruise Around Iquitos on the Three Rivers
7. Look for Pink Dolphins
8. Explore the History of Iquitos on a City Tour
9. Play a Round of Golf at the Amazon Golf Course
10. Take In the Scene on the Malecon, or Boulevard Saturday and Sunday Night

(1) When travelers ask me to recommend somewhere that is not a “tourist trap” we will walk down to the Mercado de Belen. The Belen Market is a huge outdoor “super” market that sprawls for blocks, one of the great third world markets, bustling with life seven mornings per week, 365 days a year.

Everything that can be bought and sold in Iqutios can be found at the Belen Market; tropical jungle fruits, heart of palm, ayahuasca, mapacho, coca leaves, parrots, chicken eggs, fish eggs, turtle eggs, snail eggs, giant catfish, peacock bass, vampire fish, prehistoric fish with lungs, cows udder, tongue, stomach, intestine, eyeballs, feet, horns, hooves, (no source of protein is wasted), natural medicines to cure arthritis, diabetes, baldness, and even cancer. Chances are you will see many fascinating jungle extracted products you have never seen before.

Be careful, it is easy to get lost in the narrow twisting alley ways, crammed full of locals doing their daily shopping. When in doubt, climb the steps or walk uphill and hail a moto-car back to your hotel for two or three soles. As always, keep your valuables safe from pickpockets.

Combining the Belen Market in the morning with the Three River Cruise, and Looking for Pink Dolphins, in the afternoon makes for a non-touristy day to remember.

(2) My favorite attraction near Iquitos is a short boat ride and hike to the Amazon Animal Orphanage and Pilpintuwasi Butterfly Farm. I wish everyone that has an extra half day before or after their Amazon Cruise or lodge could find their way to this tropical jungle garden. In case you are thinking “Butterfly farm, slow as watching larva eat leaf”, it is not like that. Although you will probably gain a better understanding of the life cycle of the butterfly, it will be more interesting than you might think, and parts of the tour are down right exciting.

Most of the animals live free to roam around the Butterfly Farm, except for the jaguar who lives in a large cage with trees and a pool. You can probably feed the tapir, touch the anteater, monkeys will want to touch you, see a manatee and caiman in the pond, get up close to the macaws, and lots more…

There is more danger of pickpockets at the Butterfly Farm than at the Belen Market. The pickpockets are the monkeys. Be sure to keep everything you own secure. Two of these little rascals can unzip bags and pockets and be wearing your sunglasses in the top of the tree before you know it. I’ve watched the Black-faced Capuchin named Junior unscrew the lid on a plastic water bottle, poke leaves or paper inside, and screw the lid back on. His dexterity is remarkable. Don’t say I didn’t warn you, secure your gear.

(3) Two tribes of real Indians live in villages short, interesting boat rides from Iquitos. The Yaguas and Boras provide an opportunity for you to watch how natives have lived in the jungle for hundreds of years. The Boras perform traditional dances, the Yagua give lessons in shooting the blow gun. Both tribes sell handicrafts made from jungle extracted products.

Due to the distance, difficulty and danger of approaching a tribe of uncontacted or rarely contacted indigenous natives, most visitors will appreciate helping the local Yagua and Bora tribes preserve their cultural heritage on the edge of civilization.

(4) Want to hold a cute sloth, wear a boa for a necktie, be squeezed by an anaconda? Dock your boat at Las Boas on the Momon River.

(5) The Quistococha Zoological Park, is the fastest, easiest way to see and learn about rainforest wildlife. Most of you will never see a Jaguar, Ocelot or Marguay in the wild, because they are nocturnal, live in dense forest, and avoid humans. All of the wild cats, and most of the wildlife of the upper Amazon are on display at the zoo. You can also enjoy a botanical garden,  aviary, serpentarium, and lake, with beach. Bring your swim gear to cool off.

(6) Take a boat ride on the three rivers surrounding Iquitos. Cruise through the floating village of Belen, where the houses are  built on balsa logs that float up and down with the water level. See the Iquitos waterfront from a boat on the Itaya River. Watch the activity in the busy ports. Look for Pink Dolphins. Cruise down the magnificent Amazon River to the confluence of the Nanay River, and up the Nanay to the other side of Iquitos.

(7) Pink Dolphins are some of the most popular wildlife found in the Amazon. There are two places close to Iquitos where Pink and Gray Dolphins can frequently be seen. Hire a boat for a few hours and try your luck spotting the legendary, unforgettable, Pink Dolphin.

(8) Explore the history of Iquitos on a city tour. A good place to start is on the Plaza de Armas with La Casa de Fierro,  The Iron House, designed and built by Gustav Eiffel, and Inglesia Matriz, the Catholic cathedral. If you are a history buff, you can enjoy a two day project exploring 85 historical attractions worthy of your attention including; the Palace Hotel, Museo Amazonico, Masonic Temple, Iglesia de la Consolacion Chapel, the Seminary of St. Augustine, and the small narrow-guaged, wood-fired steam engine, from the rubber boom era.

(9) If golf is your game, play a round at the 25 acre Amazon Golf Course. The 9 hole jungle course tests your skill with a multitude of challenges, including caiman sunning in the sand traps, piranhas biting in the water hazards, and red tailed boas constricting in the rough. You will have a good story to tell your friends back home.

(10) Take in the Saturday and Sunday night scene  on the Boulevard, which starts gaining momentum around 7:00 and peaks around 9:30, one of the best times and places for people watching. Enjoy a special meal at one of the restaurants along the boulevard. Sample a Pisco Sour, the national drink, or a locally brewed Iquiteña beer. Be entertained by street musicians, comedy acts, or my favorite the capoeira martial arts dance that begins at 8:00pm. Mingle with the locals. Have fun.

Whether you are a history buff, a sightseer, or want to be immersed in the customs and culture of Iquitos, there is more to do here than you probably have planned for. I hope this list of the Top 10 Things to Do in Iquitos Peru, helps you prioritize your time, enhance your life, and make your stay in Iquitos pleasant and memorable.

If you would like to know the best way to accomplish any of the top 10 things to do in Iquitos, stop in and say hi at the Dawn on the Amazon office, facing the river, on the boulevard, Malecon, Maldonado #185.

Top 10 Things to Do In Iquitos Peru

It was challenging keeping this list to a manageable 10 attractions. This is my opinion of the top ten, what did I leave out that you think should have been on the list? Leave a comment below and let us know your favorite things to do in Iqutios Peru.

I am working on follow up articles to this one, including the Top Night Life, Top Cruises, and Top Lodges. I admit I am not an authority on the night life and would value your suggestions in the comments or by email.

To make sure you do not miss out on the rest of this series, please subscribe to my RSS feed. It is easy and free. Thank you.

Bill Grimes, Amazon Tour

Pink Dolphin

Pink Dolphins, Legends and Sex

Pink Dolphins in Pacaya Samiria National Reserve

Our Amazon Tour to the Butterfly Farm, Iquitos Peru

Butterfly Farm, Iquitos Peru

You Could Love Iquitos Peru

Amazon Golf Course, Iquitos Peru, Open Under New Management

Indigenous Peoples of the Americas, Wikipedia

Google Maps, Iquitos Peru

Iquitos, Wikipedia

Fluvial Life in Motion, You Tube

Yagua, Wikipedia

Nanay River

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