Into the jungle

We had all agreed that we wanted to visit the rainforest despite the expense, so we headed to the airport to catch our two planes to Puerto Maldonado. When we finally arrived, we noticed 2 things. First of all, how hot it was and secondly how remote it seemed compared to everywhere we had been. We walked out of the airport to have taxi drivers calmbering for our attention. They were mainly tuk-tuks and we feared our luggage would not fit so we wlaked towards one of the only cars, leaving behind us many disappointed faces. We checked into our rather dubious hostel room and headed out fopr food. As we entered the restaurant we were given a large bowl of soup and a purple drink that thanks to Sophie we understood was made from corn. It tasted quite a lot like Vimto. I ordered fish and was given something that looked like a squashed octopus in batter. Mmm.

After that we headed to the local market and tried to buy some ponchos for our jungle trip, and then got ourselves an early night. Off to the jungle in the morning. I was surprisingly calm when, in the middle of the night I vistited the bathroom, only to see a cockroach scuttle under the door. I just called through tot he bedroom "Guys, a cockroach has just climbed in there" and Rick bravely killed it for us. Who said I couldn't handle the jungle? Must cut these entries down if I am ever to catch up.

Jungle - very cool lodge with rooms with only 3 walls, as one was open to the jungle. I was slightly concerned by this, but founmd a greta deal of comfort from the mosquito nets that were put over our beds each night. The lodge had electricity for about 2 hours each day and maids that lit the lamps at 3 each morning and when it got dark in the evening. we travelled to the lodge in a bus and then a long boat along the river where we were provided with local food and drink, including minature bananas and a greta meal like special fried rice wrapped in banana leaves so we could throw them in the river.

My first glimpse of wildlife was the enormous moth that had positioned itself underneath the toilet roll in the bathroom. I calmly showed Rick and everyone was suitably impressed. In general the jungle was not quite as exciting as any of us had hoped. We saw ants that carried leaves 24/7, butterflies, lizards, monkeys in the distance and lots of birds. We climbed an enormously high viewing tower that swayed as we walked up it and took us above the canopy of the trees and from there we saw macaws, and other birds. We also saw walking trees that apparently are able to move their roots in order to catch any available light. We were given some of the tricks of the trade by the resident jungle medicine man, and overall the experience was a great one. We met some really cool people, heard some romantic stories (Thanks Simon and Maria!), went fishing fro Piranhas and stayed in an amazing place.

The food was amazing. Enormous portions and very tasty food which we enjoyed with the company of many bugs, which after a while we just casually lifted out of our meals! Our guide Betsy was fab. We were her first official group and she was so enthusiasti, that it was contatagious. However we were all equally unimpressed when she began to explain where butterflies came from. The mornings were very early (4am one morning) and the showers very cold (we were all grateful for that!) and all in all we had a fab time. I think the high point was when I was lying on my bed chilling out one afternoon and I saw a monkey in the trees just outside. It was an orange one and was doing all kinds of cool monley stuff including swinging from branch to branch and hanging upside down.

We flew out on the 3rd morning.

For more pics : http://www.flickr.com /photos/miketong/sets /72157594359102825/