Sneaking out in search of coffee, of course I got rumbled. Thankfully I’d donned trousers and a jumper. Showered, breakfasted and packed, (pleased my bags were under the limit) the phone rang. Just our ride to the airport, a bit early.
Spying the cartoon character again, I asked after her. She’s Mafalda, South America’s most famous 6year old from Argentina, extremely popular created in 1963; her heyday being early 1970’s. Yesterday we’d seen hoards of people queueing for a selfie!
Rolling surf, early morning runners, surfers and footballers, great distractions, as we drove back along the coast highway with most of Lima’s 11million residents to the airport. Mucho tráfico!
Passsing some less affluent areas I tried to capture the contrast in housing; the complete opposite to historic Lima, rather ramshackle and tumble-down.
Controlled chaos in the checkin line. We had boarding passes and baggage tags already, however Simon’s suspicions proved correct and we did need replacements.
Zoning out, I didn’t quite finish the archers omnibus before landing in another tiny international airport situated on the border with Brazil and Bolivia. The countryside a mix of cleared farmland, small town and jungle.
Our suitcases off to languish in Puerto Maldonado, whilst we were bused to the river port and a very soggy 45min wooden canoe ride downriver to the reserve. Crossing borders, changing name, the wide muddy coloured Madre de Dios river, once joined by the Tambopata (coming from Puna), wends its way via Cuzco to join the Amazon. It was much colder and damper than expected, fortunately seated undercover, a plastic screen took the brunt.
Welcomed with hot chocolate, we were introduced to our English speaking guide. The Inkaterra reserve, abutting the Tambopata National Park, was founded in 1970s to preserve and study the area jungle. Amazónica ecological reserve our riverside lodge is on the original camp site. An amazing 3-course lunch later and we were escorted to our enormous eco cabin complete with plunge pool; not so inviting in the mizzle. Espying a shy strange rabbit/Guinea pig/boar animal roaming around the grounds several times; turns out it was an agouti like a capybara, not that I know what that looks like either!
Rationed electricity, meant unpacking by torch light ready for our night cruise along the river, spotting caiman and a frog! It was hard to capture with the iPhone; Simon definitely missing his telephoto lenses and better camera.
Back on dry land, ushered straight to yet another meal and bed! Too much delicious food; no electricity; 5:30am start; so we crashed in our mosquito netted 4 póster bed! The sounds of the jungle, cicadas, birds and monkeys lulling us to sleep!
Lima
(Mafalda; Lima houses; much trafico!)
Puerto Maldonado
(Puerto Maldonado international airport; town monument; Bridge across river at our dock; termite nest; sitting on the wooden canoe under shelter; rain shield!)
Amazonica lodge;
(Entrance to the lodge; our cabin; alligator skeleton in excursion meeting room; map of reserve; our cabin again; plunge pool)
Night cruise;
(caiman (well supposed to be juveniles); frog behind the laser dot!)
Video to follow if technology back home allows.
We stayed in a lodge at Reserva Amazónica in the Inkaterra Reserve Puerte Maldonado Peru.
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