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shells. Never, in any market around the medical students, doctors, nurses, chiro-
world, had I seen such a bountiful array of practors, gynecologists, dentists, and Peru-
plucked chickens! They were lined up by vian medical students, who had flown in
the dozen on many a stall, beneath the from Chile, Australia, Colorado, Florida,
piercing stare of a row of buzzards. Washington State, Tennessee and Califor-
My guide palpated a couple of ears of nia.
choclo, black corn, which she would later The next morning, we packed up patient
boil to make a drink. Into files and documents, closed up
her shopping bag went a shop in Iquitos, and boarded
half dozen palometas, flat our long boat towards the “un-
as a sole: “This is my Sun- known”. We skimmed along the
day treat,” she explained. ”I Amazon for a good ninety min-
start the morning with “mi utes, awestruck by towering
platanos” (my plantains) clouds forming over the trees,
and fried palometas.” the voracious mangroves en-
Thankfully, she didn’t even twined in serpentine vines,
cast a second glance at the mysterious shrieks and bird-
headless, skinned alligator songs, and the sheer volume of
on display at a nearby stall. the rapidly flowing Rio Momon,
Our last evening in Iqui- one of the main tributaries of
tos was reserved for the the Amazon. We landed at the
welcome dinner for the foot of a wooden gangplank
158 WINE DINE & TRAVEL MAGAZINE FALL 2024
