4Globetrotters

By LineogJesper on August 8, 2024

From Cusco we took the Excluciva night bus to Puerto Maldonado. A 10 hour bus ride but fortunately in the biggest seats we have ever had in a bus and with the possibility to fully lie down. As usual Line found the speed too high, and with the road being very winding she did not sleep much, whereas Noah, Vitus and Jesper slept comfortably most of the way. 

At the bus terminal we were picked up by Olaya travel and after a quick breakfast we were heading for the Amazon. 1.5 hours’ drive and 50 minutes’ boat ride later we arrived at the Terre Verde Eco lodge where we would spend the next 3 out of our 5 days.

Day 1 – First day at the Terra Verde Eco Lodge

Arriving from the very temperate and dry Cusco we were not at all prepared for the heat and humidity of the rain-forest, and we struggled a bit to adjust as we were drenched in sweat for the better part of the first day while constantly having to reapply repellent to keep most of the mosquitos off.

After the midday heat had passed we went for a walk around the lodge and the guide pointed out various animals and plants. Noah and Jesper also volunteered to be bitten by one of the less poisonous fire ants. 

After dark we went for a night-walk to search for more animals. The biggest hit was a giant chicken tarantula about the size of a small lunch plate.

Day 2 in the Amazon – giant Macaws at the “Clay Lick” and sloth at the canopy tower

Waking up before dawn and getting in the boat we looked forward to one of the main attractions: The “Macaw Clay Lick”. Weather and temperature permitting the Macaws and lots of other smaller species of parrot gather in the early hours to socialize and lick salt and other essential minerals off the clay at a special place on the riverside.

Fortunately we were lucky – clear skies and normal (aka. very hot) temperatures meant that the bids arrived right on time and we got to enjoy the beautiful scenery together with 4 other tour groups.

As you watch the birds from the opposite side of the river you need a really powerful camera lens to get good pictures. Fortunately the guide had brought a very powerful “telescope” and helped us take pictures through it using our mobile phones. Not National Geographic quality but good enough to save the memories.

After the “show” was over and the giant birds flew right over us and back in the rainforest we had a great breakfast on the lakeside including everything from pancakes to yoghurt, coffee, tea, avocado and buns. 

On the way back we were lucky enough to spot a lone capybara and later a whole family playing at the river bank.

After a short rest we went to discover the plants around the lodge and learn more about their use as food and medicin for the local people.

11.30am to 2pm is time for lunch and siesta in the Amazon. It is so hot and humid that even eating will result in you being drenched in sweat, so we did our best not to move at all and either take a nap or quietly read in front of a fan.

In the afternoon we took the boat to the canopy tower. A 47 meter high steel structure in the middle of the jungle where you are able to look down on the canopy from above and hopefully discover the birds and mammals that live in the canopy of the rainforest. 

Unfortunately Noah was not feeling well so only Vitus, Line and Jesper went. Line got two thirds up before her vertigo got the better of her (still quite an accomplishment). Vitus and Jesper made it to the top and got a beautiful view over the Amazon jungle.

Unfortunately the animals had decided to take the day off, and we did not see the Tucans or monkeys that are normally plentiful in the area. After about 10 minutes the wasps and flies started to arrive. They like to lick the salt of sweating tourists while also giving them a sting to let them know who is in charge. About half the group (including Vitus) got stung by the wasps, so after about 40 minutes in the swaying tower we had all had enough of the view.

On the way back we got a chance to see a sloth sleeping in a tree just a few meters from the trail.

In the evening it was time for another night walk to see even more birds and insects.

Day 3 hot Caiman jungle walk, Piranha fishing, illegal gold mining and a disappointing mammal clay lick

On our third day we got up before sunrise (again) to hike about 45 minutes to the “Mammal Clay Lick” area deeper in the jungle. The main goal was to see a tapir as they frequent the place at dawn and just before sunset. Though we were trying to walk as quietly as possible we heard a loud “snort” when we were almost there and a big animal running away through the jungle. Unfortunately that was the only mammal we saw (or rather heard), and after about 40 minutes of watching clay we went back for breakfast.

