MYSTYCAL MARCAHUASI AND RAFTING THE AMAZON TO IQUITOS

We start our Journey in Lima (Peru) and continue towards the Andean community of San Pedro de Casta. Then trek to the high altitude plateau, at 4.000 meters to Marcahuasi, the mysterious platform of four square Kilometres where many millenniums back a religious centre with four outdoors altars and one inaccessible fortress where built. History tells, that this people knew the importance of the mountain. They decorated it with sculptures as a testimony in order to preserve life for the generations to come. According to the Myths the location of such sculptures and the lines that join them, represents a map to a hidden door leading to another dimension. The different forms of the sculptures could represent animals like turtles, lions, dogs and Hippopotamus. One of them and maybe the most impressive one is a huge 25 meters high rock call “Monument to Humanity”.

Nothing beats a camping night with the sky full of stars. In MARCAHUASI we are closer to the sky!

Back to Lima by bus, local and private, we prepare for the second part of our journey. The amazing Jungle, its mysteries and beauties will delight us for the next days to come. Short flight to Tarapoto, by the Huallaga river, typical commercial Jungle city; messy, hot, humid, where men and nature survive on each other’s resources. 

Here we start our trip through the jungle. In Shapaja we board the raft that will be our Hotel and living place for the next 7 days.

We will float down the rivers, stopping on small native communities to spend time with the locals and maybe learn from them the simplicity of life that we have lost over the years of living on our “developed world”.

We will walk through jungle paths, white sand river beaches, visit waterfalls, observe the local fauna, monkeys, birds etc, and listen to the sounds of the jungle.

During our navigation in the raft we will visit Yarimaguas, Nauta and Iquitos, very important places for the locals. They are the trade points and contact with civilization on this water/jungle world.

We will be navigating on three different rivers, The Huallaga, the Marañon and finally on the Amazon. The raft will be our hotel, hammocks to sleep, restaurant and everything else during the time between Shapaja and Iquitos.

The Raft

The locals build it and it lasts for one trip only. For safety reasons we never use it twice. It is powered by a small 9-horse power motor (we always go downriver) and controlled with two huge rows when necessary. It is equipped with first aid kit, safety lifejackets, river position lights, and communication radio vhf, Living room for the hammocks, kitchen and bar. It has a garbage deposit to collect it during the trip and drop it later on the first available place. Bathroom with no chemicals to avoid polluting.

The people in charge are professionals on its task, familiar with the life around here and they have rafted  this route for years.

We also have a small motorboat that goes all along the trip. We use it to enter small water channels, visit other places while the raft continues on the main river. Using the motorboat we are able to catch it downriver later on.

Price and itinerary upon request

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