In search of monkeys...

Tuesday , May 12th....  Inkaterra Amazonica, Peru.


We are awoken early, the sun streaming in and the sounds of the birds and insects all around. With only screens there is no barrier to the sounds of nature. It is surprising how loud insects can be!  Half asleep I fumble for my phone to check the time.... 6 am.  Guess we are getting an early start!

 A quick breakfast and we pile into our canoe for our first excursion of the day with our guide, Fabrizio. There are six of us, all hovering around sixty, except Shelda, who is but a sweet young thing on this trip. We travel by boat about a half hour up river to The Hacienda Concepcion, another property belonging to Inkaterra. As we skim along the river we scan the banks for signs of wildlife. Suddenly the captain cuts the motor and slows, pulling closer to the bank where he has spotted a cayman. Caymans are a member of the alligator family. A large white cayman is sunning himself on the banks. He slips quietly into the water as we approach. We see two more as we continue, a large adult one and a small young one. These are content to stay in their sunny spot and allow us to get closer and snap some photos. Fabrizio explains they are not aggressive and will not attach humans.

 

At the Hacienda we board a smaller non-motorized canoe and row soundlessly around a jungle lake. It winds through thick, lush vegetation filled with jungle sounds, birds calling, insects buzzing, monkeys howling. We are on the lookout to spot the creatures but they are elusive. Our first sighting is a striking bird with a large plume on its head. It is a member of the cuckoo family. Other small birds flit in and out of the trees, butterflies dart and flutter about, too quick for our cameras.

 

 

 

As we head back we spot a brown sloth hanging from a branch high up a tree. He has been swimming and is drying his coat.  Nearby we hear the screeching of the howler monkeys and study the treetops for signs of them. There they are, a family of them leaping from branch to branch, scurrying along the tree trunks.  They move quickly, our eyes can follow but they are too fast for my camera and too high up. I regret not bringing my big zoom with me today.

 

 

 

A little further and we spot a turtle warming himself on a log in the sun. A beautiful and fraceful white and yellow heron swoops by.

 

 As we near the dock we spy another heron standing on one leg on a floating platform.

 

 

 

Alongslide three turtles are lined in a row.

 

 

Part two of the morning excursion takes us away from the Hacienda, through the jungle to the botanical garden, where we learn about the various plants that are still used by the Shamans and traditional Peruvians for their medicinal properties.  Along the way Fabrizio chops the fruit off a cocoa plant to show us where chocolate comes from. We taste the sweet white nectar the surrounds the seeds that will eventually become chocolate.  We see how Brazil nuts grow and are harvested. The nuts we know form inside larger hard shells, similar to a coconut. Using Fabrizio's machete I swing and split the hard outer pod revealling the nuts. I am rather proud of my accomplishment, especially since the only other person to attempt this was a guy, about six feet tall. And it took him half a dozen tries to split the shell!

 

Our afternoon excursion is the highlight we have been waiting for.  We start with the Anaconda Wetland walk. It is hike through the jungle to the wetlands, where a raised wooden walkway runs about a metre above the marshy jungle floor. Here the sounds of the forest are like a symphony. He hear monkeys and toucans, parrots, and choruses of insects. It is dim here under the canopy of the jungle, only 2% of the sunlight reaches the floor.

 

In this area anacondas and caymans live, but it is difficult to see an anaconda. They come here to eat, but once they are fed they go back to there habitat and digest, which can take several months before they come to feed again.

 

As we end the wetlands walk we arrive at the Canopy Walk. This is what we have been anticipating. A mower rises 100 feet above us. 150 steps.  This is the beginning of a network of towers connecting seven suspended swinging bridges and eight observation platforms carrying you through the treetops, the jungle laid out below.  The view is spectacular, the walk is exhilarating. While we do not see the much anticipated toucans or parrots, it is still a highlight.  We end the canopy walk at the treehouse, a small cabin-like structure sitting 100 feet up in the trees. You can book the treehouse to stay overnight, sleeping amid the noises of the jungle.

Back at the lodge, it is turning dark. Flashlights come out to make your way through the pitch black evening. I mention to Luis, the manager, that we had not seen a tarantula. "Really", he says, "I can show you a tarantula." And he leads me to a nearby tree where a large, black, furry tarantula pokes out of a knot in the trunk. He has made my day!

 

 

While our visit has been much too short, it has been memorable. Something that I will recall for a long time.   And the mosquitos have not been a problem at all, not even a fraction of a Saskatchewan summer!

 

Time to pack up again, tomorrow morning we head to Cusco and Machu Pichu!!!  

 

Come with me.....

 

On to the Amazon....

(There is no internet in the jungle, so we were out of touch since Monday morning.)

 

Monday May 11.  The Amazon Rainforest

 

I slowly pull myself out of the haze of sleep to realize it is my iphone alarm playing the marimba. Sudddenly it dawns on me, it is 5:00 and we have to quickly get up, throw the rest of our stuff in our bags, check-out and be ready for our cab at 5:30 am.