After breakfast we hopped on the boat again for a 25 minutes’ ride to a jungle trail leading us to a less frequented lake where there should be a good chance of seeing caimans or maybe even anacondas. That turned out to be the hottest walk so far, and we were literally drenched by the time we got there. We saw a number of birds on the way and the caimans showed up as planned. Unfortunately we did not see any anacondas but we knew that was a slim chance. 

After lunch and siesta it was time to go fishing for piranhas – an activity Vitus had been looking forward to since leaving Denmark. While the piranhas bit all the time (and stole our bait) they were not easy to hook. Fortunately both Vitus and Noah caught one in the end. Line also caught a fish (though very small and not a piranha but a duckfish) and only Jesper had to leave the spot empty handed.

The guide had the cooks prepare the fish for dinner as an extra snack and removed the jaws so we could bring them back home as a souvenir. 

The trip up river to the fishing spot also exposed one of the less idyllic part of the Amazon. As we moved deeper into the jungle and left the area where tour boats and rangers often travel we encountered illegal mining rigs at the river. One thing is the pollution and noise from the ancient diesel engines pulling gravel from the river bottom, but they also use mercury to extract the gold which is very, very bad for the river systems. 

It was, however, also evident that these were not big corporations but very poor people just trying to make a living, and where getting food enough on the table for themselves and their families is a constant struggle.

In the evening we had another shot at the mammal clay lick but again saw nothing but clay. When questioning the guide he admitted that sightings were very rare and honestly he had not encountered a single mammal in that spot in his 2 months of working there. The 30% chance written in the brochure seems in need of an adjustment…

Day 4 – Giant Otters, Monkeys, Caimans and a variety of birds at Sandoval lake

On the morning of day 4 we packed our bags and prepared to leave Terra Verde to go to the Sandoval lake where we would spend the last night of our Amazon adventure. After about 2 hours by boat and car we were back in Puerto Maldonado where we drove straight to another boat for a 30 minutes’ boat ride down the river and afterwards a 3 km. hike (fortunately mostly in the shade) on a boardwalk to Sandoval lake.

After boarding a canoe it did not take long for us to see the first caiman and a large number of different birds.

We never quite understood how our guide was able to spot a bird that was little more than a silhouette in the distance or partly hidden in the scrub and immediately know the species. At this point it was getting really hot. We had a cloud cover for the first part of the boat ride to the lodge but when the sun came out we could not help wishing for the ride to end despite the beautiful scenery. 

After lunch and siesta we went for a 4 hour canoe ride around the lake and only returned an hour after dark. We saw so many different animals but our clear favorites were the small squirrel monkeys followed by the cute brown capuchin monkeys that always follow in their trail (squirrel monkeys live in large packs of around 100 individuals and are incredibly good at warning each other when predators are close, by staying close the larger capuchins take advantage of the alarm system).

We were also fortunate enough to be able to observe the giant otters hunting in the lake while their small cubs would constantly be screaming for the parents to share their fish (a very weird sound).

Day 5 Tucans, Anteaters, Beautiful sunrise at the lake and return to civilization 

On our final morning on the Amazon tour we were ready to head out at 5 to watch animals and the sunrise over the lake. Finally a few tucans decided to appear in the tree tops, and though we did not catch them on camera it was great to see them and be able to check them on the list.

On the boardwalk on the way back we did not expect to see more, but just as we were reaching the last part a family of Anteater (looks like a cross between a tapir and a cat) crossed the path right behind us. Unfortunately we did not have time to catch them on camera.   

Our final activity was a visit to a set of wooden towers with hanging bridges high up in the canopy. It proved more of an adrenalin experience than anything else. Mainly because the structure did not look like it would pass western safety standards. We kept telling ourselves that if it would break at some point it would probably be a considerably heavier person that would trigger it and not us. Whether we were drenched in sweat because of anxiety or the hot and humid weather afterwards was hard to tell – probably a bit of both.

That concluded our Amazon experience. We saw so many exciting things and Vitus declared it the best part of his journey so far. It was, however, also very hot, humid, and full of mosquitoes, and we were all looking forward to being able to sleep in a cool room and not having to worry about putting on repellent as soon as you stepped outside.    

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