Update: Departing the Amazon, July 23rd

Sadly today was the final day in Peru for most of us.
We departed our Amazonian lodge in two groups.  Those staying on in Lima had an early departure & thus an early arrival in Lima that allowed them time to check-in to their hotel before their day's activities & dinner this evening.  And those continuing on to the USA had a leisurely morning at the lodge before a lunchtime flight & late afternoon arrival in Lima.

A misty atmospheric morning for the early departure.

Sad to be leaving.  Or just tired?

Puerto Maldonado's "international" airport

Update: Amazon Day 3, July 22nd

Today the group members were able to choose from different sightseeing/nature activities.
Very early this morning a small group boarded the boats for an hour long boat ride up river, past Puerto Maldonado, to a macaw clay lick.

Early start

Puerto Maldonado's new highway bridge, less than a year old

A colorful macaw

Capybara tracks

Viewing macaws in the trees above the clay lick

One of our group suddenly discovered they had a 'passenger' - a baby tarantula!  Thankfully our guide Carlos was unperturbed.

The clay lick from a distance

And through a zoom lens - macaws on the lick

The non-clay lick visitors visited a nearby farm this morning to learn about some of the produce grown locally.

During the afternoon both groups, at different times, had the opportunity to try their hand at some 'native fishing' in the pond by our lodge.

Carlos prepares the fishing poles & baits the lines

Ready for action!

Whilst we were waiting Ruben, one of our waiters, tried his hand & proved to us that there were fish to be caught - namely piranhas!

Relaxing before lunch

In the afternoon one group visited the lodge's 'botanical garden', where examples of medicinal & edible jungle plants are grown.  

Amongst the plants Carlos showed us were ones for various skin care & to paint faces!

Something familiar - pineapple

Trees with their own defenses!

The "Big House" of our lodge, where the public areas were & some of us had rooms 

Piranha at dinnertime, courtesy of Dr. Courville!

Update: Amazon Day 2, July 21st

We began our first full day in the Amazon with an early start & a boat trip down river to the Tambopata National Reserve, one of Peru’s largest & most important Amazonian nature reserves.

There we walked for almost an hour along a rutted jungle pathway, stopping occasionally to view the flora & fauna along the way.  A sloth high in the trees above us was perhaps the rarest sight.

Sloth

At the end of the hike we boarded small boats to view our destination, the famous Lake Sandoval, a beautiful oxbow lake surrounded by the rainforest.

Each boat saw a variety of different animals, including lots of birdlife.  A troop of red howler monkeys moved through the trees along the lake, & one or two of our group think they glimpsed extremely rare Amazonian Giant Otters!

After lunch & some time to relax at the lodge we headed out for our afternoon excursion to Inkaterra’s Canopy Walkway.  

A short boat ride & walk took us to the base of the first tower, then we climbed high above the rainforest floor to view the jungle from the tree tops.  

As with any safari you never know what you’ll see, & on our return boat ride we saw white caimans.

To complete a full day of jungle activities we took a night walk this evening after dinner.  Although some of our groups saw monkeys & even a tapir, most of us were not so lucky & instead focussed on the smaller inhabitants of the rainforest - frogs, bugs, spiders & such.  Our guides knew exactly what to look for & how to find some incredibly well camouflaged critters!