It is midday and we have been awake since 3:15am this morning and it is very hot and sticky outside. We have arrived in Iquitos this morning on a very early flight from Lima. So early that it was not really morning, not really night, just a very strange time in the night to be waking up and heading to the airport. Our reason for this is to make sure we are on the next boat to Leticia, Colombia tomorrow morning, another early start with the boat departing at 5.30am! Our body clocks are a little all over the place right now, however somewhat adjusted to waking up early since our Salkantay hike.

Falling asleep on the plane and waking up to a big thud thinking we were flying through heavy turbulence, I opened my eyes and was relieved to see we were not flying through turbulence, we were just landing. Moments later we were walking out onto the tarmac and it was hot! We were after all chasing the sun and it was only going to get warmer the further we headed up north.

Within seconds we are greeted by a chirpy taxi driver in a bright pink shirt, more than happy to drive us to our hostel. Within moments he head swept up my bag and was leading us to his car. Along the way, we are still offered rides by men driving motorized bike taxis just like the ones we saw when we first arrived in Peru. Driving through the streets is crazy, everyone on their own little missions zipping around and weaving in and out of each other. There are no specific lanes and somehow through all their manoeuvring, all the bikes, cars and trucks manage to whiz on through without one swipe.

Passing through the hectic streets, families selling food and drinks out the front of their homes and the hustle and bustle of the main plazas, I soon spot some buildings covered in Portuguese's style tiles. I love translating patterns from tiles and within minutes I have spotted about five different patterns. Colourful tiles that look hand painted cover the entire front wall of some buildings. There was even one set of tiles that I had translated patterns from before. A pattern that I first saw on a postcard sent to me from my Aunt a few years ago. This pattern was the inspiration for a print I once designed and I had just spotted the same tiles on a building while driving along in the taxi. You just never know what little surprises are around the corner, even when passing through a city for one night.

Bleary eyed we check into our hostel and decide to push through and start the day without more sleep. With our early start again tomorrow we decided to push through and go to bed very early tonight. We make our way down to the river front passing through the chaotic streets. Looks like we won't need all those ponchos, gloves, beanies and jackets we bought in Cuzco for a while! It is so hot outside and already our faces our shinning from the humidity. It is uncomfortable and the river doesn't give the same refreshing breeze that you feel from the ocean. However this river connects to the Amazon and there is a whole other adventure running down stream, an adventure that we will not experience this time. We are determined to make our way to Cartagena and keep our itinerary flowing, despite the temptations the Amazon has to offer.

Along the river it is much more refreshing than in the centre of town. A completely different place and here we stopped for some food. Looking at the menu we had to think as to what time of day it was for what meal? Breakfast? Lunch? We had already been awake for six hours and it was only 9am. We ordered eggs and ham and within time it began to sink in as to where we really were. From Cuzco to Lima to Iquitos, we had left the high altitudes and cobbled streets, to smoggy sea side towns, to now be on the edge of the tropical amazon! Rather than sitting by the river this morning and daydreaming up exotic trips along the Amazon, we headed straight to the boat ticket office and bought our two tickets to Leticia. The Amazon would be fantastic however we have already spent what time we can afford in South America. Our eight hour boat ride tomorrow will be an experience, and perhaps we might spot some wildlife if we are lucky. It is unfortunate we couldn't fit the Amazon into our trip and despite the opportunities we had, each time things didn't go our way and perhaps it just want meant to be.

Traveling has many highs but it also has its lows and the rest of the afternoon was spent doing the things we would rather not be doing. After being tempted by some boat rides to the edges of the amazon and the floating markets, we stick to our plan and go back to our hostel to get a few things done. Not every day can be spent out and about, and the more you travel the more you need to plan. We manage to use the time to book accommodation which is not always that easy with frustrating websites that don't accept foreign credit cards. Along with some more important things we had to get done, we struggle through with a tediously slow internet connection and some more upset tummies. Times like this you do miss some comforts of home and wish we could make a simple lunch in our own kitchen. We are tired and it is hot, but we don't complain much, we push through get some rest and before long we will be on the boat to Leticia.