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When I stepped out of the plane, the humidity clung to my skin like wet grass on bare feet. I couldn’t help but smile – I was finally in the Amazon!

I chose Iquitos, Peru for my Amazon adventure based on the remote location and recommendations from other travelers and my 75-year-old globetrotting aunt. The city is only accessible by plane or five-day boat ride, which made it even more intriguing.

I arrived during the wet season when the river invades the town, jungle and nearby villages. Despite the high water levels, the wildlife was amazing – birds, monkeys and even pink dolphins! Here are a few of my photographs from my week-long adventure:

Giant lily pads on the Amazon in Iquitos, Peru

Giant lily pads

Monkey Island, Iquitos, Peru

A colorful macaw on Monkey Island

Monkey Island, Iquitos, Peru

A woolly monkey

Amazon, Iquitos, Peru

A friendly frog

Monkey Island, Iquitos, Peru

A woolly monkey on Monkey Island

Monkey Island, Iquitos, Peru

A squirrel monkey on Monkey Island

When the villages flood, the locals move to the highest level of their homes – stoves, TVs and chicken coups all rest on planks above the water.

Amazon in Iquitos, Peru

Amazon, Iquitos, Peru

Amazon, Iquitos, Peru

Amazon, Iquitos, Peru, Yaguna

The Yaguna tribe near Iquitos, Peru

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I asked the children of the Yaguna tribe for a portrait. They spoke no English and the only Spanish word they knew was “propina,” which means tip.

Amazon in Belén, Iquitos, Peru

The shantytown of Belén, southeast of Iquitos, is a collection of houses built on rafts that rise and fall with the tide. The homes all have electricity despite the high water level.

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