Ground orchids around one of the water hazards

The temperature will be comfortable, 85 to 87 for a high, a nice summer day in December with blue skies at the Amazon Golf Course where we enjoy perpetual summer. Aahhhh. Perpetual summer. We will see orchids, hibiscus, flowers and many other blooming plants.

Chip shot to the 2nd green at the Amazon Golf Course

We don’t have to play golf the enjoy the Amazon Golf Course. We can walk around. Let’s chip on over to the 2nd green…

The second green at the Amazon Golf Course

Let’s walk on the soft, green grass growing in the warm sunshine…

From the 2nd green looking back past the flag to the 2nd fairway

Feels good…

We are standing on the 2nd green and looking to the 5th green,

The 2nd green and the 5th green are close together but the tees and approaches are from different directions.

This croton has buds and blooms opening in December

Crotons are one of the houseplants that the leaves fall off of in December in the northern hemisphere. On the Amazon Golf Course they are budding and blooming in December.

A Croton budding and blooming at the Amazon Golf Course

We have a dozen different colors and styles of crotons landscaped in at the Amazon Golf Course.

Blossoms attract butterflies

The plants, buds, blossoms, and fruits attract insects, birds, and animals to the Amazon Golf Course.

The grounds of the Amazon Golf Course

There is plenty of wildlife on the Amazon Golf Course, but none of those irritating pesky little chiggers that prefer to live in tall grass…

Looking across the Amazon Golf Course

The small trees are well established and with lots of compost, lime, and tender loving care, will continue growing fast in this tropical paradise.

Perfect new palm frond unfurling at the Amazon Golf Course

New growth is everywhere we look…

The green leaves are the new growth on this Amazon Golf Course croton

The Amazon Golf course is teeming with life…

Immature palm fruit ripening at the Amazon Golf Course

Plants in the tropics are growing all year and growing in December just like plants grow in July in the northern hemisphere.

December at the Amazon Golf Course, Iquitos Peru

I love walking around the Amazon Golf Course. We just pruned the hibiscus bushes. They will grow back thicker with more blossoms.

Lots of blossoms every month at the Amazon Golf Course

Let’s look at soom of the Amazon Golf Course features…

The view from the 5th green looking east southeast over a water trap

We are blessed with water hazards and water traps at this rainforest golf course.

The 6th tee with water hazards at the Amazon Golf Course

Be careful not to dribble the ball off of the 6th tee. Better get it up in the air!

The 6th green and piranha infested water hazard at the Amazon Golf Course

The 6th tee has a water hazard at the tee, a big water hazard guarding 6th green and a water trap in the fairway.

Water hazards do well in the rainforest of Amazon Golf Course

Sand traps are more difficult. We always have to work on our drainage or the sand traps become water traps:)

The sand trap in front of the 7th green at the Amazon Golf Course

But the 7th green is well guarded by this carefully maintained sand trap.

A colorful croton and its shadow, late afternoon at the Amazon Golf Course

The late afternoon golden light is every ones favorite time for photography.

Croton colors at the Amazon Golf Course

The golden light gives turns the crotons into glowing fall colors.

Coconuts producing at the Amazon Golf Course

Some of the coconut trees we planted are already producing… and bunches of bananas and pineapple…

Nearly ripe pineapple at the Amazon Golf Course

We have many species of fruit planted at the Amazon Golf Course.

Looking toward the clubhouse of the Amazon Golf Course

The Amazon Golf Course makes a good place for a picnic.

Many species of palm trees grow at the Amazon Golf Course

Wild life is plentiful at the Amazon Golf Course…

Good bird watching at the Amazon Golf Course

Some of the wild life is wilder than other wild life…

A tarantula at the Amazon Golf Course

You never know what you might see at the Amazon Golf Course…

Showing the fangs of the tarantula at the Amazon Golf Course

It’s a good thing we always carry a machete

Bill Grimes reporting from the Amazon Golf Course.

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The tree line on the Amazon Golf Course near the road

Marmelita and I like to start our stroll around the Amazon Golf Course at the bottom of the lane so we can inspect everything from front to back.

Marmelita and I planted this tree on the Amazon Golf Course in May 2009

Look how fast trees and plants grow in the tropics…

Beautiful Blossoms at the Amazon Golf Course

Here is some of what we saw as we strolled around the Amazon Golf Course

The second fairway leading to the 2nd green on the Amazon Golf Course

Lets stroll along the west side down the nicely mowed 2nd fairway to the 2nd green…

These young aguaje palms were planted by Rodrigo on the Amazon Golf Course in 2010

lets stop and admire the your aguaje palms that Rodrigo planted in a water hazard. Ahhhh pretty

Martin's Bridge at the Amazon Golf Course, Iquitos

Remember when we had to cross this creek tight walking across on a narrow rotten limb…ha ha, Martin Green made fun of us, called us the the Augusta in the Amazon ha ha…

The shade under Martin's Bridge at the Amazon Golf Course, Iquitos Peru

Ahhh, shade, the dog likes it, so do I.

We are walking up the 3rd fairway to the 3rd green of the Amazon Golf Course

Here we are on the back west side of the Amazon Golf Course walking along the nicely mowed 3rd fairway to the 3rd green.

The fruit of the walking palm on the Amazon Golf Course

Many species of trees grow here including this fruiting walking palm

The 3rd green, viewed from the rough, on the Amazon Golf Course

Some people think the rough should be rougher, but I like to walk among the trees we worked so hard to plant:)

The croton are budding at the Amazon Golf Course the middle of September

Croton colorful leaves are their primary beauty, but budding means a healthy plant on the way to maturity. Yea!

Tee number 4 right after the crew planted a shield in the fence row

The crew were just finishing planting caña brava in the fence row and cleaning up the 4th tee. We’ve tried several solutions to keeping people out of the golf course from this back corner and none of those solutions have worked. caña brava reminds me of the ornamental pampas grass only taller. Whether it keeps anyone out or not it makes another species good for attracting seed eating birds and wildlife.

