Oh, Little Town of Bethlehem (Peru)

Looking out the airplane window, you can see nothing but trees for hours. We are on our way to Iquitos, a city deep in the Peruvian rainforest reachable only by air or water.  Finally, finally I am going to see the Amazon River.  

Leaving the airport, the air was hot and sticky, but nearly two decades in Texas has made me an expert on hot and sticky. Iquitos was actually pretty mild in comparison.

I wandered around the main square in Iquitos, dodging moto-carros (Peru's version of the tuk-tuk) and taking in the colonial architecture.  I was impatient to board the boat and let the Amazon carry me deep into the jungle.  I had seen all I needed to see of Iquitos.

Ten days later, tired, damp and exhilarated all at once, we returned to Iquitos. Because of a schedule change, we had several hours to spend there.  Truthfully, I was not excited.  Our guide suggested that we take another, "special" boat ride, to see something amazing.  I was pretty sure that nothing in Iquitos was going seem "amazing" in comparison to what we'd seen in the last week and a half.  As usual, I was wrong.

We piled into a small launch and headed upriver to the section of the city called Belen (which, incidentally, means Bethlehem).  It was only 
minutes into the ride that my jaw dropped.  This is what we saw.

Wondering what you are seeing?  Belen was built right on the riverbank--a riverbank that floods as much as 30 feet every year, with the water remaining in flood stage for months.  Homes are built either on stilts or on rafts that rise and fall with the floodwaters.

The only way to travel in "the Venice of Peru" is by boat 

We watched as this little boy, no more than five or six years old, struggled to manage his long dugout canoe

Water taxis

A floating convenience store--"Walmart" our guide said.

Usually two families live in these floating homes lacking electricity, running water or sanitation.

Washing clothes in the muddy water.  Looks like young love in the background.

I have no idea.  The mayor, maybe?

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