| To reach the Peruvian frontier with
Colombia and Brazil, imaginatively named the Three Frontiers, two options exist:
a ten hour speedboat ride or a one hour flight. We traveled by plane since the
price was the same - $50 US. The three countries touch each other at the Amazon,
and each country has its own town on the frontier, although Colombia's town is
supposed to be the liveliest one, owing to that nation's rich reputation for lively
people. We decide to spend the day in Colombia. It's easy to travel from one country
to another at the frontier, no border formalities exist, but if you plan to travel
onward you must visit the immigration office, as we discovered later in the day. |
| Look
on the map and it feels as if this region should be remote jungleland, yet the
townships here are well-developed: grocery stores, streetside cafes, banks, and
jungle tour operators. The Colombian town, Leticia, bustles more than the others
because an Army base occupies half the town and ensures guerillas don't takeover
this outpost. The townspeople smile and joke with us. Who knows what these friendly,
well-dressed people do for a living out here in the Amazon. We walk along paved
and shaded streets, sit on a waterfront bench and watch the Amazon waters drift
by, or enjoy a relaxing morning among the relaxed natives. In the afternoon we
discover that a ferryboat is heading downstream, so we gather our things and head
for the docks. Motorcycle taxis provide the best and cheapest way to get around.
Jill rides on the back of one motorcycle, I take another, and with our drivers
as guides we find the immigration offices for Colombia and Brazil. A few passport
stamps later and we're on our way down the Amazon in a Brazilian ferryboat... |
