Jungle Book: Iquitos to Pucallpa

The evening before we were to leave Adam, Sophia and I were at the doctor’s office frantically trying to get me a doctor’s note saying that I could fly (since I was starting our trip at 28 weeks pregnant). We had tried the three previous days to get the note but after driving across town everyday to the hospital, my doctor never showed. Down to the wire I went and saw a doctor I had never heard of just so I could get the note. This should be an easy task, but of course it wasn’t… The ‘special’ paper that you have to have for the note they no longer had at the hospital… the doctor said, not to worry you can buy it at any school clinic (we have no idea where these places are) and I will be here until 6 – just come back when you have the paper (it is now 5:45) GREAT. We are thinking there is no possible way – we might as well give up… we decide to go to our friend’s house (Jeremy and Crystal Nelson) to see if they know where any of these places are and to give them our mail key - as luck would have it – the same thing had happened to Crystal and she had an extra sheet of the ‘paper’! We drove madly back to the hospital and the doctor wrote me a note… whew.

As most days start Adam and I wake up whenever Sophia does… this morning was no different as we heard her talking to herself at about 6:30am. We got up and finished packing for our journey – the power actually stayed on and so we were able to pack with the lights on (always helpful!) I tried to pack as best I could but with my growing belly, several climate changes and a one-year old that is more difficult than it should be!! But we got it all in the suitcase, got our guard squared away and hit the road. We climbed into a motor car and headed to the airport for our 2pm flight. (Nothing like starting out a trip wind blown, sweaty and dusty!) We arrive at the airport and get checked in .. only to find out that our flight is delayed and won’t be arriving until 6pm. YAY. If you haven’t been to the Iquitos airport, you are definitely missing out … it is very small, open air and there are two gates … its quite the local treasure. We decided to just leave and go eat lunch – so we hailed another motor car and headed into town… unfortunately lunch only took up about 2 hours but with the sun beating down we had no other option but to go back to the airport.

After sweating for another two hours while trying to keep the newly walking Sophia contained in a wide open area full of people we were tired and ready to board the plane… to bad it was nowhere in sight. Adam went and talked to the lady checking boarding passes and she informed him that the great Iquitos airport had an air-conditioned first class passengers lounge that you could sit in for 20 soles a person (who knew!) we jumped right on that thinking a/c is worth the $12!!! It was a good call on our part since our flight didn’t actually show up until 8:30pm. We arrived in Pucallpa at 10pm and made our way to the hotel. We had stowed our pack-n-play in the truck so we didn’t have to fly with it --- it seemed like a good idea at the time – but at 10:30 at night when the truck is still on the boat at the port and with a baby who hasn’t napped in about 8-10 hours, its not a good idea. We used pillows from the bed and hotel room and managed to form a bed for Sophia and finally we went to sleep.

Early the next morning we woke up planning to get the truck off the launcha (it was to have arrived the night before) – buy snacks and things for our drive and head out the following morning. Adam called the launcha man and he said the truck should be unloaded by the following day … great. Adam went down to the port anyway and managed to get on the boat to get the pack-n-play out of the truck as we prepared to stay another night in Pucallpa. We took advantage of the day since Adam used to live in Pucallpa as a teenager and he showed Sophia and I where he used to live, and we ate at his favorite restaurants - it was lots of fun.

The next morning we woke up, and Adam called launcha man again … he said, “the truck will be unloaded this afternoon…” right… Adam went down to the port again to see if he could motivate them but no such luck… so we get to stay another day (at least we had the pack-n-play). That night we were able to go out to dinner with our friends the Gayhearts and see their house so that was super fun. The four kids loved playing with Sophia… they had a cute little monkey, which we discovered a little to late that Sophia was following it around eating its poop…hmmm.

…As you can guess the next morning Adam called launcha man and he says, “we will get the truck off this morning” we are now running out of time and are needing to be in Lima for a meeting in several days so Adam says ok and then heads down to the port, determined not to leave without the truck. We decided to just leave whenever he got it off so we wouldn’t waste anymore time… He got to the port around 9am and at noon they finally hooked the truck up to the crane and lowered it off the boat … poor Adam was burning to death as he stood in his black rubber boots ankle deep in mud … of course after they got the truck off the boat it was blocked by the crane … Adam patiently waited in the truck for an hour waiting for them to move the crane so he could drive the truck out of the port … but they didn’t move it – they decided they were gonna go to lunch. Adam had just about had it by then and he got out of the truck and said – you will not be going to lunch till this crane is out of my way… so they moved it and he got to the hotel at about 2pm to pick Sophia and I up… what a great way to start a 2 day road trip!!!!

Making good use of the hotel bathtub :)

I think she is having fun!!!

Breakfast at Cest si Bon :)

Waiting in expectation for our food at Orlando's!!!

The "special sauce" that Jess has heard soooo much about!!

Adam and Sophia so very full of our yummy steak and sauces :)

Visiting the Wycliff Center where Adam used to live -- we had to wear rubber boots because everything was flooded!! It is the most rain Pucallpa has seen in 30 years!