Breadfruit tree with new growth on the Amazon Golf Course, Iquitos Peru

It’s hard to imagine but this innocent little breadfruit tree is growing in the wrong place. If it reaches it’s full breadfruit tree potential it will make the 4th hole even more difficult.

Green number 4 surrounded by the moat, taken from the 5th tee

We are walking along the north side behind the island that is the 4th green up on to the 5th tee and looking back over the 4th green.

From the 5th tee of the Amazon Golf Course near Iquitos Peru

The 5th tee is a good vantage point to survey what we’ve done here. When all these young trees grow up…:)

Aguaje blossoms of the aguaje tree growing on the edge of the moat of the 6th green on the Amazon Golf Course

Look at our aguaje tree blooming

From the 6th green looking back down the 6th fairway of the Amazon Golf Course, near Iquitos Peru

Let’s stroll along the west side of the Amazon Golf Course. The 6th green is very nice to feel.

Several crotons were budding on the Amazon Golf Course, Iquitos Peru

Most of the plants are bursting with growth and several crotons were blooming

A small orchid growning naturally on the Amazon Golf Course.

These trees have orchids and birds nests in them.

Looking down the 9th fairway to the 9th green and the Amazon Golf Course clubhouse

Strolling along the 9th fairway toward the 9th green and the clubhouse but there is still a lot to see…

Most of the coconut palm trees are the Amarilla type but some of the green type slipped through, like this one

We have lots of coconuts growing. When you come to play golf or to relax all you have to do is ask our grounds keepers and they will cut a coconut open for you to drink the delicious juice.

Lots of delicious coconuts at the Amazon Golf Course

Come on out and play a round of golf and ask the crew to cut open a refreshing coconut for your pleasure. Let us share our bounty with you.

From in front of the clubhouse looking back on the 9th green of the beautiful Amazon Golf Course

Let’s go inside the clubhouse for a cold one…and then take a siesta in one of the hammocks

View of the Amazon Golf Course from the 2nd floor observation area of the clubhouse

We are standing on the top floor of the club house looking out over the Amazon Golf Course…one of my favorite views. How about you?

Doesn't this new perfect palm leaf look like a fan?

Walking out the door of the clubhouse and walking down the lane to the road past the trees and bushes we have landscaped with. We feel pretty pleased. How about you?

Marmelita standing by a young acai palm tree along the lane to the Amazon Golf Course

Let’s take a stroll around the Amazon Golf Course

With Bill and Marmelita Grimes. Thank you for joining us.

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Standing right inside the entrance looking down the two rows of trees near the road

Every time I tour the Amazon Golf Course I’m impressed by the amount of manual labor it took to build. I’m proud of our hard working crew. Their dedication is marvelous. First I always think, “None of this would be possible without them.”

My favorite measuring stick, measuring the growth of this tree we planted two years ago.

All of us work too hard and don’t have enough time or energy left over to appreciate what we have accomplished here near Iquitos Peru. I hope you can come and appreciate it for us. Then the work will be worth while.

Palm Blossoms and fruit at the Amazon Golf Course, Iquitos Peru

To maintain these 24 acres with only 2 weed eaters and one push mower is literally impossible. But, we do the best we can, and that’s pretty darn good.

Marmelita and Margarita inspect the new cup and flag holder on the 9th green. It's 330 yards, par 4.

The Amazon Golf Course is practically a miracle. We had to over come a lot of obstacles, more than you can imagine. We did overcome them.

The view looking north-west, from the observation deck of the Amazon Golf Course, Iquitos Peru

This is part of what we are growing here.

The view of the lushness of the Amazon Golf Course from the second floor of the clubhouse.

The soil is not fertile. We make our own organic compost with a hand full of lime to sweeten the soil.

The view looking east from the top floor of the Amazon Golf Course clubhouse

There is a lovely grove of aguaje palms on the east side of the clubhouse where monkeys sometimes come to forage.

The view from the second story of the clubhouse looking west, over the 1st tee, past the driving range shelter to the first green 122 yards, par 3.

We have over 2,700 healthy, strong trees and blooming bushes growing fast, that we planted in the last couple of years, and we are still planting. Our carbon footprint is getting smaller. How about yours? Give us a hand!

View of the Amazon Golf Course from the ground.

I thought 2,000 trees and blooming bushes would be a difficult goal. From our present position, 3,000 looks easy. It’s not too late to help.

Wally Lloyd's oil plams lining the 1st fairway on the Amazon Golf Course.

The oil palms growing so vigorously along the 1st fairway have a special place in my heart. They were donated by Wally Lloyd, the architect of the Amazon Golf Course, and the clubhouse, and a good friend of those of us who knew him best. Wally has passed on, but his Oil Palms (once lost and abandoned), have been found, replanted, and some might say reincarnated. We baby them even more than the other trees and they like the extra attention.

This croton growing along the side of the 1st fairway on the Amazon Golf Course was 1 stem maybe 10 inches tall when we planted it. In two more years it will probably be 5 feet tall and spectacular.

We didn’t just plant these trees and bushes. We loved them with many applications of our own compost and a hand full of lime. We don’t have any equipment fancier than an old wheelbarrow, but the plants growing on the opposite side of the 24 acres from the compost pile get the same loving applications as the ones in front of the clubhouse. Sometimes the grass gets tall where we don’t want it to, but never around our precious plants. We are thinking long term. Be patient with us.

This croton looks like firworks exploding to me. Look in the background to get a better idea of what we are doing on the Amazon Golf Course.

Stay with me. We are going to take a little stroll around the Amazon Golf Course. I hope you like it.

