into the Amazon

on lake sandoval
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Thurs 27 Sept cont.

we went back to the hotel Corregidor for a light dinner, picked up our luggage and got a taxi to the bus station.  the taxi drivers here accept you as a fare, then don't seem too sure where to go, which makes life most exciting. we found the bus station and checked in. we were on the overnight Cruz del Sur to Cusco, via Juliana. a 10 hour journey, leaving 8.30pm.we were downstairs on the double decker coach. only 9 seats downstairs, which reclined a long way. 3 of the other seats were taken by  some people we had met at the hot springs a couple of days before - it was very tempting to say we didn't recognise them with their clothes on! it felt very posh. we set off bang on time. we were served a non-veggie meal (the food here is excellent but they really haven't quite got the concept of veggie yet). and then settled back to watch a long, angst ridden movie. haven't a clue what it was but it passed some time.  i got the giggles as the guy across from clem settled to sleep quickly... and snorted like a pig through the night. i have never heard snoring like it. then his mobile went at 4.30 am. Grr. we got some sleep tho it was a bit nerve racking when the coach suddenly braked and swerved and you realised you were on a hairpin bend halfway up a mountain.

giant otters and monkey

Fri 28 sept

we arrived at cusco bus station at 8am. a little tired but could have been a lot worse. i felt sorry for the people upstairs in the less comfy seats. but even though ours reclined a long way, its not the same as sleeping flat.

we got a taxi to the hotel Marqueses, where we left a bag and will be staying when we get back from the amazon. we freshened up in the bathroom, had an excellent breakfast and abandoned yet another bag. we´re just taking daysacks and a small bag to the amazon. it was nice to be back in cuzco - felt a bit like coming home. its a pretty town, very friendly with a nice buzz to it.

we went to the main square. i tried to sort a trip top the nazca lines for when we are in lima. aerocondor in arequipa had been singularly unhelpful. SAS said they could only do a bus trip, the aerocondor web site was useless. so i tried calling them. i got passed to someone who spoke english, but after 5 minutes of being kept on hold i gave up. then we struck lucky. we found a cusco aerocondor office. the girl there first said contact AC by email, but i said they had not responded. so SHE phoned them and sorted some tickets for us. a miracle. amazing that the company was so reluctant to take our money.

we then got a taxi to cusco airport, checked in and i had a fabulous back massage. it was only meant to be 10 mins but she "did" me for half an hour, and got all the knots out of my back and neck. what an angel. our gate number changed 3 times and finally we were off to puerto maldonado.  the flight only took just over half an hour.  there was a bit of haze but we could see the rainforest underneath. everything is so vast here.  off the plane and it was scorchio. off with the layers and out with the water. the pick up went smoothly and we set off in a bus to PM centre, to the sandoval lodge office.  Our guide was Javier.  We had 3 Lima ladies in our group, who worked in tourism. Sandra (from Germany), Angela and Juliana. Then John and Debbie from the US, and Madhu, a doctor from Bromley. a small world. The group was great.we took off to the river and got on a motorised canoe.life jackets provided.  the river was very wide, slow and brown. a haze to everything, caused by burning apparently.the breeze in the canoe was great.we were given a tasty packed lunch - some egg fried rice with soya wrapped in a leaf. very ethnic! we were on the canoe about half an hour. we started on the rio tambopata, which joined the rio madre des dios. we disembarked and went up some very steep rickety steps. thanks heavens they were there. we´re so lucky the rains haven't started yet. the walk to the next canoe was meant to take 40 mins. it was on the flat but very uneven and rutted in places and took an hour and a half. we signed in at the visitor centre and had our passports stamped.  the noises were incredible - cicadas, leaves falling, howler monkeys. it seemed unreal. and gigantic brightly coloured butterflies. but it was hot and humid, and Madhu especially found it very hard going. we were all quite pleased to get to the next canoe point. not motorised this time. we were paddled out through a small creek and taken along the edge of the lake to the sandoval lodge. its the only one on the lake and only one in the reserve. so a very special place. i´d chosen it as it was the one which claimed the best chance of seeing the giant river otters. we struck lucky on that first afternoon, and saw the family swimming, playing and fishing in the waters near the shore. truly beautiful creatures, and we all felt extremely privileged to have seen them. we also saw squirrel monkeys, which were very cute and looked very playful, capuchin and howler monkeys. and black caiman, which just looked like logs until they moved. we were told they didn't attack humans......lots of birdlife too - kingfisher, herons, flycatchers, hoatizin(? sp) etc.  off the canoe, up some steps and there was our lodge. a welcome drink and spiel from Millie the manager, and then off to our rooms. we were in 14B - they were in two wings off the central area. electricity 3 times a day, so headtorches essential again, hot water and a fan when the electricity worked. we went out for a night walk and saw a tree frog, lots of different types of cricket, bats, huge ants, a tarantula (I looked the other way being irrationally phobic). we turned our lights off and the noise, blackness and the stars were wonderful. back to the lodge for dinner and a few drinks. our group ate together with Javier at each meal. then a quick shower and bed. the beds had mozzie nets (which the staff put down during dinner) and it felt very strange and nearly claustrophobic. i don't think i could do a four poster with drapes.

