Next morning I woke up at 6am. I got a few sand fly bites. They are especially nasty. You never feel when they bite but notice a bit of blood, then a pinkish area appears around a pin size red dot. It doesn´t itch but give it a few days and it will well enough for you to go crazy. It also stays for weeks - forget about mosquitoes, what mosquitoes?

We had our last breakfast, packed, said bye to Maurits and Esther who were staying for an extra day, and got on the boat together with 4 volunteers that finished their work at the centre and were leaving for good. We were sad to leave but we were looking forward to the rest of the adventure. It was a super hot day but it was breezy on the boat - great for sunburn. This time we were moving up the river and it was going to take more time to get to the port of Atalaya, there we would transfer to a 4x4. Best view on the way was the river, forest, rising cloud above the cloud forest and the snow and glaciers on the top of layers of Andes in the background. The highest snowy peak was Ausangate at 6384m a.s.l.

After 45 minutes we reached the port and switched onto the 4x4. I was very pleased to see that our driver this time will be Julio again! Best driver we could get (best at avoiding animals on the road by centimeters)!!! Howvere this time the journey didn´t run as smoothly as the first time. We were stopped by the land slide that happened at 4am and blocked the road. It did look like it may take a while so everyone got off the van. And for about 30 minutes we were watching a digger working hard to clear it. Finally we were free to go! Julio and Ronnie jumped to the van and set off leaving me and Julianne behind fooling around with taking pictures. Only thing we could do is to wave good bye. Luckily the volunteers let them know and we joined them, rushing throught the half cleared road and under a water fall, on the other side of the cleared land slide. We got into the car and Ronnie joked: "Everyone inside?" :))).

...We set off and then again after a few minutes we had to stop due to the road maintenance... I think our Monday departure for the tour must have been a road free maintenance day because today there were many people and machinery on the roads... We were expecting to be stationery for at least 2 hours but it was approximately 30 minutes. But then we moved and stopped again as the workers were contructing a road. We just sat in the car in boiling temperatures, boliling for gringos, probably most definitely mid 30s chatting to the volunteers..

Suddenly everyone outside jumped inside their cars - they are letting us go! We moved approximately 10 meters and stopped again. But this time it only took a minute or two and we were free to move. Then road works again..... At that point Ronnie decided we can all have an early lunch and started setting up chairs on the side of the road. We ate huano this time: rice (suprise, suprise!) with cilantro (coriander), piece of chiecken and giant purple olives. All this wrapped in a Bird of Paradise plant´s leaf, tied with a string. The small parcel has been pre cooked in a few centimeters of water before we had it for lunch chilled.

Eventually we continued again in a cloud of dust from the track road, Julio´s sound of horn warning the cars just before taking a turn on a serpentine road and through breath taking views of the rainforest but also through heart stopping glances through the van´s window down the steep walls of the road we were on: 100 to a few thousand meters drops down. Often when I looked down I wasn´t able to see the edge of the road; instead nearly vertical drop down. Let me tell you, passing places on the road here are TIGHT!!!

From time to time we passed makeshift houses constructued for the road workers and colourful nearly doll-like small graves decorated with flovers. When I think about Todos los Santos (All Saints Day) and Peruvian celebrations parties, getting drunk at the cementaries, the bright coloured graves make a total sense!!!

Biggest suprise for me when it comes to our tour with Crees adn to the rainforest was that they had not have a malaria cases for last 20 year! We were told none of the volunteers in the Manu Learning Centre is taking antimalarias. Everyone of us coming from Europe or America was advised to take Malarone or equivalent antimalarian. Because I have started with the drug I decided to continue but what a waste of money and time before the tour it was! During my stay there I had only abotu 3 mosquito bites but more sand flies bites. However would still use 50% DEET and overbed mosquito net.

Best part of the journey back to Cusco: driving throught the 4000m a.s.l. with a stunning view at the snow covered peaks of Andes :))) !!!