Drainage on the Amazon Golf Course

Most golf courses in the world have to irrigate. Here in the Amazon Rainforest in the district of Loreto Peru, one of our biggest problems at the Amazon Golf Course is drainage. Drainage streams are another opportunity to plant our blooming bushes to attract birds and wildlife.

A water hazard on the Amazon Golf Course

Which means we can channel water and easily have our water hazards where ever we want. Aguaje palms love a water hazard near their roots.

Showing the new directional tee markers pointing to the 6th hole, 269 yards, par 4, on the Amazon Golf Course.

We continue making improvements such as the new tee markers showing the way around the Amazon Golf Course for those that would rather not be accompanied by a caddy.

Tee 3 with water hazard, 259 yards, par 4, Amazon Golf Course.

I hope you are liking what you see here. This has been a real challenge in every way. The amount of work it took to get from fourth growth jungle to fairly refined golf course without many modern labor saving tools is nearly unbelievable. It required an inspiration, a large amount of hard manual labor, a vision, an investment, passion, and a lot of tender loving care.

Hard manual labor is what makes the Amazon Golf Course possible.

When these 3,000 trees and bushes mature, and the birds and wildlife associated with them live on the property, the Amazon Golf Course will be one of the most popular destinations for tourists in Iquitos whether they are golfers or not.

Crotons have an amazing variety of colors and leaf shapes. There is a thriving croton planted in between each coconut palm tree that border the fairways on the Amazon Golf Course.

I love crotons! I raised them as house plants back in the northern hemisphere. They like their conditions much better here in the tropics.

A croton, a coconut palm, a croton, a coconut palm...that's the pattern defining the fairways on the Amazon Golf Course.

These crotons were less than a foot tall when we planted them. Now look…

Margarita beside one of the crotons she planted when it was one stem and a foot tall less than two years ago.

We love and appreciate Margarita and her family. Margarita is our on-site caretaker, in charge of the crew of workers, without whom the Amazon Golf Course would not be nearly as beautiful. I think maybe at first they were humoring the eccentric gringo in charge of the 2,000 tree planting project, but now they are completely on board. Her husband Rodrigo is our horticulturalist, (and Maestro of most everything) I admire him a lot. We are a team. Everyone is completely on board.

Young trees and bushes growing on the backside of the Amazon Golf Course

Ok, use your imagination. What will these 2,700 trees and blooming bushes look like in 5 years. Some people are concerned about the economy, wars, religions, the end of the world, saving the world. I’m a simple man. I like to stand here and watch the plants grow. I want to stand here with you in the shade in 2016 listening to the birds singing, and the frogs croaking, enjoying the humming birds slurping nectar from the blooming bushes while we slurp the coconut milk, fresh from the nut. We will have park benches with thatch roofs in strategic locations. We’ll sit there and talk about the old days. Life is good.

Oil palms growing in the rough near the west border of the Amazon Golf Course

But enough day dreaming. There is a lot of work to be done between now and 2016. The baby crawls before it walks.

Martin Green's bridge on the Amazon Golf Course.

I also have a vision for how this bridge could be designed before 2016, but we have other more pressing problems to solve first. For now, this is a big improvement from when Martin Green made fun of our “Hogan’s Bridge” in his article Augusta in the Amazon.

Green number 3, 259 yards, par 4, at the Amazon Golf Course, Iquitos Peru

I’m also pleased by the improvement in our greens over the last two years. The greens can still be greatly improved by the use of a $7,000 green mower, but for now, we use what we have, a small push mower.

Green number 4, a mesa, surrounded by a moat stocked with piranhas. It's a par 3, a difficult 110 yards.

The award for most improved green in the last two years is green number 4. Two years ago it was unplayable, unless you are Joe Boatright, who solved that problem by getting the only hole-in-one on the Amazon Golf Course on number 4.

This is the best green number 4 has ever played, and we are working to make it better.

Green number 4 is the farthest from the clubhouse and work area. Sand is carried in bags on strong backs or in a wheelbarrow and spread and raked and then rolled and rolled. The grass comes through and the green gets firmer and flatter each time. Because green number 4 was farthest from the sand pile, it got less attention. We have corrected that problem.

This tree has lots of wonderful new growth.

This land is nutrient poor but we are getting around that problem with regular homemade compost mulches, a hand full of lime to sweeten the ph of the soil, foliar feeding the plants, and a hand full of balanced fertilizer per plant once a year.

The tee off to green number 5 on the Amazon Golf Course. It's 243 yards, par 4.

As we walk around the Amazon Golf Course you will notice the peace and quiet. A pleasure after the hustle and bustle of Iquitos.

dangerous green number 6, surrounded by piranha infested water, 269 yards, par 4, on the Amazon Golf Course.

The Amazon Golf Course is beautiful now and will be more beautiful as these plants grow and when we acquire a riding mower and a special greens mower.

Look at the incredible growth on this croton since it was planted at the Amazon Golf Course.

The Amazon Golf Course will become famous. I guarantee it. We will promote Iquitos and increase high end tourism. Golfers, telling the same old stories, playing the same holes, at the same old golf courses in Myrtle Beach, Indianapolis, and around the world will learn about this adventure golf destination. They will come here to play it them selves. They will stay in the best hotels, take the best tours and eat at the best restaurants. This tourism trend is inevitable. Get behind it.

One of the crew working with a weed-eater near green number 8 on the Amazon Golf Course.

The Amazon Golf Course will be positioned to provide that adventure golf tourism. Nearly every golfer that ever played here wanted their picture taken with the machete that is issued with every bag of golf clubs. Every one of those adventure golfers have a new story to tell their friends and family back home.

I am so proud of our crew. They work hard and do the best job possible with what they have to work with. I can not brag enough about them. Our crew works with the goal of making the Amazon Golf Course a beautiful place to play golf.

