Day in Iquitos and Belén

On their way to the Peruvian Amazon, most people fly into and out of Iquitos and never see more of the city than the drive from the airport to the boat dock and back. My husband, Jerry, and I decided to spend one day (two nights) in Iquitos, Feb. 18-19, 2009, as part of our Amazon trip with Explorama (Nahant, MA; 800/707-5275, www.explorama.com).

We stayed at the El Dorado Plaza (Plaza de Armas, Iquitos; e-mail ops1@eldoradoplazahotel.com). This hotel, with a rack rate of about $200 a night, was included in our Amazon package and was very pleasant.

When we arrived at the hotel, we booked a half-day tour for the next morning with Jesus Rueda (info@amazonreise.com). Jesus is an energetic, interesting, considerate guide.

He took us on a walking tour of Iquitos to look at the remnants of the robber baron days. Eiffel, of Eiffel Tower fame, built one of the buildings on the main square.

We took a 3-wheeled motorized taxi to nearby Belén, the Venice of Peru. In high-water season, the houses are surrounded by water and can be reached only by canoe. The tour, taxi and canoe ride all were included for $30 per person.

Finally, we visited the Centro Peruano de Rescate de Fauna Amazonica, a volunteer manatee-rescue operation (www.acobia-dwa.org). As the only visitors, we were able to pet and bottle-feed the friendly manatees. We left a donation after asking if we could. Later we also gave a tip to Jesus.

On our own, we walked around Iquitos. We particularly enjoyed people-watching at the waterfront and in the Plaza de Armas. The city felt very safe but was noisy. There are thousands of 3-wheeled motorized taxis speeding along the streets.

NILI OLAY

New York, NY