We decided to stage this phase of our trip at one of the first lodges ever opened in the rainforest, Explorer's Inn on the Tambopata River. Audie long had yearned to go there, as his graduate-school roommate had conducted his own research while based at Explorer's. In fact, the grounds around this Inn still hold the world records for the most number of bird species, butterfly species, species of vegetation and other such biodiversity markers.
To get there we flew from Cuzco to the seedy jungle-access city of Puerto Maldonado. A van picked us and a few other guests up at the airport and then we drove for a few hours along a muddy, rutty (potholes as big as the van), bumpy backroad to reach the village from where we'd transfer to a boat for our 3 hour Tambopata River ride to the lodge.
And here is the river: typical muddy, brown river of the Amazonian basin. The Tambopata is a tributary of the Amazon River itself. When I saw this view of the river we had been traveling on, I was so happy: I was in the rainforest!
And here is the river: typical muddy, brown river of the Amazonian basin. The Tambopata is a tributary of the Amazon River itself. When I saw this view of the river we had been traveling on, I was so happy: I was in the rainforest!
And here were our trails! We arrived at the height of the rainy season. Thankfully the lodge supplied us with knee-height rubber boots. This is what we were sloshing around in for five days...always quite an adventure. Especially our first morning there, when they woke us up for a 4:30 am Death Slog to the Lake. We hadn't yet seen the condition of the trails, so stumbling about in the dark, trying to avoid falling into muddy pools with possible poisonous snakes swimming around in them, the intense humidity, the mosquitos, the rain, the howler monkeys crying, the hoatzin calling their prehistoric cries: what an introduction to the rainforest! And then when I did trip and quickly learned: don't reach out and grab ANYTHING, because first trip in the mud I grabbed....
one of the arms of the walking palm, above. My cries of terror and pain at the half-inch long needle that impaled and wedged itself into my palm did nothing to teach me about the rule of "don't touch anything". Because I quickly collapsed in mud again and reached out to steady myself (it's such an instinct!) and grabbed a twig, or something, that was covered in fire ants, upon which hundreds of the devils swarmed onto my hand and arm. Hence: Death Slog to the Lake. Although the lake itself, our destination, was worth it: caimans (one of the alligators), piranhas (I put my finger in the water and one nibbled me!), giant river otters, and many, many birds. 
And the impressive lianas!
And the bugs!
And here I am in our room with my new friend Tomas, one of the lodge's two pet macaws. Such an affectionate bird, he wanted to be with people all the time, so he was constantly passed from one shoulder to the next. 
And here are Tomas' wild cousins, at a claylick we visited early one morning. Some of the fruit that macaws eat in the jungle are difficult to digest and they need certain nutrients in the clay. 
Here I am with one of our guides in a dug-out canoe. A very tippy dug-out canoe. My nerves weren't helped by our other guide telling me the pond was full of piranhas...only when we got to the other side did I learn what a good jokester she was!
And some enormous trees! Audie and I are here with our bird guide, Reto.
I loved the jungle, although five days was enough. Jungle rot was starting to set in. My entire torso was covered in small itchy bites, chiggers we believed. Life in the jungle is hard. The constant, intense humidity is a force to deal with. We'd come back from every day's hike just soaking wet, and clothes do not dry out. Clean clothes I had to keep stored in plastic zip-lock bags in my backpack or they'd be just as wet as the clothes I hiked in. My bed (& the lodge only has twin beds...you DON'T want to sleep with anyone!) was wet when I'd crawl in it. We'd dry ourselves off from our cold showers in wet towels.
Our lodge didn't have electricity, so we only had candles in our room, which I loved. However, the matchbook would get so wet that I'd try to light ten matches before one would finally alight: they were too soaked in humidity to spark!
Some things I loved about my jungle experience: howler monkeys; night walks with no flashlights to just listen to the amazing night sounds of the forest; the cacique and hoatzin birds; the amazing amount of LIFE everywhere; how overwhelming the color green can become; the German snake-loving guest who tried to find and eventually caught a fer-de-lance (one of the most poisonous snakes that exists) and the lodge employee who let it loose on the lodge grounds!; our night boat rides on the river to look for the red eyes of the caimans; the chef who prepared food gathered from the jungle; and....most of all....just feeling, experiencing, and living in one of the most important ecosystems on this planet, the ancient Amazonian rainforest. I hope to return! But if I don't, I will treasure my time in the Amazon forever. I feel so lucky to have experienced it.
1 comment:
As usual, I have learned more as I read your travel blog! I now know what lianas & caimans are!
As to inch long thorns, fire ants and deadly snakes (of which I have a wicked phobia of!) would be for too much for me to handle! You guys rock!
Incredible photos... and incredible to read about! :)
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