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Hi everyone! We had a wonderful week in the heart of the amazon rain forest. We were near Porto Maldonado in Peru. The Tambopato river originates in the Andes mountains and flows through the rainforest to the Amazon river. We were surrounded for thousands of km by primary forest (never been cut or disturbed forest).
Coming from Africa we expected to see lots of animals (lots of insects though). The amazon is a place where plants and trees dominate! Each tree is equipped with a defense mechanism (one even smells of garlic) to prevent being eaten! The animals are all small and equipped and adapted for the rainforest like the Tapir who has a very good sense of smell to know which leaves it can eat.
We joined G adventures for our jungle safari! But first we got stuck in the mud with a little bus! How i wished i had my Isuzu there!! We then took a 2 hour boat ride upstream to the lodge! It was a very nice luxury lodge! No windows, only mosquito nets! Not like you will ever need windows, it was 35 degrees with 100% humidity! Sweating like a buffalo! After relaxing we went on a night walk, saw a tarantula spider (huge) and a small snake which our guide Edwin wrestled. Then some well deserved beers with our new friends Dominique and Yanick from Canada! What wonderful people! We also met Cable from Canada who was on the Inca trail with Linda (friend of us) the previous week. Small world.
Today we went on a bush walk to a small lake - Piranhas and all! Once again hollywood made up a bull story. Piranhas are not as the movies made them although if you starve them then they might eat you alive. Next day we went Anaconda hunting!! Yes, Alecha and me walking for 2 hours past swampy areas, then on a small canoe went searching for Anacondas!!! Not many women who will do that!!! We never saw a Anaconda but was still an awesome experience.
Camping!! Thats right (Beyerse hou mos van kamp)!! What a camping trip. 4 hour by boat up stream with our guide, the cook and the skipper. The reason we went camping was to see something very few people get to see, the Macaw clay leak! On the riverbank there is a sort of clay which the parrots and macaws eat to get minerals! Basically like a salt leak for animals.
The sound and sight of hundreds of macaws together was truly a national geographic moment! Please see attached pictures! and just imagine the loud sounds those bird make! one even said Goeie more! hahaha! Back at camp we took a swim in the river and had a lovely dinner prepared by the cook. Peru cuisine rates right up there, wonderful spices and tastes!
Then came the itch!!! My first diagnosis was german measles, but it was mosquito bites! Despite all the sprays and lotions. On our way back we saw a Tapir swim across the river (our guide only saw a Tapir one tear ago) Luck was on our side. It was good to be in a lodge again with ice cold beers!!!
A special word of thank for Alecha, there are not many women in this life who will do what she did, walk 5km through mud in search of Anacondas, camp in the Amazon forest and get eaten alive by Mozzies! I think if one day I may be privileged to go hunting in Zimbabwe, my wife qualifies to come along!
Sorry for the long delay in blog entries I had writers block! In the end some wine and Alecha 'se gekerm in my ore' got me writing!
Cheers, Charl
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