Sunday Morning Weavers

 

The Long and Short of It

The long trip back

The last 2 days of our trip were spent back-tracking... but instead of running with the strong curent of the Alto Madre de Dios River we were oposing it and the drive up the Andes was much longer and not nearly as exciting as the trip down. Saturday we made it back to Erika Lodge by boat and although our guides threatened that we would have to get out and push the boat, the river level was just high enough to slip past the shallows by redistributing some body weight. Our only stop during the 7 hour trip was a relaxing soak in a creek partially fed by hot spring of scalding water, although not hot enough to cook and egg (we tried). No night walks or ziplinning this time from the lodge but alot of card playing, another futbal match, and some boarding down the rapids for the younger lads.
After dinner our guides and hosts treated us to dos jarros de sangria - a very nice end to a great trip.... no jaguar sightings or sloths (two hopefulls among the group) but we couldn't have traveled with a better group of folks and the weather was perfect. The only rain came on our last evening, preceeded by a double rainbow over the river, and stayed with us until the high pass above Paucartambo. We never really needed the ponchos we purchased in Cusco for the trip, so we donated those to folks at the lodge along with our bug repellent, knowing that Cusco would be dry as a bone until we leave and hoping that we had seen the last of mosquitos for a while.

Eating watermelon in the river.

Today we woke up early, ate breakfast in the dinning hall and put our stuff in the boat and rode down the Manu river. We stopped the boat to go on a one hour walk to get a glimpse of the Otorongo Lake. We walked alot even though I didn't know where we were going. Finally we got to it, the biggest tree in the jungle the kapoc tree. We were told that the roots could go 1/2 kilometer across but only 1 meter deep. One vine had wrapped around the tree so you could climb it. I only got to climb on it a little bit because I wasn't allowed to go any higher. But some other people could climb it high, like Jack, Max and Charlie. We all got a group photo by the tree and then started walking again towards the platform to see Otorongo Lake. When we were up on the platform we saw a squirrel monkey and we had a wonderful glimpse of the lake. Then we climbed down the platform and went back to the boat and stopped at the ranger station for a bathroom break and then we kept on going by boat. Finally we ended up at the place that Meghan and I really like that is called Boca Manu. There are alot of baby chicks, baby ducks and a small pig that likes to sniff. We spent alot of time there and I got a Coca Cola and while I was drinking it Meghan and I tried to catch the chicks. When it was time to go we let the cute chicks down and went back into the boat, we only had two more hours to go! Finally we arived to the next lodge and Juan Carlos said we could swim by the boat. We got to our cabin and I got on my swim suit and went down to swim. Surprisingly most people on our tour were swimming in the water. Lider (a guy that worked for the boat) brought us watermelon and dad had picked grapefruit, lime and lemon, so all of us ate in the water. The lemon was very sour and the lime was not like our limes, it was sweet. Some people had brought beer so it was kind of like a potluck. When I got too cold I got out. And just when I got out José brought popcorn. When I was finished with popcorn I went back to the cabin, took a cold shower and then it was dinner time. After dinner Max, Tash and I played a card game called Donkey or Dumbo by candlelight. It is now my favorite game. We played Donkey 3 times and I won two times. When I was tired from playing, I went to bed. It is so peaceful in the Jungle!

Otters, Monkeys & Futbol

Today we were awakened early by howler monkeys (which was followed by a wake-up call from our guide) to go into the jungle and take out the catamaran again. We were lucky and the otters were out in the lake again. We watched them play and eat fish they'd caught. Our guide told us when they caught a fish that they had to float on their backs and hold their hands out of the water to eat the fish, or they would be sharing it with the piranha in the lake. We also saw some very very large black caiman. Needless to say, I was grateful they were not interested in our boat. After our catamaran ride, we walked back to camp to have breakfast.

After a brief rest, those that were interested left on a 2 hour walk. The girls and I stayed back, Meghan and Helen we're not feeling 100% at the time and we had the option of going with the boat to the Matsiguenka Lodge and only riding 15 mins. The Matsiguenka are an indiginous tribe in this area of the jungle. They run a lodge for the 2-3 tour groups who do not have their own campsites (like our company). The women of the tribe make small cloth-like bags from tree bark (and some cloth bags made from cotton - although where they get the cotton is a mystery to me) and jewelry using seeds and shells found in the jungle with some store-bought beads.