Sat 29 sept.

slept well. night noises were fantastic. woke at 5 and up for a pre-breakfast  lake visit. onto some very comfy catamaran type canoes and off we went.  we saw the otters again, with fish in their mouths, one carrying a youngster, and then at one of their rest up points. they eat up to 4kg of fish a day so spend a lot of the day busy fishing. saw some bats roosting in a tree- if they hadnt been pointed out to me i would never have seen them. saw toucan. plus lots of macaws but too far away and too hazy to see the colours.

back for a good breakfast. interesting too. we had the usual fruit, eggs, bread etc. but this time a bowl of chocolate soup. it was like drinking chocolate, and seemed most strange sitting supping it with a spoon. we went out for a walk and then a rest before lunch. i felt compelled to try the passion fruit pisco, and it was so delicious i had to have another. chatted to christine from purley who was on her last day. she had done the inka trail and said the weather had been awful, with a lot of rain which made it much harder.lunch then a siesta. i read in one of the hammocks (hard life, eh) and then went for a wander. saw some lizards, ants hard at work, and grey and red squirrel. out on the boat again. another group had seen a sloth earlier but we couldn't find it. but we did see the otters again! so so lucky.back as it was getting dark. Clem, Javier, Madhu and Sandra went out for half an hour and saw catfish and lots of Spiders. glad i didn't join. dinner - shame about the chicken in the veggie soup!. and suddenly, a few bottles of wine later, the lights went out and clem and i escorted john and debbie to their room as they didn't have their torches. how time flies.

sunday 30 sept

up at 6.30. a lie in! lovely sounds thru the night. its great to be somewhere where the only sounds are nature. no cars. no planes overhead. no dogs barking. breakfast and back to PM. we raced another group over the lake back to the creek, but then met a boat coming out. not a lot of room to pass, and our canoe seemed to have developed a bit of a leak so we were relieved to finally get out. the walk back to the big river seemed much easier today. i stayed chatting with madhu.the haze today is awful - we couldn't see to the other side of the lake and no sign of the sun. motorised canoe and bus to the office. then to the airport. main method transport in PM seems to be motorbike. with up to 4 on a bike, including little kids. an old antonov at the airport. used to be 11 but apparently 7 of them crashed over the years. glad we are not flying in one of them! checked in, airport tax and a much appreciated ice-cream. security very lax compared to uk and us - took thru whatever liquids we wanted. the flight was a little delayed but not too bad. the waiting room was so hot and humid. it was a relief to get on the plane. they had the aircon on and it looked like a sci fi movie with frozen water vapour spilling thru all the vents.  we lifted above the haze and after a while went from haze to cloud. back to cuzco, and another great approach in thru the mountains. our pick up wasn't there so i haggled the taxis. original price 15 soles. ruth´s price four soles. a cup of coca tea at the hotel marqueses then out for lunch at paddy flaherty´s bar in the main square. fanTAStic food there - really tasty and cheap, and huge portions. only regret is i didn't have room for the bread and butter pudding.  clem watched the rugby replay (ireland vs argentina). i left half time and went back for a shower. he came in very disappointed at irelands performance. we rested in the room and watched sin city on tv. great graphics but what a weird movie. then out for dinner at papillon. just a salad and carafe of wine then back for a very welcome sleep.