Peru: Jungle Love?

In a previous blog, I mentioned that we chose Peru for culture and adventure. We completed a full schedule exploring Incan culture from Cusco to Machu Picchu and it was now time to get into the adventurous part. Little did we know just how adventurous it would be.

Our tour began with our guide, driver, and cook picking us up very early from our hotel in Cusco. At this point, we were getting very used to private tours and were excited to have some home-cooked meals. We were briefed on our day's travel which would eventually get us to our first jungle camp. There was just a small matter of a 12 hour drive through 2 very long mountain passes to get through first.

We drove out of Cusco for about an hour and made a stop at a town called Oropesa. This town is notable because it is full of bakeries that specialize in making large round loaves of bread and small rolls. Guillarmina, our cook, had a favourite bakery called Panificadora Yapita so we made a quick stop.. My mother's family were bakers and I asked if I could go in to take a few photos. The baker used a 10 foot long paddle to load 2 loaves at a time into a very large wood fired oven. There were easily 200 loaves already in the oven. From the outside, it does not look as if it is big enough, but sure enough, more loaves continued to be loaded. I wish blogs could capture the aromas of fresh baked bread so you, the reader, can appreciate just how amazing it was.

Bakery at Oropesa

We eventually arrived at the beginning of a very long and very high mountain pass, going through several towns and villages. It was a slow drive due to the number of rock slides along the way. Eventually, we pulled off the highway and traveled along a gravel road until we reached an ancient, pre-Incan settlement that featured several above-ground burial chambers. These chambers were round structures with a roof and a small doorway. Mummies were placed inside in a sitting position (they were all removed long ago, along with grave goods). The people of the day covered the outside of the chambers with a reflective substance. Like the Inca, they worshipped the sun and when the sun shone on the chambers, a beam of bright gold-red colours that looked like fire could be seen across the valley. This effect was intended to resemble the sun. Two Inca women, dressed in their traditional garb, were selling blankets, charms, and other items. We were not prepared to make a purchase, but I did have some coins in my pocket and gave them each some money instead.

Pre-Columbian Burial Chambers

Our next stop was at a town called Paucatambo (tambo means "resting place"). We had a quick breakfast and took a short tour down some streets and through the central square. Pope John Paul II visited this town in the 1980's and there is a large statue of him on the hill overlooking the town. He is known as Juan Pablo II in Latin America but when our guide heard us calling him John Paul, he said, "Oh, I didn't know he had an English name!" We had a similar conversation about Carmen the Virgin. We call her Mary but the name, Carmen, comes from a biblical holy place, Mount Carmel in Israel. We also saw a true Peruvian dog, a hairless breed called Indigo Orchid, and the main square that features statues depicting 14 different dance styles. As we made our way across a bridge, we were greeted by an unexpected visitor, a pig. She was still on her rope and it appeared that she broke free and was on her own little adventure.

Indigo Orchid hairless dog, dance statues, wandering pig

As we left Paucatambo, the ascent up the second mountain pass began. We thought Cusco was high up, but this drive took us to heights in excess of 13,000 feet. Like the first mountain pass, the road was less than perfect. This one had suffered from recent heavy rains and parts of the pavement had either washed away or were damaged by rock slides. Let's just say that looking over the edge in some places was not for the feint of heart. This road was a series of switchbacks that lasted for another 5 hours in a rythm of drive, turn, drive, turn, drive, turn...oh, look, another waterfall!

When we eventually made it to the entrance to Manu National Park, we had to check in and provide our passports for identification. We were very high up and it was cloudy, rainy, and cold. We walked to the outlook and saw....clouds. A LOT of clouds. However, there was a map of the national park that showed the size of the protected area and key spots where tourists were permitted to go. Our guide also showed us where indigenous tribes lived. Interestingly, aside from a few brief encounters with young tribal members, these people remain unconnected to the modern world.

Up to this part of the day, our trip was only about halfway finished. We still had to get through the mountain pass, drive through the cloud forest, and do some birding along the way. After about 2 more hours of driving, we were given the opportunity to get out of the van and hike down the mountain in search of a bird that has alluded us for several years, the Resplendant Quetzal. Spoiler alert, we did not see one. However, we were successful in finding toucanettes and Peru's national bird, the Cock of the Rock. This bright orange bird with blue eyes is beautiful and it was wonderful to see it in its natural habitat.

Toucanette, the cloud forest, Cock of the Rock

Early in the evening, we reached our first jungle camp, Pilcopata Lodge. The accommodations were a row of simple wooden buildings with beds, mosquito nets, and private bathrooms (unfortunately, without hot water). Although we had taken significant anti-insect measures before leaving Canada, the mosquito net was a welcome addition. If anyone is going to get bitten, it will be me! I joke about this but the insects were about to get very real for me on the next leg of the jungle tour.

Our first evening in the Peruvian jungle was very relaxing. We were able to view birds for about an hour before darkness set in. Guillarmina cooked a fabulous supper, and we talked about our next day's agenda. Apparently, the next camp was even more remote. We had to alter our luggage plans and pack only the absolute essentials because we were going to be hiking in to the camp from the river and had be able to carry anything we planned on using.