Today we head to The Peruvian Amazon.  I am so excited for this adventure. It is truly a bucket list destination, complete with Yellow Fever shots and Malaria pills.

 

We  fly from Lima to Puerto Maldonado on a small regional carrier (Star Peru), where we will be taken by motorized canoe 15 kms down the river to the ecological reserve of Inkaterra Amazonica.  As the map has shown me, it is really the Madre de Dios River that flows into the Amazon, which is in the neighbouring country of Brazil.

 

Landing in Puerto Moldonado, we are greeted by pouring rain. Enough to make me dig out my yellow Paddington Bear rain hat.  But after all it is the rain forest, who can complain about rain.  And I can always pretend its Vancouver!

 

We skim down the river with Julissa and Bryan, two young local Peruvians who are our guides for this part of the trip. Bryan is 24 and speaks passable English. He is friendly and genuine.  We quiz him about his English... "How did you learn to speak English?"    "By listening to English music", he says, and movies and reading books."   "What kind of music", we ask, expecting contemporary pop or rock music. But he surprises us all by answering, "The Beatles." "But," he admits, "my favorite song is "Beyond the Sea", by Bobby Darrin. An unlikely choice for a young man..

 

 
 
Inkaterra is an ecological complex consisting of a large main hall, a hexagonal wooden building with a huge thatched  roof and open to nature all around, with just screen panels for windows. They believe in living in nature, not creating boundaries between nature.

 

 

There is also a gathering place or Eco centre where all the activities and excursions are run out of. And 36 individual cabanas, which are smaller wooden cabins. They also have thatched roofs and are open with screening all around to keep mosquitos and other crawly visitors out. We have cabana #10, a choice location overlooking the river and surrounded by lush green jungle. Inside we have two single beds, each draped in filmy white mosquito netting. A bamboo partition can be pulled across for privacy at night, dividing the sleeping area off from the screened front porch area which has two deep lounge chairs and two hammocks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is lunch time, and Peruvians love food and love to eat. Lunch and dinner both consist of full three course meals. A generous sized appetizer  such as avocado and chicken salad or Brazil nut crusted chicken tenders. Follow this with beef tenderloin stirfry or stuffed chicken breast with peppers, and finish it off with desert. Good thing we are going hiking afterward.

Out first activity is a night walk along the jungle trails. Here you have the chance to see wildlife that is nocturnal, such as spiders, tarantulas, night monkeys.  But unfortunately the rain has continued and the weather has become quite cool, so the animals are not coming out to visit. We see a few small spiders, a small lizard and a brightly colored tree snail, but nothing really exotic.  Oh well, perhaps it will clear off for tomorrow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I can't really say we are roughing it here, despite the fact we have been outfitted with sturdy rubber boots, which we find, go really well with a chilled glass of white wine!

 

 

It is pitch black, our cabana lit by kerosene lantern. Power is limited to several hours a day.

We fall asleep with the sound of light rain on the thatched roof and crickets or cicados chirping in the wet grass.

 

Sunday, May 10th. 

First Happy Mother's Day!  Mother's Day is a big deal here in Lima. Everywhere the restaurants are full of families. The parks are full of families. Our guide, Amalia, says it is a very special day and a very busy day. It is necessary to spend the morning with your own family, then lunch with your mother in law and dinner with your mother.  Sounds like Christmas!

We awoke to a day that was a little overcast, which we were told is a normal day here. We are staying in an area called Miraflores, which is a trendy area high up overlooking the coast. It has beautiful parks and a fabulous Malecon that runs for miles along the coastline.

After breakfast we ventured out from our hotel, the Crowne Plaza, to explore the area. Lima is an old city, but the area we are in is much newer, at least from the 20th century.  It reminds me a bit of Mexico, deserty, dusty, a little crude in some of its construction. But as you near the newer area there are shiny new highrises replacing the smaller, older homes, much like we are seeing at home.

Wandering a little further we come to the Malecon. The views overlooking the ocean are spectacular. Far below the surf pounds against a black sand beach, the water is a beautiful turquoise blue. The expressway runs parallel along the beach, much like in Santa Monica.

From there, we head left toward the entertainment and shopping area called Larcomar, a massive modern structure reaching from the street level downward for four stories toward the water. Each tier is built into the side of the cliffs, housing a gigantic shopping mall with all the common stores we would see at home, along with dozens of restaurants, perched high with stunning ocean views. This winds along the cliff's edge bordered by lush green park space. It is a gathering place for both locals and tourists.

Next, we head out on our City Tour with our guide, Amalia.

She takes us to the old historic part of the city. But first we stop at the Plaza des Amores, or the Plaza of Love, built in 1993 to commemorate the end of 12 year rein of terrorism. The artist who designed the statue is said to have carved the male likeness after himself, in the embrace of woman whose face is not shown. Apparently it is because he had 9 children all by different women and he was smart enough not to show favorites!