It would be a mistake to attempt to turn Iquitos into Indianapolis, and it would be a mistake to take the adventure out of adventure golf. There should always be piranhas in the water hazards, caimans sunning in the sand traps, and boas constricting in the rough. There should always be a machete issued with the golf clubs, even in 2015. Lets not lose sight of what makes us unique.

More improvement at the Amazon Golf Course thanks to Martin Greens suggestions.

We keep making improvements. We can’t do everything all at once. First the baby crawls, then it takes it’s first wobbly steps…

My personal favorite, green number 8, 388 yards, par 4, Amazon Golf Course.

Then it runs…

The rough on the east boundary of the Amazon Golf Course.

Then it gets old and creaky like me and starts getting tired right about now in our walk around the Amazon Golf Course. I hope you enjoyed our tour. Only a little farther to go.

We are still planting. Here is a nice little ficus tree with a good start at the Amazon Golf Course.

We are well on our way from 2,700 plants, at last official count, to 3,000 trees and blooming bushes. Our new goal. It’s an undertaking we can all be proud of.

Crotons, the closest to fall colors we can have on the Amazon Golf Course, but we have them all year long:)

The crotons are the closest we can come to New England or Brown County fall colors. We are lucky to have them all year. They don’t lose all their leaves at once. The only green leaves are the new growth.

A croton, a coconut palm, a croton, a coconut palm; the pattern at the Amazon Golf Course.

I love crotons in case you haven’t guessed…

There are lots, more plants to photograph, these are just a few of the ones we walked near enough that they called out to get our attention. You get the picture. The next tour we will walk a different path and photograph other plants and greens.

This scene will be spectacular in a couple of years. It's a pretty scene today.

I wish all of you could be here with with us and watch the trees grow, and the bushes bloom.

Green number 7, 505 yards, par 5, Amazon Golf Course.

This concludes our pictorial tour of the Amazon Golf Course located in Iquitos Peru. I hope you enjoyed this as much as I did. Come play a round or two, and watch the trees grow with me.

A tour Of The Amazon Golf Course, In Iquitos Peru

Bill Grimes is the manager of the Amazon Golf Course, and is reporting from Iquitos Peru. Stay tuned as the trees grow…

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Marmelita harvesting seed pods from one of the flower gardens at the Amazon Golf Course to replant later

Marmelita and I took last Sunday off and went to relax at the Amazon Golf Course, which my friend Martin ironically calls the Augusta in the Amazon, a nick name so clever I hope it sticks. It will if I have anything to say about it, which I do, Augusta in the Amazon, Augusta in the Amazon, Augusta in the Amazon, think Augusta in the Amazon.

Sunday is our day off so we lolled around home most of the morning and decided to have lunch at Arapaima Gigas, one of our favorite restaurants, a couple of hundred meters past the Amazon Golf Course. We flagged down a motocarro near our home on the first block of Nauta, negotiated the fare down to S/12 soles and off we went, holding hands, with the wind blowing through our hair, happy to be together. We rode past the Amazon Golf Course, past the lake, and up the lane to Arapaima Gigas where we sat in our usual chairs with our usual view and ordered our usual food.

At the Arapaima Gigas Restaurant, we sat at our usual chairs, with our usual view.

Arapaima Gigas catches a paiche (Arapaima gigas) every Saturday or Sunday from which they make my favorite Cebiche. Marmelita usually gets a gamitana or a sabalo, freshly netted from the lake, cooked over the coals.

I think the ceviche at the Arapaima Gigas Restaurant is the best in Iquitos.

After our delicious lunch we strolled down the lane back past their lake and walked on the sandy road until the attractive grounds of the Amazon Golf Course came into view. I remembered the shrubby over grown jungle cow pasture we started with a few years ago, and felt a rush of pride about the continuing transformation we have been part of. I wish all of you living in Lima, the rest of Peru, and other countries, that haven’t seen the Amazon Golf Course in the last few years, or ever, could be here with us. I know you would be amazed by the miracle we have been blessed with, the Augusta in the Amazon.

Full bloom near the fifth green on the Amazon Golf Course

This is a big project. The grass grows fast. The jungle encroaches. A neighbor is contrary. We have proven conclusively that a hard working team can not quite maintain a 24 acre golf course to Augusta standards with two weed eaters, a couple of machetes, and a push mower, but we do our best, and we do pretty good.

The view looking west from the 5th green at the Amazon Golf Course

We love our trees and bushes. I would like for you to go back in time to May 13, 2009 by clicking on this link; Working on Changing the Amazon Golf Course to your Great Amazon Golf Course; That is the article where I first published our intentions to plant 2,000 trees and blooming bushes. The next photo is the day we started our tree planting campaign. Margarita and Marmelita are planting small saplings.

Margarita and Marmelita planting the first of 2,000 new, young, trees and bushes on the Amazon Golf Course, before it became the Augusta in the Amazon

The next photo is of Marmelita standing next to one of those same trees she planted 22 months before.

Marmelita, next to a tree she planted less than 2 years ago on the Amazon Golf Course

Wait until you see these next photos of trees that were planted about the same time.

Marmelita with a tree planted less than 2 years ago on the Amazon Golf Course

And the incredible growth of the tree in the next photo…

Marmelita next to a fast growing tree we planted less than 2 years ago on the Amazon Golf Course

I know Marmelita isn’t the tallest measuring stick in the jungle, but she’s my favorite one. The point is that we are proud of what we have accomplished by not only planting 2,000 trees and blooming bushes, but mulching all of them with half a dozen applications of compost and lime, applying plenty of tender loving care, and watching them grow. As we said we would do. Listen up,…I always try my best to do what I say I will do. That’s a promise.

Bill Grimes waking up from a Sunday siesta at the Amazon Golf Course Clubhouse

For instance, I said I would take a siesta…and I did.

