PeruNorth's musings on events & destinations in Northern Peru, Amazonia ... and beyond. Detailed tour reviews.
A new bird species has been identified in Cerros de Amotape National Park in Tumbes: the White-necked Jacobin (Florisuga mellivora), a member of the hummingbird family measuring 12 cm (4 in) in length, on average. Adult males have a blue head and breast, a dark-blue hood, iridescent upper parts, and a white abdomen and tail. And, as the name suggests, they have a white crescent on the neck.
In the excitement of the recent commencement of international flights between Panama and Chiclayo, I became curious as to why Chiclayo Airport (CIX) was named after José Abelardo Quiñones Gonzáles. It turns out, I had been regularly looking at his face, ever since I arrived in Peru - his face and aeroplane have appeared on the s/.10 note since 1991!
These days, nearly all Amazon river cruises travel upstream from Iquitos to the confluence of the Ucayali and Marañon Rivers, and the Pacaya-Samiria Reserve. However, when I first took one of these cruises, in the year 2002, the Rio Amazonas took me and my group downstream to the tri-border with Colombia and Brazil. It remains a very interesting - albeit busier - river journey, which can be visited using local transport or by chartering your own vessel.