Surrounding the park is beautiful curved mosaic wall with bright colorful patterns and messages.
The locals gather to people watch, one of their traditional Sunday passtimes.

As we make our way toward the old historic centre Amalia educates on Lima and its background. So, a brief lesson:  Mining is its main industry... gold, silver, copper, zinc. In fact the biggest mine is one that mines copper and zinc in the same mine, sitting at about 13,000 ft above sea level. It belongs to a Canadian mining company.

Another interesting fact. Middle class families all have live-in maids, gardeners and helpers that look after their children. Minimum wage is $375/month. I have to ask the question... What do these women do all day? Amalia says they plan what the family will have for dinner, they go to the gym and the beauty parlour, etc.  But now more of them work outside the home. 

OK, now we are at the Museum of Huaca Pucliana, 2200 years old, excavated in the 1940's or 50's. The ruins illustrates how the people lived and their burial practises, where their ancestors were mummified and kept within their dwellings. The structure sits high in the centre of the city. From here you can view toward the ocean to the west and the Andes to the east.

Continuing, we pass many museums, Lima has 55 museums, devoted to every different topic. Many house private collections.

We stop at Plaza Major, or Plaza des Armes, surrounded to one side by the Main Cathedral of Lima which began construction in 1535. To the other side is their White House or Presidential Palace. In the centre of the plaza is a beautiful fountain originating in 1650 to provide a water source for the people.

A short walk and we arrive at Santo Domingo Convent, constructed in 1604-1606.

It includes a beautiful cathedral, an inner courtyard and several historical centres including the Bibloteco or library. The books here are so precious and old that anyone writing in them or defacing them would be excommunicated.

 
 
 
 
 
 



  
Back to our hotel, and we wondered back down to Larcomar for a glass of wine and dinner overlooking the water as the sunset.

Then packing our bags for an early morning flight to the Amazon....... Come With Me...
 

On my way...

 

Saturday morning. 6:15 am. Yellow cab arrives and I am on my way to Peru.

6:45 am. Luggage checked, Starbucks tea and blueberry scone (good-bye blueberry scones!) in hand and settled down for what a day of travelling is all about, sitting, waiting, boarding, flying, figuring out ways to wile away 4 1/2 hours to Toronto and then 71/2 hours to Lima. With a couple of books downloaded to Kobo on my new Microsoft Surface tablet, Colette with Sudoku, Gin Rummy and a few other games to keep me occupied the time will go quickly.

Its a beautiful Vancouver morning, clear, bright, sunny. Checking the weather channel I see the forecast for Lima tomorrow is 25 and sun. The Amazon is forecast for 31 on Monday, and the forecast for Cusco (Machu Picchu) is rain all week... nice .... I hope that one is wrong. 

 

 

Landing in Toronto after a very turbulent 4 1/2 hour flight, I step through the gate and the first person I see is my sister. She has flown from Regina to meet up and join me on our Peru adventure. 

 

Loaded down with backpacks and cameras we trudge through to the International Terminal  where we will catch our connecting flight to Lima. Its well after lunchtime and my blueberry scone has worn off so we decide to find a comfy place to sit and grab some lunch. The Panini Bar. Sounds cool. A hip looking bar surrounded by tables equipped with ipads and payment terminals ….  interesting…. We decide to five it a try.  The ipads are attached to the tables and sit in a pewter base the shape of stilettos, nice touch…. (sorry, I had my camera packed and no pics… what was I thinking?)

 

A panini and a glass of wine each, ordered  and paid for totally electronically, yet with an 18% tip added to the bill, for a total of $73.  probably the most expensive lunch I have had for a while! And we haven't even left Canada!

 

Onboard AC 1946 heading to Lima, another 8 or so hours…..

 

Here's a travel tip…

If you are flying Air Canada Rouge make sure you download the Air Canada app before you go. They have a fancy new wifi system where you access their site and watch movies or TV on your ipad. Which would be ok, but we were not aware of this technologic advance and only got the commercials. Ask me anything about Napoleon grills  or Manitoba tourism….

 

 
 


We arrived at our hotel in Lima at 2:00 am, a long travel day to find we had been upgraded to a lovely suite, a nice treat. It was 2:41 as we turned out the lights for a good night sleep.

 Lima in the morning light.  Today we will explore this old city.... Come With Me.....

On the road again... Heading to Peru!

The countdown is on... 5 more sleeps before I take my itchy feet and my trusty camera on another exciting adventure.  Saturday morning bright and early I am heading to Peru where I will explore the capital city of Lima, venture into the Amazon by way of canoe, and discover the wonders of Machu Pichu and its ancient ruins.

The Machu Pichu part is another photography expedition with my friends at Great Escapes out of the US. But this time I am excited to have a travel buddy... my sister Shelda.

Come with Me ......