Writing in El Viajero, the travel supplement of the influential Spanish newspaper, El Pais, Miguel Ángel Noceda says that the people of Peru were delighted that the Amazon had been elected as one of the New7Wonders of Nature. In his article, “Mototaxis en la selva“, Noceda takes the reader on an Amazonian journey that begins in Iquitos, the largest city in the Peruvian rainforest and the capital of the Loreto Region.
Recalling the glory days of Iquitos, he writes: “The early twentieth century boom, which attracted mythical characters such as the eccentric Fitzcarraldo to Iquitos, fired the imagination of the Peruvians, who joyfully received the news that the Amazon had declared one of the seven natural wonders of the world. The Amazon spans nine countries, but it starts in Peru before it turns into the Amazon,” notes Noceda, who points out that another Peruvian treasure, Machu Picchu, was elected as one of the Official New 7 Wonders of the World.
In alphabetical order, the provisional New7Wonders of Nature announced on 11 November 2011 are: Amazon, Halong Bay, Iguazu Falls, Jeju Island, Komodo, Puerto Princesa Underground River and Table Mountain. Both Jeju Island and Puerto Princesa Underground River have been confirmed on a preliminary basis. The remaining five provisional New7Wonders of Nature are currently undergoing the three steps of the verification process, namely the national voting validation, the global voting calculation confirmation by an independent audit firm, and the preparation and implementation of the Official Inauguration ceremonies.