In the jungle, the mighty jungle.....

Our canoes
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Over half of Peru is actually in the Amazon Basin, with some of the most pristine rainforest in South America.  To get to the rainforest from Cusco you can take a 2 day bus journey or catch a plane for 30mins!

So, after arriving at the local airport at Puerto Maldonado, we went one hour up river by boat to the lodge.  We had managed to get a great last minute deal at a luxury eco-lodge (the funds went to support research projects and teach local communities how to farm without destroying the rainforest......so better than staying at a backpackers really ... :o))

Gladioli
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We stayed for 4 days and went on several treks and boat rides in the rainforest, including a night trip on the river cayman spotting.  You don´t see many large animals in the jungle, mainly birds (macaws, toucans, hummingbirds), butterflies and lots of insects!  But we also saw capybara, howler monkeys, red squirrels, turtles, bats, pirranas, and a huge snake (over 2 metres long!!)

The guides were very knowledgeable and the food at the Reserve was fantastic (apparently it has the best kitchen in the Amazon!)  There was no electricty in our lodges: we had gas lanterns after dark and going to sleep under a mosquito net with the sound of the rainforest was a pretty amazing experience!