This trip is most definitely not for the impatient. To get from Seattle, Washington to Puerto Maldonado, Peru took no less than 4 planes, 1 van, and 1 boat -- totalling 5,692 miles and 28 hours.
And slowly descended into the dense, green Amazon Jungle until we touched down at the small and very understated Puerto Maldonado airport. Yes, we were the only plane on the old, beat up tarmac. The luggage rolled around on an open, circular belt with the baggage handlers clearly in view. Really, it takes the fun out of guessing when your bag will circle round!
We took all sorts of transportation to get to the Tambo Jungle Lodge, most important being the long and narrow boats we had to take up and down the Madre de Dios. The river, for all intensive purposes, was considered the Highway and the primary means of transportation. The ferry, very unlike those in Seattle, transported one vehicle at a time with as many people that could fit around the vehicle without falling off into the murky waters.
*Note that on not-so-nice days, it's very likely you and your belongings will become drenched with muddy river water and blasted with cold winds before you reach your destination. Body-sized water proof bag recommended.
We settled into our jungle lodge, mosquito nets and all, noticing our walls literally consisted of screen and patched together wood boards, freely welcoming cockroaches and other creatures of the sorts. Please let me give you this bit of advise -- cockroaches love the scent of tootpaste. Hide your toothbrushes in sealed containers. That is all. We then ventured to the main lodge to enjoy our first meal of chicken, rice, and olives cooked and served from a giant banana leaf. BTW, Mom, not sure what you were thinking all these years -- banana leaves are where it's at!
The next couple of days were spent exploring the Amazon, high AND low, day AND (unfortunately due to large tarantulas) night, as well as hot AND surprisingly very cold. We hiked the floor of the jungle, took boats up and down the river, paddled our way around Lago Sandoval, explored the trees on a canopy tour through rope bridges and zip lines. Every which way -- you name it.
We saw nearly everything possible to see...including something large, fast and heavy tromping through the jungle on our night walk while (great idea from our tour guide) all of our lights and head lamps turned off. To this day, I have no clue what was stalking us. In addition to the mystery predator, we saw:
Giant Otters, Capybara (giant guinea pig), Black and Speckled Camen, Coati raccoon, Sloth, Tamarin Monkey, Common Squirrel Monkey, Howler Monkey, Long-nosed bats, Slender Anole (tiny lizard), Hoatzin, prehistoric bird, Vultures (Black Greater, Yellow-Headed), Harpy Eagle, Macaw, Horned Screamer, Antinga bird (only 700 in the area, 1,800 in Peru), Cormorauts, Tiger Heron, Egert - Cocoi Heron, Grey-necked Wood-rail, Multi-colored Paradise Tanager, Yellow-headed Parrot, Mealy Parrot, White Winged Swallow, Kingfisher (social tropical), Yellow-rumped cacique, Red-capped cardinal, Pink-toed and Chicken Tarantula, Horned and Kapok Spider, Walking leaf, Owl butterfly, Cockroaches, Grasshoppers, Ticks, Fire Ants, and Leaf Cutter Ants.
On our last evening in the Amazon, we enjoyed some freshly caught catfish from the river, prepared in a traditional way -- cut up and shoved into a bamboo shoot, cooked and then pulled out. A sort of fish sausage, if you well. Very delicious! And great company from all over the globe!
Our time in the Amazon felt so short; however, the amount that we did and the number of Amazonian wildlife we saw was incredible. The people we experienced were so very friendly. Our guide, Victor was so knowledgeable. And I had a blast trying to speak Espanol to the girls who worked at the Lodge. As we were packing to leave on our last day, one of them had worked up enough courage to shyly ask "Picture?"
