Trails of the Spirit

As you can imagine the Amazon region remains temperate all of the year round. During the day it can be hot and the evenings, relatively speaking, cool.

It is best to limit yourself to easy to wash and dry clothing. Think of the great selection of outdoor tee shirts and trousers made of the new synthentic materials that are comfortable and dry so fast. These are better than the heavy cottons and jeans. One change of clothing with two or three sets of underclothes should be loads.

Pack: Keep it light and simple and pack it in a rucksack or something similiar. It almost goes without saying, a heavy suitcase is not the way to go. Especially in the evenings you will be getting out of the boat to pitch camp and will probably need your pack so easy to store easy to carry and light is what it's all about.

Footwear: Sandles and boots are a good combination. For walking in the jungle 'wellington boots' are best. They will be supplied as part of the trip you can give me your size. Any size larger than size 10 and you'll have to bring your own as this is enormous for Peruvians and hence not possible to get them locally. A Proper pair of walking boots with trousers and socks you can pull over the bottom of your trousers also works. The reason is to avoid a lot of the tiny and sometimes not so tiny bugs and insects that can bite and irritate especially in long grass and undergrowth.

Best advice is to go to your doctor or specialist clinic before the journey. A Yellow fever jab is deemed necessary to enter Peru, although I've never been asked for the Certificate of inoculation. Might be good to get some hepatitis and rabies inoculations also. There are others - your doctor will advise.

I'm always asked about mosquitos and malaria. The good news is where we are going is a low risk area at the time of writing this. Which is not to say it doesn't exist, just low risk. There is a choice of inoculations and/or tablets. I've always taken the choice not to have injections nor tablets for malaria and never had a problem. But that's my choice. You need to speak to your doctor and make your own informed decision. (There are mosquitos, so wear long sleeved garments, shirts or tee shirts, not white, and bring a good strong insect repellant).

My advice is to go along to your doctor or clinic if possible at least 4 months prior to departure as some of the inoculations are designed to require a booster shot within a 3 month time frame before travelling.

You'll get by just fine without Spanish although having a little can help. Our Guide Moises speaks very good english and will act as translater were required. In Iquitos town many of the younger people speak some english as it's taught in school from an early age.

No, all you need is a reasonable mobility. We will be going for walks in the jungle but these will be at a moderate pace. We are going out into the wilderness, good basic health, flexibility and a willingness to 'rough' it for awhile is all that's needed.

It is always more enjoyable if you have a good base level of fitness. Before leaving for the journey, regularly going for a good brisk walk for 30 or 40 minutes two or three times a week and/or some light gym work would be good. But the trip is not arduous by any means. No large mountains and no high altitudes.

There will be no more than twelve people in the group plus our Guide, a Boatman and myself. A total of no more fifteen in all.

For cash it's best to bring US Dollars. In the towns and cities such as Lima and Iquitos, some stores, restarants etc take credit cards. A few of the banks also have cash dispensers taking most of the International Cards.

Dollars can be exchanged for local Peruvian Sols using accredited money changers. Which in my experience are cheaper and more reliable than the banks!

Any age from 18 years old and upwards.

A reasonable base fitness, mobility and flexibilty is required, that and having no need for specialist medical requirements.

The weather in the Peruvian Amazon is temperate all the year around. Warm during the day slightly cool in the evenings. There can be the occasional tropical storm that blows in from the jungle. Light clothing during the day, something light but warm like a sports jacket in the evening and the likes of a light waterproof poncho for any showers. (Read more in the clothing FAQ above).

There are mosquitos, but I have never found them more than a nuisance. They tend to show themselves just before sunset for a few hours. A good strong insect repellant is recommended.

Where we are going is thankfully a low risk area for malaria.

(Read more in the Inoculation FAQ above).

There are a lot of Internet cafes in Iquitos. Not very fast connections but adequate for emailing. There are also a few photo/media shops which can save your camera images to DVD as a backup or to free storage if required. I've always found them competent, dependable and good value.

Forget about it in the jungle, the only connections there are with nature and your travelling companions.

Iquitos our last staging post before heading off to Nauta and on to the Yanu Yacu river, has a good selection of all types of shops, restaurants, chemists etc. plus a really large local exotic Amazonian market called Belene.

We will be spending a few days in Iquitos before and after the trip so you will have plenty of opportunity to chill out and explore the varied and interesting shops and markets. There are also some great unusual restaurants!