What Should We Do in Iquitos?
Iquitos is a very unique city in the center of the Peruvian Amazon. We have a little free time during our stay in the big city and we need your help to decide how to spend our time. After talking with local people and looking through guidebooks we’ve narrowed our options to these three experiences:
1. Butterfly Farm – they have over 40 species of the most colorful (and least dangerous) insects of the Amazon. We can learn more about the interesting lifecycle of bugs and catch a glimpse of some rescued animals at the farm. We are told they have a tapir, a puma, an anteater, monkeys, and possibly a caiman. It sounds like they are a legitimate rehabilitation center rather than a typical zoo. The farm releases almost 80% of their butterflies into the wild.
2. Tribal Dance – there are two indigenous groups, within a short boat ride of Iquitos, who perform traditional dances for tourists. They wear ceremonial outfits and duplicate an authentic tribal dance but it is just for show. The people performing the dance are not truly living the traditional life anymore.
3. Institute of Traditional Medicine – this is a hospital and education center funded by the Peruvian government that specializes in the development of traditional medicines. There are unbelievable gardens which house over 600 species of vegetables and 800 species of medicinal herbs. Staff are available to show us around and explain some of the plants’ uses.
Please cast your vote and let us know how you want us to spend our day in jungle capital of Iquitos.
1. Butterfly Farm – they have over 40 species of the most colorful (and least dangerous) insects of the Amazon. We can learn more about the interesting lifecycle of bugs and catch a glimpse of some rescued animals at the farm. We are told they have a tapir, a puma, an anteater, monkeys, and possibly a caiman. It sounds like they are a legitimate rehabilitation center rather than a typical zoo. The farm releases almost 80% of their butterflies into the wild.
2. Tribal Dance – there are two indigenous groups, within a short boat ride of Iquitos, who perform traditional dances for tourists. They wear ceremonial outfits and duplicate an authentic tribal dance but it is just for show. The people performing the dance are not truly living the traditional life anymore.
3. Institute of Traditional Medicine – this is a hospital and education center funded by the Peruvian government that specializes in the development of traditional medicines. There are unbelievable gardens which house over 600 species of vegetables and 800 species of medicinal herbs. Staff are available to show us around and explain some of the plants’ uses.
Please cast your vote and let us know how you want us to spend our day in jungle capital of Iquitos.