Day 6

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After a horrible sleep I woke at 5.30 and did a Pilates workout in the room, spoke to mum on Facebook, had some yacon tea, and prepared dad and I a healthy breakfast with our foods from the health food store and some organic fruit. We all boarded the plane to Puerto Maldonado where it is 31 degrees celcius and humid. The turbulance was intense and the plane was almost empty. When boooking this trip I had little expectations of the Amazon and it didn't really cross my mind too much, however after being greeted with fresh squeezed passion fruit juice, local bananas, brazil nuts and later a lunch in a banana leaf on the boat, our expectations were already exceeded. Especially during the scenic 2 and a half hr boat ride to the lodge. We saw an alligator, monkeys, and much more. It was dark when we arrived off the boat, so with our head torches we walked for ten minutes to the lodge. I was expecting a little tea house with a plank of wood as a bed like the huts we stayed at in Nepal...however Refugio lodge is easily the nicest place I have ever stayed. there are only 32 rooms, gourmet meals, a vast range of cocktails made with fruit from the jungle, massages using medicinal oils also from the jungle, an upstairs relaxation area with a library, yoga classes, meditation, and not to mention the rooms! There are hammocks in every room, and simply a roof, three walls and where there should be a fourth wall... There is instead nothing...just an open area with a view of the jungle. All the sounds coming from the jungle help put me to sleep at night, and our beds have Mosquito covers. True bliss. After getting over the overwhelming feeling about this place and settling in...myself, the Canadian sisters Ashley and Lindsay and another couple enjoyed a few too many cocktails. The 'banana monkey' is my fav as it has banana, coconut and rum! Although with a 5am start the next day though we finished up early.

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