PeruNorth's musings on events & destinations in Northern Peru, Amazonia ... and beyond. Detailed tour reviews.
Zhihao ‘Leo’ Liao - a resident of both Hong Kong and Shanghai, who studied Material Sciences at Cornell University, NY - spent three nights on board the Rio Amazonas Research Station in early 2026, and has now written a blog about this and his experiences in Iquitos - including his encounters with the Chinese legacy in Peru - which he has kindly allowed us to translate and share, along with some of the photos he took.
Belen Market (Mercado de Belén) is a famous and bustling market located in the Peruvian Amazon city of Iquitos.
An hour by boat from Iquitos, up the River Nanay, lies the hamlet of Fray Martin de Porres, where, in 2010, Latitud Sur began a project to offer viable alternatives to the ecologically-damaging practices of charcoal production, single crop farming, and slash-and-burn agriculture.
Peru's immense bio-diversity means that it is a treasure chest of fruits and grains, the marvellous properties of which are only now beginning to be appreciated by Western scientists and consumers. Supermarkets are beginning to feature products containing quinoa and maca - two famous Incan superfoods from the Andes mountain region - for example.
Meanwhile, in the Amazon rain forest, nutrient-rich 'superfruits' have been nourishing and healing the indigenous population for centuries.
