My Trip to Peru - Travel to The Amazon

Sunday after the Machu Picchu trek was a pretty lazy day. I spent some time shopping and walking around Cusco to see a few more sights. That evening a small group of us who were still in town went to a really nice restaurant for dinner. The prices looked stiff but reasonable for the kind of place (upscale, great service, etc.) but then you realize they are in Peruvian Soles not dollars so it was a great deal (3 to 1). After dinner we retired to the hotel to play cards.

Monday the five of us going to the Amazon took a bus to the airport where we met two others who would join our crew. They had taken a different trip to Machu Picchu so they were not part of our original group. After a relatively short flight we were in Puerto Maldonado and it was a huge change in weather. We left Cusco where during the day it was warm but definitely dry. Puerto Maldonado was hot and humid!

Our guide met us at the airport and took us into town. We bought some water for the day and repacked our bags into duffle bags (for the boat ride). The most interesting thing about the town of Puerto Maldonado is that the number of motorcycles far out numbers the number of cars. Everyone rides a motorcycle – men, women, couples, people with baggage, even moms with kids. Want a taxi? Hop on the back of a motorcycle. All of us were shocked but that’s the culture there.

We drove for about an hour to the launch point for our boat ride. We had a 2.5 hour ride ahead of us on the Tambopata River. After loading up the bags and picking up a few staff members for the lodge our boat left the landing. We received our boxed lunches and ate well as we rode along the river. The Tambopata river is a tributary to the Amazon river so it looks similar to what you might expect – wide with a quick current and brown water. During the ride we had a few opportunities to stop and get a look at some jungle inhabitants. We saw turtles, macaws, and capybara (largest rodent in the world).

Upon arrival at the Tambopata Lodge we checked into our rooms. We were staying in amazing bungalows. Each building was separated into two – for two different guests. The room had everything you would expect in a hotel room, bed, bathroom, and shower, except there was no electricity. They provide plenty of candles though. There was even hot water thanks to solar panels.

Before dinner we watched a slide show about the area and then after our meal (again using candle light) we took a night hike in the jungle. We saw lots of bugs, a tarantula, and a boa constrictor. After we got back to the lodge everyone took a shower to cool off and then we went to bed.