A mixed planting of crotons and palms in the rough

Thanks to those of you that donated money to help finance the 2,000 trees and blooming bushes project. Mike Collis takes a plant with him every time he goes to the golf course. If you were sitting on the fence watching to make sure it was really happening, and now that it has happened you are wishing you had done something to help, it’s not to late. There is still room for many more trees and bushes.

Palms and crotons with the Amazon Golf Course Clubhouse in the background

We are starting a program to plant a tree in your name as the best type of carbon sink to help save the planet. We will plant your tree, take a photo of the planting, post photos of your tree here on the Amazon Golf Course Blog, in your name, as it grows. It will be your tree. You will do something to help mitigate the accumulation of CO2 in the atmosphere. You will personally do something to help save the planet. We all thank you!

Trees growing along the west border of the Amazon Golf Course

Don’t forget, Mike Collis takes a tree or bush to the Amazon Golf Course every time he goes. He goes there frequently. You could do that to.

Oil palms growing in the rough at the Amazon Golf Course

This is another opportunity for you to help us. You won’t believe how much your tree can grow in the next two years.

The 5th green at the Amazon Golf Course

The 9th green on the way to the clubhouse

Naturally, it’s a golf course, a well landscaped golf course, a beautiful golf course, Augusta in the Amazon.

Leaving the Augusta in the Amazon Golf Course. See you next Sunday

Look how tall the heliconias are compared to my favorite measuring stick. Heliconias respond to compost and tender loving care as well.

Bill Grimes enjoying one of the flower beds at the entrance of the Augusta in the Amazon, The Amazon Golf Course

Marmelita and I will see you next Sunday with another story and photos of our day. We plan to measure and show off some of the crotons. See you then.

A Relaxing Sunday At The Augusta in the Amazon

Bill Grimes is the manager of the Amazon Golf Course, and a big fan. Please join in to help make it better. Plant a tree.

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The Amazon Golf Course crew visits The Butterfly Farm and enjoys a picnic on a deserted white sand beach on the Nanay River with Dawn on the Amazon.

The Amazon Golf Course crew, and the Dawn on the Amazon Crew, and their friends and family, joined forces to have a great day together.

Marmelita and I planned a special day to share with the combined crew from the Amazon Golf Course, Dawn on the Amazon Tours and Cruises, and the Dawn on the Amazon Cafe; 20 of the best Iquitanians I know of, and they could invite one friend or family member to join them. When we loaded up in our boat, Dawn on the Amazon we had a total of 41 crew, friends, and family. Our first stop was the Amazon Animal Orphanage and Pilpintuwasi Butterfly Farm, then up the Nanay River to find a deserted white sandy beach to picnic, play volleyball, swim, drink a few beers, and to share a great day together.

The crew of the Amazon Golf Course and Dawn on the Amazon tour the Butterfly Farm.

Most of the crew from the Amazon Golf Course, and the Dawn on the Amazon Cafe had never been to the Butterfly Farm, or on our boat. I wanted everyone to have a fun day and to become more knowledgeable about what we do at Dawn on the Amazon Tours and Cruises at the same time.

Filo dancing with a Red-faced Uakari monkey at the butterfly

The monkeys put on a show. The owner of the Butterfly Farm, Gudrun Sperrer, gave us a special tour and I was proud how attentive our crew was. They told us it was interesting and that they learned a lot about the life cycle of the butterflies, and their host plants.

Giant moth at the Butterfly Farm

This giant moth is a Rothschiladia. It only lives two or three days, just long enough to accomplish it’s only goal which is to breed. It doesn’t even have a digestive system. The female gives off pheromones to attract the male from up to 15 kilometers away.

Gudrun showing caterpillars to our crew at the Butterfly Farm

I’ve been to the Butterfly Farm dozens of times and always see and learn some thing new. Recently a person suggested it should be called Butterfly Gardens. That is probably a more descriptive name.  Some day when our 2,000 trees and blooming  bushes at the Amazon Golf Course mature I hope some one might think Amazon Golf Gardens would be more descriptive. I highly recommend you take a day trip to the Butterfly Farm to see some of what you came to the Amazon to see in the first place, orchids, heliconias, gingers, ayahuasca vines, chacruna bushes, caiman, turtles, agoutis, macaws, parrots, flocks of parakeets, 6 or 7 species of monkeys that swing down out of the trees to pick your pocket and lick the salt your perspiration provides, a manatee, a jaguar, an ocelot, good bird watching, and lots and lots of butterflies.

Dawn on the Amazon, this beautiful boat, brought us here together, on this sandy beach enjoying each others company, and the day

After a couple of hours at the Butterfly Farm we loaded back up in the Dawn on the Amazon river boat and motored upstream on the Nanay River, until we came to a big deserted sand bar beach. We pulled in and our crew poured out on the beach ready for fun. On went the bathing suits, up went the volleyball net, out came the food and beer, we let out a cheer. The picnic lunch was a feast, and there was plenty left over to eat again later. I called the second meal a picnic dinner. We had 80 loaves of our ciabatta bread with Edam cheese, hard boiled eggs, and a big jar of orange marmalade plus various left overs from lunch. No one went home hungry.

Pink Dolphin showing his flipper in the Nanay River

We swam, soaked or waded for a couple of hours. Cooling off in the river was the best choice for me. The crew played high quality volleyball all afternoon, the winners and losers cooled off in the river between games.

Part of our crew enjoying the day with Dawn on the Amazon on the Nanay River

As you can see from the photos, we have an attractive crew.

Part of the group of 41 that shared this great day together

Along about the middle of the afternoon dark clouds blew in with a steady breeze. We enjoyed overcast cloudy conditions with a cool breeze and no rain. Perfect.

Bill Grimes and Dawn on the Amazon

I was exhausted by the end of the day. I mean absolutely exhausted. The young crew played hard until the very end. It’s good to be young.

Marmelita loves swimming and volleyball in what little spare time she has.

