Advertisement
Published: April 1st 2007
Hello. Day before I start the inca trail in the slowest internet place in the world, so will be brief.
Got up early (again) after having yet another early night in yet another really nice hotel. Had a double bed this time. sweet.
Up early to get flight to Puerto Maldonado, where we were met with more humidity than has ever existed anywhere in the world, which would lead me to sweat solidly for three days. Bad. On the plus side one of the guides who met us was quite a fittie, so that was nice. The other one was a very nice but quite fat man called Wilson.
Not all the group had come to the amazon, only 8 of us were staying in the lodge that could hold up to 36 people, so we were quite lucky. Trip started with a 3 hour bopat ride in a motorised canoe up the river, where we saw a Capybara (giant guinea pig) and some parrots and had lunch out of a giant banana leaf. Cool.
Lodge was absolutely amazing, was like a 5 star retreat, really simple but had lots of hammocks and nice beds, and showers that looked out into the jungle! This was cool. We had big mosquito nets over the beds as well which made it like a little cocoon. That afternoon we went on our first trek, and saw a wild pig, and lots of cool plants and trees and leaves that smelt of lemon and garlic and stuff. Then went back to the lodge looking for tarantula holes. This was brilliant. When we found one, wilson stuck a branch down there so they thought it was an insect and came running out to try and kill it, whilst we took photos.
Dinner was after we got back (after a superb cold shower), accompanied by the lodge pet, Pepe, a howler monkey, who was really tame and liked posing for photos and curling up on people. He wasnt such a fan of getting off when he was comfy though, and would nip and growl if you tried to shift him.
After dinner and a cheeky cold beer, we had an impromptu dancing lesson with two of the girls on the staff and wilson showinng myself, colin and team norway (the two norwegian guys) how to dance latin american style. I couldnt do this so i demonstrated the one handed leg grab and some light bodypopping. Noone was impressed.
Up at 5am the next day to go birdwatching. Doesnt sound great, but when the birds are loads of parrots and parakeets and baby parakeets and then a tygra (like an otter but that can climb trees) balances along a branch and scares them off its pretty good fun.
Back for breakfast and then off on another trek to a lake (saw squirrel monkeys and a snake on the way), where we sunbathed (burnt again) and went fishing for piranhas (i didnt catch any which annoyed me) but we got 5 out in about 20 minutes, then went into the middle of the piranha lake and jumped off the boat for a swim. This was a bit odd. Cool though.
After swim, did some more burning on the boat before going back to the lodge for lunch and a siesta. This was special.
That afternoon went on the boat to a farm down the river, where they grew rice, brazil nuts (peruvian nuts here), mandarins, sugar cane, lemons, bananas, papaya and stuff. Got to eat it all, which was really nice, especialy the sugar cane, that was quite odd really, it just tasted like sugar. Should probably have been prepared for that one though.
Off then to take photos of the sunset on the river, before heading back for dinner and a few beers. We (Colin and I) had been trying to organise a special ceremony thing with the local shamen for that night, where you drink the jungle master plant and have visions about the junglew or something but this was called off, which was annoying, but it turned into a brilliant night after a few beers, when wilson brought out a bottle of local rum, brewed and stored with coca leaves and sugar cane. This was strong, and we were better at dancing afterwards.
Next morning was leaving time, so after breakfast we got back on the boat and back into town to check in for our flight home. Saw another capybara on the way. Also went to serpentarium, which was a bit shoddy, but had cool snakes. There was one with a live chick in the cage for dinner, but it didnt eat it whilst we were there which was devastating. Did get to hold a boa constrictor, and a rainbow boa, which again makes me cool. Snakes are brilliant. Saw an ocelot there as well.
Flight home, then had a massive pizza lunch and dropped some laundry off (the jungle smells) before going into town to replace my camera, whichwas expensive, but noiw I have one that isnt broken and whose battery might last longer than half a day. and it was much cheaper than at home. Like, totally loads.
Was back in hotel at about 7, when I packed my stuff for the inca trail (bag for me and bag for my porter), and watched tv in bed before sleep at about 10. Amazing.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.097s; Tpl: 0.01s; cc: 7; qc: 44; dbt: 0.075s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb
Babs
non-member comment
Chicks
Having spent the week drawing pictures of little fluffy chicks and Easter bunnies I would appreciate it if there were no more stories about snakes eating chicks. Thank you. P.S. I have been reading your blogs but havent written anything for awhile...this is by no means a reflection of how much I love you! Babs x