While we were waiting for the walking group to arrive, the people on our boat challenged the locals to a soccer match (the goals were already set up). The girls and I had a good time watching - every time the ball was kicked out of bounds, someone had to go find it in the jungle (perhaps a little different than what we're used to seeing). When the walking party finally did arrive, they staged a Peruvian vs Non Peruvian game. This was even more fun to watch, as the younger guys on our trip were playing full on. After the game ended (I have no idea who won) we returned via boat to our campsite and an enormous lunch consisting of corn, potato, yucca, sweet potato, beef, and beans.

After lunch and some down time, we took the boat across the river in search of wooley monkeys. We took a 2 hour hike that took us past some enormous trees, the Capoc being the largest tree in the jungle. Not only did we see wooley monkeys, but we watched in complete fascination while at least 15 red squirrel monkeys played "Follow The Leader" jumping from tree to tree and limb to limb. Hilarious! I got a short video on Helen's camera, the monkeys are the little blobs you see jumping from limb to limb (it was much more exciting watching with my eyes, I do admit.

Back to the campsite for a late dinner. In the early dark (it gets dark before 6), we seem to go to bed fairly early but I think we are also good and tired from our early mornings and busy days. Sleeping under the mosquito net is getting less novel, but I am so grateful I am not covered in bites like Meghan is. She was in some serious pain this evening and will have an uneasy time sleeping in her current state. Hopefully we won't get many more bites in the next couple days.

Lobos del Rio

Today started out a lot better than I thought. We had to wake up at 5:30 AM and get on the boat at six. Juan Carlos nocked on our door but I was already up. We ate breakfast on the boat. It was something like a milanesa but it had chopped up red peppers and other things in it. We had to pass the Boca Manu village and go up the Manu River to get signed in at the ranger station.
In the station they had all sorts of exhibits about what animals live in the national park. I was really excited to see the "Lobo del Rio" (giant river otter) which is one of the main symbols of the national park along with the Harpie Eagle. We got to our campsite which were little cabins. There was a trail leading out of camp that I wanted to check out but the guides said we couldn't go without one of them.
Later we finally did go down there to the lake. There were two platforms and on the first one there was a really wierd bug. It had transparent wings and stuff comming out of its butt. It was kind of scarry and it looked like it was going to die but he was gone when we came back. We walked to the other platform and took the catamaran which is like two canoes with a strong big board over them and little benches. There were two places to row but mom wouldn't let us. We saw the Giant Otters and they gave us a very nice welcome. All of them put their necks and heads out of the water and started making a really weird sound in otter tongue! I could of listened to it all day but they were mostly playing tag so they didn't make that much noise. One of them caught a piranah with an orange belly and was showing off to the others by making big loud sounds while he was eating it. There were about 7 otters that had a light pink stomache and a color between light brown and gray for the body. I can't wait to see them tomorrow and I hope there will be more!

Monkeys playing tag

Thank goodness that today is not a bus day. We took a boat instead. We were on the boat 5 hours, it might be a long time but is so much better than 5 hours in bus. Before we left Erika Lodge we went on a walk with Jose, Tasha and Max while the others were zip-linning. The monkeys were really active, swinging around and playing what looked like tag. The two types of monkeys we saw were Brown Capuchins and the Common Squirrel Monkey. The Brown Capuchins are the ones that you see most but the others are prettier. We watched them for a while and then returned to the lodge to play cards before the others came back.

We stopped in Boca Manu (a little town 5 minutes away from the next lodge) to buy drinks after the boat ride. In the little abarrotes shop (that sells grains, fruits, vegetables, and candy) on the way into town we saw baby chickens, baby ducks and a pig. Helen and I had a fun time catching the chicks and naming them. Fuzzball was my favorite, the Crooked Wing, Big Chick and Ugly. He really was ugly.

