Lima and Puerto Maldonado

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Lima
I arrived in Lima in the evening after the boat tour and stayed in a cute area called Barrenco which is super hipster with lots of restaurants, bars and cafes, street art and has a really cool atmosphere so I spent the evening walking around there.

The next day I explored Miraflores and had a nice, steady day which was great as I have been go, go, go for a week and I haven’t slept in the same bed for more than 1 night in a row! I was surprised by Lima as I expected it to just be a big capital city but it had lots of character, charm and the Miraflores/ Barrenco region was green and had lots of parks and a great sea promenade for walking, running and cycling. I really liked the cute little parks all the way through the area and this made a huge difference as every other city I have been to in South America has just been so built up there hasn’t been much space for greenery within the city.

Lima as also well known for its culinary scene and there were lots of great places in Miraflores.

Puerto Maldonado
I flew from Lima to Puerto Maldonado which is a gateway into the Peruvian Amazon. I stayed one night in the town itself and it was very hot and humid. The following morning I made my way into the Amazon and stayed in a lodge in the Tamboapata reserve. We arrived, had lunch and then went on a evening walk to a view tower, following this we took a night boat along the Amazon to see Caiman and Kappabaras (largest rodent in the world).

The Amazon was amazing. Overnight there was the biggest thunderstorm I have ever seen and the rain continued into the morning. We woke early to get to the Macaw Claylick to see the macaws come and eat some clay to neutralise the acid from the fruits. At first there wasn’t many but as we waited loads came.

We also saw monkeys and vultures and another Caiman and Kappabara. The whole air of the Amazon was intriguing and captivating and I really hope that it is something that the world fights to defend.

Highlights- Lima and Barranco were a great place to chill out, the Amazon has amazing wildlife

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