Iquitos day 4

 I woke up this morning sniffeling. Not unexpected. A floor fan was on all night occationally blowing in my direction. I can't think of a time when a fan was blowing on me at night that I didn't catch a cold.

I am sore from yesterday sitting in the boat and hiking on Isla de Monos. Then complicated by this cold.

I did have one easy destination to go to today. The river boat museum.

After breakfast, started out walking to the museum. Less than 20 minutes from the hostel. I was happy to walk, it took me back other places that were interesting to explore along the way.

The museum in an old river steam boat manufactured in 1909 in Germany. It was not a cargo boat or regular passenger boat, but rather a first class boat for the affluent. The bottom was a cargo hold and engine room. The second floor was staterooms, the third floor was the dining room and kitchen. The upper deck was mostly open, but was also the captains quarters and helm. 

None of the staterooms were intact. They had all been converted to displays, with very fake looking maniquins This is the first time I toured a boat like this. It inspired all kinds of imagery for me or the hay do of the rubber industry in the amazon.

The oversized dining room makes it appear that there were fixed eating times, when everyone would gather to eat together.

After touring the boat museum, still suffering from low energy, I got a tuk-tuk back to the hostel for some rest.

I didn't have any food left to cook, so I went to a little restaurant around the corner to get a fixed menu lunch of soup, beef, rice and some type of fruit flavored drink. Why do I cook anyway when I can get a meal like this for $2 usd.

I did pass by a pharmacy to look for some baking soda. Yes, the pharmacy. It is far more likely to find Bicarbonate of soda there, than in a grocery store. Baking soda in hand, I headed back to the hostel.