Off to the Rainforest

Sunday 6th April
We were up bright and early as we had to completely re-pack , and be at the airport by 1000, for our short flight to Puerto Maldonado - and from there on a motorised canoe to Posada Amazonas Lodge on the Rio Tambopata.

We were given some yummy snacks on the way to the boat including tropical juice, platano (banana) chips and roasted brazil nuts which were then coated in icing sugar - all made locally. And then on the boat we had a "banana leaf" lunch, which was fried rice wrapped in banana leaves. After a 45 minute journey up-river we reached the port for the lodge. Everything is very rustic here, including the airport - which isn´t much better than a large tin shed.

We had a 20 min walk to get to the lodge, but it was definitely worth it - the lodge and its surroundings were beautiful. The lodge is a co-operative between the local Infierno community and Rainforest Expeditions, with the majority of profits going back to the community. All the buildings are open with thatched roofs and all the buildings are joined by raised wooden walkways and completely surrounded by lush jungle.

We arrived about mid-afternoon, and after a quick rest, headed out to the 37m canopy tower to get a bird´s eye view of the jungle. On the way we saw Howler Monkeys and Dusky Titi Monkeys and several species of birds. From the top of the tower we could see for miles, and saw several more brightly coloured species of birds flying past and in the trees, including red and blue macaws, parakeets etc.

After that it was back to the lodge for dinner, and a good nights sleep, as we again had an early wake up at 0400.