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We escaped Peru on April 5, just in time, apparently: Iquitos is going into full lockdown mode now, with grocery store runs permitted for just one family member, mornings until 9AM only, for a couple of days. Then, from April 9 to April 13, no leaving your house or hotel. Period. Not sure what happens… Continue reading Goodbye Peru… For Now →

A good friend of mine, trying to help us keep our sanity during this little adventure, suggested I read about the [James] Stockdale Paradox. From Wikipedia: The Stockdale Paradox In a business book by James C. Collins called Good to Great, Collins writes about a conversation he had with Stockdale regarding his coping strategy during his period in… Continue reading Stuck in Peru – Day 23 →

Our forty or so friends from Germany left yesterday morning; their government swooped in to pick them up after a two-day stay at our hotel. Meanwhile, we begin day eleven here. The WiFi bandwidth is better now but... the restaurant is out of beer. Das ist nicht gut. I can at least upload some photos… Continue reading Stuck in Peru – Day 22 →

Every day I think it cannot get any weirder here, but it does. Yesterday a new rule was handed down: Peruvian President Martin Vizcarra recently announced additional quarantine measures, including a gender-based limitation on visits to grocery stores and banks, and other routine business. Men will be allowed to leave their homes only on Monday,… Continue reading Stuck in Peru – Day 21 →

No photos today.... cannot upload them. A group of 40 Europeans arrived yesterday from off the Amazon and have joined us here in this small hotel. Our bandwidth is getting attenuated. Email from the State Department today! Emphasis mine... Event:  IMPORTANT: The last repatriation flight from Cusco is tomorrow, April 3.  We expect the last regularly scheduled charter… Continue reading Stuck in Peru – Day 20 →

eBird tells me that eight swift species are possible here in Iquitos. We  need one of them, the Pale-rumped. We had some swifts zip by our window a few times yesterday. What were they? LOL. When we lived in Asia in 2018, we learned to lament the lack of a book to help with identification… Continue reading Stuck in Peru – Day 19 →

It was announced yesterday by the Peruvian president  that the curfew, which had been between 8PM and 5AM, will now be from 4PM to 5AM. No more sunset strolls. This hotel has an inner courtyard of sorts, but it simply has a tiny pool and no trees. The only bird I have ever seen from… Continue reading Stuck in Peru – Day 18 →