In the jungle, the mighty jungle....

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Spent the past week at Manu Biosphere Reserve which is an Amazonian tropical rainforest. The major highlight was encountering 4 rare sightings of jaguars - one resting in the shade, two courting and mating, and another at night that almost pounced on us from a tree. What beautiful and majestic looking cats. Brilliant!!! Shame my digital camera wasn't up to scratch; I wish I still had my SLR and 300mm lens.

Saw heaps of other wildlife as well, such as -
Mammals - 6 species of monkeys such as saddleback tamarins, red howler monkeys, night monkeys, black spider monkeys, squirrel monkeys, white-fronted and brown capuchins. Also saw a giant otter which was very shy, and huge peccarys which are really ugly and stinky wild pigs.
Rodents - Capybaras (world's largest rodents).
Reptiles and Insects - Caimans (crocodiles), snakes and spiders.
Birds, birds, birds everywhere - Cock of the Rock which is the weird-looking national bird of Peru, macaws, parrots, toucans and about 36 other types.

At one of the lodges they had a really cute 2-year old baby tapir named Panchito. Just like a pet. The mother was killed by natives.

Tried the Inca beer called Chicha which is made from corn and a bit blah. Also visited Ninamarca (funeral towers), a local coca plantation, a native village, and a wonderful natural hot spring.

I was supposed to fly out after 6 days but missed the plane. Ended up having to boat and bus out which took an extra 2 days. Spent my birthday on the edge of the rainforest eating Aguti (another wild rodent that grows up to 50 cms), and being toasted with Peruvian beer by strange men whom I had only met on the tour that week including the guide, cook, and an elderly British ornothologist. I thought someone had slipped San Pedro cactus juice (a hallucinigen) into my food, it was the most surreal and bizarre experience. For my last rodent experience, we stopped for late lunch of chicharron just outside Cusco. Both tasted like pork, but might lay off them for a while now.

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Photos

Achote
Natives use as face paint and as a condiment

Aguti head
Ate the rest for my birthday dinner

Aguas calientes
Natural hot spring

Ninamarca
Funeral towers or chullpas

Comments

[Kimby]

Freaking me out!
Hey Gus, your freaking me out. Not only about the rodents, but the cactus juice. Thought for the day: Don't trust any latino man; paranoia is not such a bad thing! Anyway, take care and your on my prayer beads.