Back at the hostel Isabel was reading a book, I have no idea what it was but she was bored and wanted to go to the Bellen market at the other end of town, I didn't mind, it was quite a good idea, get out of the hostel, it was quite a gloomy day so chilling out by the pool wasn't really an option, so we went. Apparently Bellen is know as the Peruvian Venice, it has an elaborate network of streets and during the wet season, when the river floods over, the markets move up hill more and the whole area has been changed from streets to canals. I didn't really make much sense as to why there was a market underwater, or at least below the water line.
To be honest, the markets were utterly disgusting, there were chicken cut up, and just out in the open, unrefrigerated, meat the same, fish the same, there were large piles of rubbish on the floor, it was like a rubbish tip with butchers and fishmongers all around the edges, there was the most unpleasant smell of shit, and piss and fish and rotten meat and all sorts, it was not nice at all. To buy meat there was pretty much a guarantee of food poisoning. We were followed by a couple of local claiming to be tour guides, one of them kept on showing us a picture of him with an American bloke, we did not care at all but they just followed us all the way round. We didn't speak to them but they kept on saying things about where we were and all sorts, to be fair they did get us a few things to try for free. These nuts that look like squashed brains that come from a fruit that looks like a really veiny papaya. I tried this thing called a cashew fruit, presumably where the nut comes from, there was big nut shaped thing on the end. I took one bite and it had to be one of the worst things I have tried, it was exceptionally bitter and for some reason it burnt my mouth and lips, it completely numbed my mouth to the extent that I couldn't feel my tongue, it even made my tongue go white. It felt as though I had just scolded the inside of my mouth with really hot tea or something. I desperately needed some relief so I bought some juice which the lady said was mandarin juice, it was concentrated lemon juice for cooking and salads, that just made it a whole lot worse. In fact, it was so bad that I was nearly sick.