The next morning, we had an early start. We took advantage of watching some blue-headed parrots and agoutis before breakfast and then grabbed our rubber boots for the next leg of the trip. Along the way, we were able to view a large variety of hummingbirds and were lucky enough to see a King vulture. Vultures are not normally considered to be beautiful, but this one is a sight to behold with its colourful head and white body. At the same location, 2 different troops of Titi monkeys were calling out to ensure they each had the best territory. We would have stayed longer if we could have, but our day was just beginning. We drove for about a half hour before getting out to hike the rest of the way in the heat and humidity to our next mode of transportation, a river boat.

Traveling down the Madre de Dios river, on the trail to camp.

Upon arriving at the village, Atalaya, work had already started to load supplies into the boat. We all grabbed a few bags of food, pairs of boots, and any other necessities into a long river boat. The river is wide and has a fast moving current, rapids, and waves. I was happy to have an experienced boat captain in charge!

We rode in the boat for about 45 minutes before stopping at the side of the river. We scrambled up a muddy embankment, exchanged our shoes for rubber boots, collected our gear, and started the hike up to our camp. Suddenly, the sun disappeared in the thick jungle. We walked along a muddy trail constantly reminding ourselves, "Don't lose a boot!" The recent rains had been torrential and the trail was submerged in some areas. The hike to camp, Paititi Lodge, was short, about 15 minutes. We had a room on one side of a wooden duplex-like building with a private bathroom but, again, hot water was not available. The dining room was further up the hill. To get there, you climbed a series of hand-made stairs made with sandbags placed on the ground. Drinking water was available at the cabins and in the dining room. We got settled and prepared for our afternoon/evening birding excursion. It was at this point where I let my guard down by removing my socks and shoes. I walked outside the room onto a wooden balcony and was immediately bitten by some of the tiniest, meanest creatures on earth...chiggers. The term "jungle love" took on a new meaning. These microscopic mites loved me a lot, and I cannot adequately describe the ferocious itch. They bit me on both ankles and no ointment could relieve the discomfort. The bites became infected and they blistered, turning my feet into very unattractive and somewhat painful specimens.

At 3:00, we left camp, hiked back to the boat and went downstream for about 20 minutes. We had to hop out of the boat and wade to shore. From there, we hiked across the old river bed and then into the jungle for about 60 minutes before getting to a bird sanctuary in the heart of the jungle. We first had to wait for the rain to pass and then boarded a balsa wood raft propelled by pushing us along with a large stick. Along the way to the lookout tower, we were entertained by Donkey Birds (a member of the goose family that sound like donkeys braying) and Hoatzin, or Stinky Birds (given the unfortunate name because they eat fermented fruits), along with variety of song birds.

Donkey Bird, Hoatzin (Stinky Birds), and our raft.

Dusk was not far away so we made our way across the lagoon and began our hike back to the boat. Darkness set in very quickly and we soon found ourselves wading through flooded trails and trying to navigate in very difficult conditions. Our headlamps attracted a ton of insects who were swarming around our heads. We had to remove them and hold them like a traditional flashlight while also using our walking poles to avoid slipping or falling. I was losing my sense of humour. Our walk back to the boat took longer than 60 minutes and the excitement (if you can call it excitement) was not over. While we were inland, a horrendous rain storm let loose. The boat captain and his one-man crew were soaked. Worse though, the rain had dislodged the boat and it was now high-centred on river rocks. About 30 mintues of hard work, it was finally free and we proceeded upstream in the pitch dark by the light of our guide's flashlight. How he found our stopping point is a mystery to me but I was very glad to get off the river. We proceeded back up the hill to camp to find that a significant rainfall happened there as well. The trail was flooded, with water going half-way up our calves. "Don't lose your boot" was our mantra once again.

A trip to a clay lick was on the next day's schedule. This entailed rising at 4:30 and repeating the trip back to the boat, going downstream and hiking to the lick to view parrots and parakeets feasting on the minerals on the side of the cliff. I was feeling a little sorry for myself. My ankles were so itchy and I really did not want to put on long socks and rubber boots again so I decided to pass. Terrence, on the other hand, eagerly put on his still-damp clothes (nothing dries in the extreme humidity) and grabbed his camera. He returned a few hours later with beautiful photos and some great stories.

Jungle at Dawn, Green Parrots on the clay lick, and our river transportation.

After breakfast, we all packed our things and headed back to the boat for the final time. Our very long journey back to Cusco had us back at our hotel at about 7:30pm. Our stay in Peru had come to an end. We had covered hundreds of kilometers, were privileged to see and learn about Incan architecture and culture, and experienced the jungle in a way that we did not expect. We truly had more adventure than we expected. Although it was hard at times, we will definitely cherish our time in this wonderful county.

Read our next installment, "Don't Cry for me, Argentina" as we start the next leg of our journey in Buenos Aires.