As usual, Marmelita had all of our events well organized and was able to play. No one enjoys swimming in the river more. She was part of the young crew that was still playing hard at the end of the day.

Part of the crew from the Amazon Golf Course on the beach watching the volley ball game

Margarita and Caesar are used to working hard in the hot sun at the Amazon Golf Course so they were still going strong at the end of the day.

Part of the crew from the Dawn on the Amazon Cafe, enjoying the day on the Nanay River.

Our day together was a big success. I’m sure we accomplished our goals. Everyone had such a good day we are already talking about when we can schedule something like this again. Our goal was to encourage team work, camaraderie and mutual respect, and for everyone to learn more about how our companies work, while having fun. Success!

To learn more about this story, and to see more photos of our day, please click these live links; Day Trip To The Butterfly Farm And the Sandy Beaches Of The Nanay River; and A Fun Sunday On The River With Dawn on the Amazon.

The Amazon Golf Course crew visits The Butterfly Farm and enjoys a picnic on a deserted white sand beach on the Nanay River with Dawn on the Amazon.

Bill Grimes is the manager of the Amazon Golf Course, and president of Dawn on the Amazon Tours and Cruises.

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The Shamans Ball was held at the Amazon Golf Course, Iquitos Peru.

The Shamans Ball at the Amazon Golf Course, Iquitos Peru

Marmelita and I attended The Shamans Ball, at the Amazon Golf Course, a gathering of Shamans and the ayahuasca faithful that would be considered unusual in most places. Somehow here it didn’t seem so out of the ordinary to have 20 or 30 shamans interacting on a Golf Course. This event could not have taken place anywhere else on earth except in Iquitos Peru.

View from the top floor of the Amazon Golf Course Clubhouse of the preparations for the Shamans Ball

The catalyst for the gathering was that Vanity Fair sent a couple of popular journalists, Ted Mann and Rick Meyerowitz, on assignment to write an article about Shamanism and Ayahuasca in Iquitos Peru. Ted and Rick have highly developed senses of humor, and there was something about the concept of a Shamans Ball that tickled Ted.

The Iquitos String Orchestra playing at the Amazon Golf Course

So he invited 30 shamans and their family and friends, dressed in a tuxedo, and hired the Iquitos String Orchestra to play for the “Shamans Ball”. If that wasn’t strange enough, the Shamans Ball was performed at the Amazon Golf Course.

Rick Meyerowitz, Amarath, Emma, and Ted Mann at the Shamans Ball, Amazon Golf Course, Iquitos Peru

It’s probably not a coincidence this sounds like something out of National Lampoon Magazine. Rick and Ted both worked for the Lampoon for several years back in the early 70s. Or maybe it doesn’t sound like National Lampoon. Maybe this is just as normal as a spring rain, reading a book, and eating a piece of chocolate cake. As normal as it gets…Maybe?…Is this how your life is? Does this sound normal to you?

Emma, Rick, shaman, Ted, Amazon Golf Course, Iquitos Peru

Marmelita overheard one shaman talking on his cell phone as he walked down the lane to the road. He said, “I don’t know what’s going on here, but it’s something weird and I’m leaving.” It may have been weird but that shaman missed out on some great music, interesting conversation, and a delicious chicken BBQ. Margarita and the crew served 78 meals.

Ted, shaman, Emma, at the Shamans Ball, performed at the Amazon Golf Course in Iquitos Peru

You could enjoy reading more about Vanity Fair, Rick Meyerowitz, Ted Mann, Shamanism, Ayahuasca, and some of my opinions and plans by following this link to my Captains Blog and to this article; Shamanism, Ayahuasca, and Vanity Fair in Iquitos Peru.

This is what the east side of the entrance to the Amazon Golf Course looked like on the day of the Shamans Ball

Our flower gardens, and all of the blooming bushes and trees are growing and looking great at the Amazon Golf Course.

The flower garden on the west side of the entrance to the Amazon Golf Course on the day of the Shamans Ball

We took Brian Wienmeyer, one of our friends, with us. We had a great day. It was extremely interesting. I wish you could have been there to see this with your own eyes. I’m telling you, no where else in the world would this have happened.

One of our friends, Brian Wienmeyer, in the entrance of the Amazon Golf Course

The Shamans Ball was held at the Amazon Golf Course, Iquitos Peru

Bill Grimes is the manager of the Amazon Golf Course, president of Dawn on the Amazon Tours and Cruises, and owns and hosts the Dawn on the Amazon Cafe, among many other projects.

Check out more of Bill Grimes’s writing on his Captain’s Blog. To follow up on this story, click the links below;

How Does Shamanism, Ayahuasca, And Vanity Fair Come Together In Iquitos Peru, And What Will Be The Result?;

Opinions About Ayahuasca From The Shaman’s Apprentice;

New Ayahuasca Diet Menu At The Dawn on the Amazon Cafe;

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The Chica of the Month Photo Shoot at the Amazon Golf Course in Iquitos Peru.

This is a guest post from our friend Royce Reed. The photos are published here with Royce’s permission.

The Chica of the Month, modeling on the top floor of the Amazon Golf Course Clubhouse, Iquitos Peru

We would like to present the beautiful and elegant Ivonne Del Pilar Panduro Perez. Ivonne is 22 years old and her star sign is Virgo.

Chica of the Month modeling at the Amazon Golf Course, Iquitos Peru

She lives in the Puchana district of the city with her parents and 4 younger brothers and sisters. Ivonne was recently crowned Miss Elegance in a beauty pageant in Bella Vista.

Chica of the Month, posing at the Amazon Golf Course, Iquitos Peru

In her spare time Ivonne likes to listen to music and practice her English. Ivonne is currently enrolled in the university and is studying to become a nurse.

The Chica of the Month, posing on the 9th green at the Amazon Golf Course, Iquitos Peru

Ivonne speaks very little English, but her smile says it all, “Welcome to Iquitos!”

