Tuesday 28 February 2012

Sunday 26 February 2012

BIBLIOTECA AMAZONICA, MUSEO AMAZONICO AND SUELOTECA IN IQUITOS, PERU


Biblioteca Amazonica entrance plaque


Biblioteca Amazonica from the outside, unfortunately it was closed


next door, the patio of the Museo Amazonico, the works are exhibited around the patio


the Museo Amazonico sign

one of the sculptures of the Museo Amazonico of one of the indigenous inhabitants of the Amazons


sculptures and cabinets, part of the collection of the Museo Amazonico


a collection of photographic cameras on display


and a collection of dusty empty cabinets in the corridors


another cabinet, another indigenous sculpture

painting, photo, cabinet, sculpture


man playing an instrument, pregnant sculpture

Iquitos landscape

empty desks


amazonian heroes, map of Peru and fan


empty shelves


empty cabinets


the pink house where the Biblioteca and Museo Amazonico are located

Sueloteca (translated to something like ground or earth library), located in another building near the main square


samples at the Sueloteca


plastic chairs and earth samples at the Sueloteca


views of the Sueloteca




details of the earth works


and the Museum of Amazonian Popular Art for Tourists (actually the handicrafts market)







with thanks to Gilda Mantilla and Raimond Chaves for their guidance and inspiration and to Renzo Gianella for his help organising this trip

Saturday 25 February 2012

CASA FITZCARRALDO (AND MUSEUM) IN IQUITOS, AMAZONIA, PERU


Casa Fitzcarraldo Hotel (and Museum) in Iquitos


Sign at the entrance of Casa Fitzcarraldo


The Fitzcarraldo photo museum

Fitzcarraldo photo collection



Fitzcarraldo cast and crew including Mick Jagger, Werner Herzog, Claudia Cardinale

round table and stool






hammock smiling


working desk and hammock



Iquitos stools and tables


and more hammock smiles


hamock, table, stools, Fitzcarraldo chairs

Fitzcarraldo chairs


Fitacarraldo garden chairs and Iquitos stools


view of the swimming pool



mini jungle in the back garden



cinema where Fitzcarraldo and Aguirre are screened at night



and erotic art in the room I stayed...

from Casa Fitzcarrraldo's website:
LA CASA FITZCARRALDO, birthplace of the Werner Herzog films Fitzcarraldo & Aguirre, offers a premier, unique and unrivaled housing and jungle oasis leisure refuge for tourists and locals alike within Iquitos, Peru — a large one-of-a-kind jungle island city situated at the inner web of three mighty rivers in the Peruvian Amazon. Whether you are coming to Iquitos for volunteer work, a jungle adventure, a medicinal Ayahuasca quest or just to get away from it all, we offer like-at-home accommodation within the city, including the best (naturally cooled and very clean) swimming pool around. If you are already in Iquitos, we charge only five Soles for admittance to the grounds and are open from nine to six daily. Come enjoy our great food, drinks, & lounge about, even in our impressive tri-level treehouse with panoramic views and great sunsets. We also have a small lake and island in the back infused with lotus flowers, our friendly ducks and our other, more elusive creatures. A dense and diverse arrangement of indigenous plants and plenty of orchids highlight the property. Birdwatchers are often impressed with the species they come across, especially up top our tree house. At night you can hear our jungle chorus, unlike any hotel in Iquitos. We are conveniently located on Avenida La Marina towards the port Bellavista Nanay (where you can find Huerequeque at his bar) — just minutes from downtown.

LA CASA FITZCARRALDO is the birthplace of the legendary Werner Herzog film with Klaus Kinski, Claudia Cardinale and Huerequeque, the drunken cook played by the local celebrity Enrique Bohorquez Liguori. In this house a small group of young and determined filmmakers organized from 1977 to 1982 the production of an extraordinary film that made history and is still alive even today — years after its opening. Fitzcarraldo, together with "Aguirre, The Wrath of God" (that was shot ten years earlier) certainly help put the Peruvian Amazon on the map of the world. Many have been inspired to visit here and Iquitos after seeing these films.

LA CASA FITZCARRALDO is owned by Micaela Helvecia Saxer Gonzalez, daughter of Gloria Gonzalez Sandoval and the film’s Executive Producer Walter Saxer, who was involved in almost all of Herzog’s feature films. She was born here in Iquitos during the production of “Fitzcarraldo” and is now with her husband, David, back in the place of her origin. A small jungle oasis within a chaotic and noisy city, La Casa Fitzcarraldo has the tendency to let you forget the rest of Iquitos. Iquitos is a place where cement means progress, politicians are mostly concerned with bribes, and priests and missionaries obsess about their tax-free donations. Educating the population about the danger of losing the lung of the planet and its irreversible consequences sadly is not much of a priority here. In Iquitos you can see the battle for the jungle, the incessant grab and exportation of resources with little benefit for its inhabitants. This frantic, oddly peaceful, old-west style frontier town is a one-of-a-kind gateway for your Amazonian adventure.

LA CASA FITZCARRALDO has shady huts around the pool where we offer a variety drinks and local food specialties like ceviche, cecina, dorado, barbeque chicken, patarashca de corvina or tucunare, as well as Italian dishes on request. We also have the only Argentine and American steaks in Iquitos. And unlike most Restaurants in town, here you can have a normal conversation and relax over an exquisite meal, away from the 30,000+ Motokar drivers who terrorize this city.

Casa Fitzcarraldo, Avenida La Marina 2153, Iquitos, Peru
http://casafitzcarraldo.com