One minute in Pucallpa

This year hit me like a water balloon during carnivals in Lima, circa 1990’s. I quietly changed jobs at the end of 2017 and I feel like I’ve been in transition ever since. Work was very demanding and I wasn’t able to post. I also fell in a tub, but that’s another story. I was a little sad, missing these posts. Español aquí.

But life remains beautiful, or at least it does in Pucallpa city on the Amazonian region of Peru. Here is a short video sharing my brief weekend visit to Pucallpa. Of course, I visited mainly for the animals. Dolphins to be specific. Peru’s Amazon region has beautiful pink and grey dolphins. I didn’t get too close, but you can see them at the end of the video… er... if you squint your eyes. Here is what else you can see.



Laguna Yarinacocha
My main activities took place in Lake Yarinacocha. It is about 10-30 minutes from the city by moto-taxi or cab. You can sail around the lake with a pre-booked (professional) tour company or hire a boat directly at the lake. I did the second, and was ferried around the lake to an animal refuge called “La Jungla” (The Jungle in English) and a paiche fish farm.


Parque Natural de Pucallpa
Pucallpa has a natural park that is about ten minutes from the city center by moto-taxi or cab. The Pucallpa Natural Park houses a zoo with different regional animals, including big cats and funny birds. I loved seeing the animals although I wish it had better maintenance (if it even has any).


Dolphin watching
My absolute favorite thing about the Peruvian Amazon are the pink dolphins. It sees unreal that these beauties are endangered animals in Peru (we don’t deserve dolphins). This is the first time I saw a dolphin in the wild. I hired a boat directly at the lake at dusk and asked him to take me to see the them (or die trying). I recommend going very early or before dusk for better odds at the endeavor.


Food
I agree with Peruvian chef Pedro Schiaffino when he says that there is no specific Amazonian cuisine. Typical regional food has lots of plantain, fish, and cecina (a pork sausage). I indulged at the hotel breakfast, but made conservative choices for lunch and dinner. Your body is a temple, even when you travel.


I hope you liked this post. Kiss!