When we got to Boca Lodge we were met by the sweetest puppy named Lobo. Almost all the dogs I know or have heard of are Lomo or Lobo but I do think they are nice names. The puppy ran around us until he needed to rest so we could pet him. The lodge was more like lots of cabins with their own bathrooms!!! Our beds had mosquito nets like always so I wore a t-shirt to bed for the first time. Before dinner everyone went on a night walk which was really creepy. We saw the biggest tarantula I have ever seen in my life, the body was bigger than my palm. We saw some big pawprints of a jaguar or puma but we didn't meet the real thing. I'm so glad we brought flashlights because at night the jungle is PITCH BLACK. It was pretty creepy. We also saw a couple Bullet Ants that were almost as long as my pinky. Jose told us that the local people call them 24 hour ants because your arm will hurt for 24 hours if it bites you. Jack was thinking about doing it but I am so glad he didn't. In Brazil for a boy to "come of age" he has to put his hand in a bag for 10 minutes with the Bullet Ants inside. They really do take that seriously!

Getting Soaked

Today we woke up at 6:00 at San Pedro Lodge and took a walk down the hill. There we saw Cock of the Rock the national bird of Peru. It had a red head with a black and gray body. After we walked for about a hour the bus came and picked us up and we rode for another hour. When we turned up at a little town, Jose (our guide) told us that we were going to raft here. We followed him inside the gates and we saw a parrot that could talk. When Meghan said "Hola" to the parrot it squawked back "Hola!". We found our raft guide and he told us that there were bathrooms so we could change into our bathing suits. Afterwards we listened to the guide about how to raft. Then we split into two groups (our family was with two british people called Jack and Charlie. We were in the boat with Angel (our raft guide) and the other group was with another guide that only spoke spanish. It was really fun except Meghan and I didn't get to paddle but otherwise watching everybody paddle was really fun. One time we pulled up next to a water fall and Meghan and I moved to the front so we could get soaked.

When the rafting was finished we pulled up at a town called Atalaya Port. Meghan met a girl called Mikaela who was freinds with Meghan. In Atalya port we got out of the raft and got into a big motorized canoe that we took too Erika Lodge. When we got to the lodge José told us to put our stuff in our room and change our clothes and come back. When we got back he selected 6 people to go zip lining today and the other group would go tomorrow. We were in the group to go today with a couple called Max and Tash. We got ready and then played cards while we waited for our zip linning guide. When we were ready we got rubber boots and backpacks that weighed 15 kg and we started hiking up the hill. At the first platform our guide explained how to zip line. There were two handlebars that he said we had to push up to go and pull down to stop. Daddy went first, then Meghan, then me. It felt so good to be zip linning again but this time was better because I got to go by myself. On the first one, I stopped to quick and had to be rescued but on the others I did fine.
When we got to the last platform our guide tied a rope onto a tree and we all slid down. It was very fun. We walked back to the lodge, ate dinner and went to bed. I love the jungle, the mighty jungle!

Manu National Park

Meghan and Helen are out of school this week so we are taking an 8 day vacation from the daily grind (not mine, theirs) and heading down the Andes to one of the largest reserves in the Amazon basin, Manu. Day one is all travel and we start early - picked up in a van by our guide, driver and cook at 5am and then make several other stops in town to gather the other 8 on our tour - 4 English, 1 German, 1 Canadian and 2 Dutch. Over the comming week we really get to know these folks and enjoy their company as we travel closely together. We make a quick stop in Pisac for breakfast and then climb East to the continental divide at about 13,000 ft before starting the long descent into the cloud forest and rain forest below.

The highland road is bumpy and I feel sorry for the many shepherds we disturb as we disrupt any sense of order to their marching herd of llamas, sheep, cattle - honking and kicking up dust clouds as we round each bend. As we continue down the road narrows and the dusty ruts and pot holes are now full of water. It is evident from the many landslides above and below us, that it is common for this road to colapse and slide down the mountain and we are often times less than a foot from the edge of loose embankments holding us to the side of the mountains. There are no culvert systems to drain the many streams making their way to the river below and several times our guide gives the order to exit and walk while the van forges alone. Our adventure tour is already exciting and we have just begun.

After a long day in the van we reach the very rustic San Pedro Lodge at 5,000 ft in the cloud forest still under blue skies - rare for this time of year as our guide mentions. It is nice to have full lungs after living 3 and a half months above 12,000 ft. Dinner as will always be is served at 7 and the generator only runs from 6-9 so it is an early evening after some spectacular gazing of the Milky Way, Southern Cross and a shooting star.