Hammocks in the Jungle

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After the Cycle ride and a day in Puerto Maldonado to recover a little bit we decided to spend a few days in the jungle at a lodge and go on day excursions. This was really cool. We stayed at a place called Cayman lodge which was French/Peruvian run. We did lots of things that sound a bit dangerous but weren’t.
On the first night we went walking into the jungle to listen to the sounds, this was quite good but it was difficult to tell if tree roots were tree roots if you know what I mean. We had to wait an extra day for another couple to arrive with our guide so the next day (which I probably consider the best day I’ve had in Peru so far) was a ten hour stint in a hammock. It was amazingly placed with a great view of the river and lots of animals around. Not that I would recommend anyone to spend ten hours in a hammock as you feel like you are still swinging for a few hours afterward and having proper conversations about things that don’t involve hammocks are difficult. Laurence did like wise but was there for a mere 7 hours or so but still had similar after affects. The river that we were staying next to was called the Tambopata river and we were in the Tambopata nature reserve
I think by far the most bizarre animal we saw were the Capibaras. Wow they are fantastic. They are the biggest rodent on the planet and are the size of pigs but look like Giant Guinea pigs. They are fantastic and hang out in family groups on the waters edge eating grass and drinking out of the river. They are also good swimmers and regularly cross the river. We also saw lots of Cayman and the driver of the boat plucked one out of the river ( in the night time) for us to have a look at and hold. Though I am not sure about the ethics of that. He was a bit insane and jumped out of the boat at one point to wrestle a medium sized Cayman but the Cayman disappeared just as he went for the neck. It was interesting as if you have a torch and shine it across the river there were all these evil looking red eyes staring back at you. One of they days we went on a long excursion up river to see the biggest Macaw clay lick (Ccolpa) in the world. Because they eat green fruit they are constantly needing to clean out their stomach so they go and chew clay near the river every morning. The clay “washes their insides out” and then they are free to spend the rest of the day looking pretty in the trees and eating more green fruit. Other interesting birds we saw were the Oropendulas, Social fly catchers, Wire tailed Hummingbird, Jungle condors, Capped Heron ( wonderful, big and white) Cquier’s Toucan, Cattle Egrets, lots of Vultures and the most wonderful bird the Hoatzin which I think but I’m not sure is the least evolved bird on the planet.

The chicks have claws on their wings and can climb up and down the tree trunks and do not develop proper feathers until they are Adults this enables them to swim under water with ease. When they are threatened they drop into the water swim back to the shore and use there little claws to climb back up the tree. Very strange looking birds. I think though taht my favourite animals in the forest were the Leaf cutter ants. They are fantastic to watch and form massive roads of moving leaves.
Our guide was a quiet, serious, knowledgeable kind of guy called Angel. He was born in the Rainforest and had a healthy dislike of snakes due to a rather horrible incident when he was nine. Fortunately a vine saved his life and now he is quite careful where he steps. He was the coolest guy and showed us a natural insect repellent. You cut of the side of a termites nest. Stick your hand on the nest so they crawl all over you and Crush them into your skin all over your arms. He showed us numerous helpful plants for stimulating abortion as well as plants for helping inflammation and what to drink and what not to drink as regards plant juices. I think his favorite words were “symbiotic relationship” and showed us many examples of how animals and plants work together and depend on each other. He had been to America to give lectures in the university and spent all the money he earned traveling as “ The forest is my home, my medicine cabinet, my university, all in one” . He also sent me and Laurence off on a little “test” into the forest. We had a machete ( Gavilon, the best make apparently) and twenty minutes to hack our way through the jungle and were meant to meet the path again in 20mins and further away in one direction. However it is a bit confusing and we ended up walking in U shape when we though we were going straight. However it was successful in that we didn’t step on any snakes. If you get lost you are meant to find a big tree with these giant wall like roots and just keep hitting it until someone arrives. Because the roots are thin but tall like walls they give off this amazing echo when given a whack with a machete. It’s a recognized distress signal that someone needs help apparently. He showed how to use it ( the machete and the distress signal) properly first and when we got back to Puerto Maldonado I bought one ( Gavilon of course) to bring home. Laurence sort of confiscated it though as its pretty good for using while quoting “Robin hood : Prince of thieves” with. Angel said in the jungle it is an extension of your arm and you are stuffed with out it, but I guess in Somerset it will just be useful in the garden. On three occasions we went swimming. I was a little bit paranoid about this as the first occasion was in a lake we had just been fishing piranhas in. I know they don’t attack humans but after seeing them rip apart the bait in a rather efficient way it was a bit worrying. And it wasn’t so much them but all the other things you couldn’t see. An anaconda was sighted that week in the same place. Laurence thought it was fantastic but the two Germans we were with didn’t get in. That night we ate piranhas for dinner and they were tasty. The second occasion was in the river. The river where we had plucked the Cayman out of the water the night before. Angel said it was ok and looked quite happy paddling along and I guess he would be dead by now if it wasn’t safe. His sound advice was if you touch one with your feet then make a speedy swim away from the splashing. Humm. I just swam at a speedy pace anyway just to be on the safe side. The third time posed no potential danger and was a fantastic spot where it was possible to climb behind a waterfall and then swim underneath it with all the water pounding your body. That was good. And there was nice mud at the bottom so we washed ourselves with mud as well which was good.

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Photos

Me and a little friend.
Hum, i´m not sure the baby cayman was terribly immpressed with being plucked out of the water.

Laurence in his hammock
I think this was taken roughly half way through his 7 hour stint.

Angel's equipment.
1. Paddle made out of one piece of wood.
2. Bins (only the right side worked)
3. Machete; an extention of his arm.

Family of Capibaras.
Fantastic looking animals.

Comments

[uncle huw]

ello
just read the blog!! what a good time you are having...never mind the caymans in the rainforests you should see the sharks we have in neath love uncle huw ps..your ma and pa are here with us now for he afternoon and by dash it is hot!