The Chica of the Month photo shoot at the Amazon Golf Course, Iquitos Peru.

A guest post by our friend Royce Reed

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Easter resurrection of the Amazon Golf Course

East flower garden and welcome sign at the entrance of the Amazon Golf Course on Easter Sunday, 2010

Easter Sunday in Iquitos began like many days in the rainforest, with a cleansing, cooling, rain that blew over by mid morning. Then the weather and day turned beautiful. Marmelita and I packed up a change of clothes, camera, a book to read, a notebook to capture ideas before they disappear, and a good attitude. We flagged down a motocarro, negotiated the fare down from S/ 20 soles by laughing loudly as we walked away. The motocarista followed us begging for how much we would pay. We alway pay S/ 10 soles to the golf course, and that is what we settled on. I decided if the motocarista did a good job getting us there in one piece with no problems I would give him a S/ 2 Easter tip.

Before we even got out of downtown Iquitos we saw two friends of ours in a motocarro in front of us nearly have an accident. A bus changed lanes right on top of the motocar they were riding in and the two vehicles touched fairly hard, but no one lost control and no one even stopped to see if there was any damage.

As usual, we saw several other interesting scenes on the ride out to the Amazon Golf Course. A motocar was carrying two giant blocks of ice that must have weighed 100 pounds apiece, and a couple of small children that probably weighed 40 pounds apiece were turned around in the seat rubbing the ice and enjoying the cold sensation.

I like to watch the activity along the road. Riding through San Juan, the suburb of Iquitos on the way past the airport, a young woman crossing the street in front of us had a Capuchin Monkey wrapped all around her arm. Marmelita pointed out a camu-camu juice processing plant that I was not aware of. Past IIAP where they have a display of manatees, trying to raise awarness in the native community to protect the “river cows.” We rode along with the wind blowing our hair past several new construction sites including workers expanding the largest wood drying kiln in the greater Iquitos area, and a government building project that I’m still trying to figure out, that may be a recreational park with water works and small zoo. We were traveling mostly south, past the Iquiteña beer brewery, the rice warehouse, and the plant nursury where we purchased many of the trees and blooming bushes for the Amazon Golf Course. The plant nursury had several customers lined up to buy Easter Lilies. I noticed most of the restaurants we passed were open on Easter Sunday, expecting people to want to eat out. Most of them were nearly empty between 12:30 and 1:00pm. The motocarista turned to the right and headed west on the Zungeracocha, Nina Rumi, road and we bounced along the washboard rough sand road for 7 minutes and were happy to see the Welcome to the Amazon Golf Course sign and flowerbeds by the road marking the entrance, with the clubhouse up on the hill.

The flower garden on the west side of the entrance to the Amazon Golf Course as it was on Easter Sunday, 2010

I wish you could have been there in person to see how much our trees have grown. I’m very impressed. The grounds crew are keeping compost from near the base of the trunk to past the drip line for a mulch, with a hand full of lime mixed in to sweeten the soil. The trees and bushes are responding to the tender loving care.

The Ficus and Pamarosa trees next to the road are growing and looking good with a compost mulch to help them thrive

I wish you could have stood with Marmeltia and I looking up the lane through the Hibiscus, and Heliconia, to the clubhouse and felt what we felt. What a change in just 11 months.

The lane to the Amazon Golf Course Clubhouse, with the practice putting green on the east side

Do you remember how these 4 Ficus Trees looked 11 months ago? Wow!!! What a spurt of growth. I know, Marmelita isn’t the tallest person to compare the trees to, but I’m impressed. How about you?

Marmelita showing how much these four Ficus Trees have grown in 11 months

Margarita, Rodrigo, and the rest of the crew prepared a great Easter parrillada. The chicken was perfect, and the cocona sauce was delicious. After lunch Marmelita walked all around the course and I took photos of all the greens so I could show you part of what we’ve accomplished.

This is green 1, with the Amazon Golf Course Clubhouse in the background

One of our biggest challenges has been making and keeping the greens playable. We can do better, but I think you will agree they are pretty good.

Green 2 at the Amazon Golf Course

This will be the first time I’ve managed to photograph every green to post in one article.

The third green at the Amazon Golf Course

We need a professional greens mower to take the next step up to more playable greens. We mow our greens with a wore out $700 push mower that’s broken down and in the shop right now.

The fourth green at the Amazon Golf Course

Green # 4 is a tough one. It looks more like a lunar landscape than a golf green. Joe Boatright will tell you the best way to deal with # 4 it to hit a hole in one.

The fifth green at the Amazon Golf Course, with the second green in the background

Sixth green at the Amazon Golf Course

The seventh green with the driving range shade protection in the back ground at the Amazon Golf Course

Marmelita on green number 8 at the Amazon Golf Course

The view from the Amazon Golf Course clubhouse, overlooking green number nine

Aguaje Palm and water hazard lined with blooming bushes, with the Amazon Golf Course clubhouse in the background

Part of the back half of the Amazon Golf Course with Coconut Palm saplings and young fast growing Crotons

The back half of the Amazon Golf Course was long neglected. We have made a special effort to bring it “up to par” with the rest of the course. That will be an ongoing project to catch up with the front half, but we’ve made a good start.

Crotons and Coconut Palms growing on the back half of the Amazon Golf Course

Coconut Palms and an Aguaje Palm near a water hazard at the Amazon Golf Course

Forever Spring, blooming profusely by a water hazard at the Amazon Golf Course

This Forever Spring blooming bush is another of about a thousand amazing growth success stories.

