The Village of Jenaro Herrera

Jenaro Herrera is a relatively small jungle village off the coast of the Ucayali River. Contrary to what we said in our YouTube video (sorry!) it is NOT 325 kilometers upriver (it is much less, about 3-4 hours by our speed boat, or 10-12 hours on the overnight freighter. We take you on the speed boat!) This is where Eloy was born and raised.

It is  a tranquil place, with rustic, thatched-roof houses lining the river and palm trees touching the sky. Very few tourists visit there,  and we work closely with the community to tread lightly and support them in ways they are seeking. In general, since this is the brain-child of Eloy, most people are extremely supportive and excited to meet new people from all over the world (about 80% of the village has never been outside of it!)

In the "downtown" area (lol) there are a couple of small stores, most of them within the homes of people. There is a morning fruit, vegetable and fish market, as well as a couple of in-house restaurants.

There are two public pay phone lines to make calling card calls during the day, and an internet cafe/calling card call center available most nights from the hours of 7-10 (when the town electricity is on) and sometimes during the daytime as well. Many US-based cell phones work for calls and text (Meghan has a Blackberry through T-Mobile, and calls are $4/minute, texts 20-50 cents each, email is in and out.)

The weather is generally tropical with clean humidity (ranging between about 75-95 F). During the days, there are not too many mosquitos (more are out between sunset and sunrise). We take measures to keep them out of the house, but mosquito nets are provided in each bed just in case.

Children laughing, kids playing soccer, the roosters, the dogs, and the orchestra of nighttime insects create a cultural experience beyond words. There is much to be learned from balanced, happy people in a relaxed, natural rhythm of life. Jenaro Herrera is a  unique gem of a place that few Westerners have the opportunity to experience.

Infinite Light sits a bit removed from the central area, as they wanted even more peace and tranquility.

The house is rustic and fairly large, consisting of two levels (the upper for the family, the lower for guests). The lower floor accommodates a total of nine people (five singles, and two double rooms with individual beds). All bedding is provided, including mattress, sheet, blanket, pillow, and mosquito net. The Main House also provides two toilets, a sink, and two showers (one indoor, one outdoor.) Water runs all day, pumped in clean from the river (drinking water is provided in another location). The town electricity runs from about 7:00-10:00 every night, and Infinite Light has a generator in case electricity is needed during the day. It is highly recommended (required for ASL users) to bring a headlamp, preferably one with a soft, red setting for use in ceremony.)

We have recently completed construction on our Worker/Apprentice House, consisting of five large double rooms that can be converted to singles (accommodating a total of ten people.) Most of the people living in this house will be long-term. One room is wheelchair accessible, with it's own bathroom and shower. There are two additional toilets and a shower in the Worker/Apprentice House as well.