Puerto Pizzaro is a small fishing town 8 miles from Tumbes. The combis that I take to get to the Proyecto all go to Puerto Pizzaro so yesterday I decided to take the combi and not get off and explore Puerto Pizzaro. I had no idea what to expect and four hours later I was overwhelmed and stuffed. After arriving I was swarmed with men in neon green shirts who work for the motorized tour boats. I wasn't expecting to go out on a boat, I just wanted to walk around and explore, but after the 6th man came up to me to show me photos of the crocodiles, Isla de Amor (where lots of honeymooners go), and Isla de los Pájaros (where the Magnificent Frigget bird nest), I thought maybe I should go check out the mangalares (mangroves). I stopped to take a photo of the fishing boats (see photo) when a nice older man asked me if I'd like to go out on one of those boats. In Spanish, he explained that he has a motor/row boat and for only $10 (much cheaper than all the neon green t-shirt guys) I could have him take me on a private tour. The only stipulation was that if I liked it then I would tell my friends to go to him in the future.
It was the best $10 I've ever spent on a tour. I had my own wooden boat and 70 year-old guide, Juan, who took me on a romantic ride through a labyrinth of tidal channels to a crocodile farm. Then we went to see the frigget birds and then to the Island of Love where I sat next to the water and ate a big plate of chicarrones (fried calamari, fish, and shirmps) and listened to the waves.
The mangroves are a very important food source for numerous species of crustaceans, molluscs, fish and fauna and humans enjoy conchas negras. The tides change dramatically and by the time my tour was over the channel to the crocodile farm was too shallow for motorboats.
Thousands of magnificent frigget birds nesting on the island. Males have bright red breasts and the chicks are white. Quite an incredible site!
Mancora
Two hours south of Tumbes, Mancora is one of the greatest beach/surfer towns in Peru. My friend Heather who I'm working with in Tumbes and I went to spend the day in the sun and swim in the Pacific Ocean. My friend Miranda decided to meet us there and we had a great night (and day) in this surfer town eating delicious seafood, drinking Piscos and bad Peruvian beer and dancing at a club on the beach until 5am. It was a great day in the not-too-hot-but-feels-great-85-degree-sun if only my three applications of SPF45 would have been more effective! I'm totally fried (but really only in the places I forgot to reapply sunscreen). I bought a couple sarongs and Heather bought an awesome hammock for only 50 soles ($18) at the cute markets. I love Peru!
Me, Heather and Miranda enjoying some Pina Coladas at a restaurant on the beach.
Next week
I have one more week in Tumbes and then I am going to Lima for Halloween and to meet my boyfriend Seth there. We will be going to Cusco, Machu Picchu, Sacred Valley, and Puerto Maldonado for the next two weeks.
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