This palm tree has ripe fruit, green fruit, immature small fruit, and new blossoms that the bees are pollinating, all on one tree

Great growth on the Palmarosa sapling next to the Heliconias

Wild life at the Amazon Golf Course

Marmelita and I walked all over the Amazon Golf Course examining all of the greens, water hazards, and nearly ever blooming bush and tree. We were happy. It was a great way to spend Easter Sunday. Right at dark we were walking back to the main road to catch a motocar back to our home. My thoughts were wandering about the significance of Easter Sunday, and I kept coming back to an analogy about the resurrection of the Amazon Golf Course. Without laboring over the mystical, religious implications, very simply, let me share this analogy with you; the Amazon Golf Course has been brought back to life. I wish you could have been there with us. Maybe next time.

Bill Grimes is the manager of the Amazon Golf Course, where you can have an Amazon Golf Adventure, in Iquitos Peru.

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John Wilkens donates golfing equipment.

A guest post by Mike Collis

Patricia and John, donating golf equipment to the Amazon Golf Course. Margarita and Bill gratefully accepting the golf equipment.

John Wilkens first came to Iquitos in February 2000 and was immediately accepted into the expat community. John fell in love with the city but soon also fell in love with Patricia. John and I were always talking about bringing in new things into Iquitos. We talked about a paintball club, a military type assault course and a golf driving range. We checked all three out but decided on a driving range. No matter how hard we looked we could not find a suitable piece of land at the right rental so we shelved that too.

In August 2002 John and Patricia were married and left to live in Florida in December of the same year. John found work in security working in Iraq , where John stayed until August 2006. Although Patricia had seen the golf course on her occasional trips to Iquitos to visit family and friends John had never seen it himself although he joined as  member number 6 in April 2004.

On Christmas Eve this year Patricia suddenly appeared in my office. What a joy to see her again but then John came in and we had a great reunion after 7 years.

I invited John and Patricia to the Christmas Bar-B-Q on 27th December at the golf course. This would be John’s first time he had seen what we had achieved over these last 6 years. John and Patricia arrived at the Bar-B-Q along with his brother-in-law. John had brought with him a complete set of golf clubs, lots of new sets of boxed golf balls along with a host of other golfing gadgets. John said that they lived in a place called “The Villages” in Florida where the community is based on golf and that he had no trouble asking for donated golfing equipment for the Amazon Golf Course.

Everyone had a great day at the Bar-B-Q  and John knocked some balls around the course, a golf course that was just a dream when he left in December 2002.

On behalf of everyone at the Amazon Golf Course I want to say a Very Big Thank You John and Patricia for the desperately needed golf equipment.

John Wilkens donates golfing equipment.

Mike Collis is founder of the Amazon Golf Course and editor of the Iquitos Times.

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Upcoming Events At The Amazon Golf Course

Amazon Golf Course, photographed from the observation deck of the clubhouse on December 5th, 2009

December 8th Charcoal Chicken BBQ

On December 8th, Tuesday, during La Purisima, the religious holiday dedicated to praying to the virgin Mary, combined with partying in Punchana while drinking lots of Pilsen, Margarita and the grounds crew at the Amazon Golf Course will host a Charcoal Chicken BBQ, a parrillada de pollo, working and praying to raise money for their own Christmas bonus, knowing I am not giving out a Christmas bonus. Steve McAlear and I donated S/50 soles apiece to get them started, and I am praying to the Virgin Mary right now to encourage you to help them with a small donation also. They are self motivated, smart, hard working, and deserve your support. If you are feeling generous about Christmas, and helping hard working people with much less than anyone you probably know back home, you can funnel your donation through me, or if you are in Iquitos, plan on buying a parrillada ticket for only S/8 soles, and attending the cookout at the Amazon Golf Club on December 8th.

You can buy a ticket to the delicious Charcoal Chicken BBQ for only S/8 soles

December 12th, Golf Tournament

On December 12th, we are having a golf tournament to determine the annual winner of the Ernst and Edith Schneider Trophy. The tournament will be for all the golf students we have taught at our free Saturday morning golf lessons. They will play a round of 9 holes and be allowed only 8 strokes per hole to keep things moving along at a good speed.

The west flower garden and view of the Amazon Golf Course clubhouse from the road. Don't drive past, pull in and have fun.

December 27th, Charcoal Chicken BBQ, last Sunday of December

We are making the last Sunday of the month our day to host a special meal every month to raise money to help with the maintenance and improvements of the Amazon Golf Course. On December 27th, the last Sunday of December, we will host an after Christmas Charcoal Chicken BBQ at the Amazon Golf Course clubhouse. The red hot coals will have the good food ready to serve around noon.

December 27th will be a full fun social day of golf, volleyball and soccer or just hiking around the beautiful landscaped park. We will all be there. Please join us. Buy your ticket in advance at Mad Mick’s Trading Post, located near the middle of the first block of Putumayo, #163, at the top of the stairs on the second floor, the Dawn on the Amazon office, #185 Malecon, Maldonado, near the corner of the 1st block of Nauta, on the boulevard, overlooking the river, the Amazon Exporers Club, #101 Nauta, the first door on the first block of Nauta, around the corner from Dawn on the Amazon, windows overlooking the river, or at the Amazon Golf Course.

The approach to the Amazon Golf Course clubhouse

January 31st, the last Sunday of January, “THE JUNGLE ROAST”

If you can only come to the Amazon Golf Course for one meal all year it should be this one. Don’t miss The Jungle Roast, all you can eat, the last Sunday, January 31st. The Jungle Roast will be the most remarkable meal of 2010, and one of your best days. You will remember and talk about The Jungle Roast all year. If you are living out of Iquitos, fly in special for The Jungle Roast. It will be worth it. To learn all of the details about the menu, price, and what is included in the day, follow the link below to an article I posted on the Captain’s Blog;

Join us for The Jungle Roast at the Amazon Golf Course in Iquitos Peru on January 31st, the last Sunday in January.

The entrance to the Amazon Golf Course

Upcoming Events At The Amazon Golf Course

Bill Grimes is president of Dawn on the Amazon Tours and Cruises, and manager of the Amazon Golf Course.

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