Anaconda

Amazon Jungle!  Just kidding about the Anaconda...they are here but I never saw any (thankfully!).

We flew from Lima to Puerto Maldonado and got to our jungle lodge by motorized canoe (called a piqua piqua because of the sound the motors make).  It was a very skinny boat but not as tippy as a canoe.  It was made of wood and was painted purple and bright green.  It had an outboard Mercury motor but the captain still bailed out water as he steered upstream in the piranha filled river.  The local boats were smaller and had a long (5 meter) rudder handle with what looked like a personal fan or egg beater on the end.  There were small villages along the riverbanks with pigs, goats and cows.

Local ferry boat, a bit bigger than a piqua piqua.

On the piqua piqua.

The river is huge, turbid and has a very strong current.  It looks like hot chocolate with Baileys!   

River - Rio de Madres Dios

Upon arriving at the Corto Maltez Jungle Lodge we were welcomed with a lovely mango and passion fruit juice.  Then lunch was served and it turned out to be a 3 course meal.  I was happy with the first course of bread with avocado, boiled egg, tomato, cucumber and shredded carrot.  I chowed down the first course thinking that was it for the meal!  The second course was a beautiful presentation of mango chicken with rice.  The chicken was in the shape of a butterfly.  For dessert we had finger bananas warmed and softened served with syrup.  Who knew jungle lodges served gourmet food?I never thought I would ever visit the jungle, especially on my own.  I cannot believe I am staying in a real hut with no air conditioning and with open slats, thatched roof and mosquito nets.  My hut has 2 hammocks and I overlook the big river Madres de Dios.  I really missed having Greggy Poo in the hammock next to me. 

Mango chicken a la butterfly.

My jungle hut.

Jungle bed with mosquito nets that drop down and hook onto the bed very tightly so nothing can crawl in at night.

Admiring the view and thinking of Greggy Poo.

The view.

The temperature is very hot, probably 25 C or higher but the humidity is extreme and it feels like 35 C.  I was a full on body of sweat!  The big thing in the Amazon Jungle is to make sure you wear long pants and shirts because of the mosquitoes (or Mozzies as named by the Aussies).  Every hour or so they are reminding you to put on your repellent.  I have 80% deet Bushman repellent from Australia and I am really glad.  My Off Skintastic wouldn't cut it out here. 

We met our tour guide, TooToe (pardon the phonetic spelling), and he guided us on a 2 hour nature walk in the jungle.  Luckily we had no rain on this walk (it is wet season in the rain forest).  TooToe brought along his machete and I was wondering what kind of crazy animals he was going to have to fend off to protect us tourists.  He said that most animals only come out at night, and the machete is to clear the trail and show us local flora.  TooToe learned all about the jungle plants from his father.  He is extremely passionate about the jungle and has extensive knowledge, and to know all the English terms for medical conditions is very impressive.  He likes to say my name…"SooSee". TooToe has a relaxed, heartwarming and catchy laugh which made the hike very fun.

TooToe showing palm roots can be used as a broom.

My turn to play with the machete and fend off the jungle flora.  I think my hat had all the animals secretly laughing.

 TooToe showed and taught us tons of sights, but I remember the following:

-Mushrooms in the shape of a wineglass

-Mushrooms that felt like meat and looked like human skin (would be great at Halloween)

-The Garlic Tree, has really smelly bark that you cut off and rub on yourself to keep the mozzies away.  I put a little chunk of bark under my watch strap and I think it worked.  But I kept thinking...ew...what's that smell?

-Leaves that were rough like sand paper used to polish and shine.

-Ficus  milk from a cut in the bark helps ailments like backache and stomach problems.

-Huge termite mounds growing off trees (that look like the tree has a backpack!).  Rubbing a live mound with the termites in it and breathing in helps asthma.  If you get a snake bite, burn the termite mound and put the smoke around the wound to ease the pain. 

-We found green leaves that when rubbed hard released a red/purple die used for lipstick, paint, clothing die etc.

-A tree with a beautiful pink flower called the Fever Tree as it has natural salicylic acid that was used by Bayer before synthetic Aspirin was made.

-Pulp from mashing fern leaves will also ease the pain of bites and cuts.

We crossed streams with little wooden plank bridges and the weather was hot and sunny but the bugs were not too bad.  No where near the mosquitoes or mayflies I've experienced at Lac La Nonne in Northern Alberta!  I was so sweaty I am surprised they didn't eat me for dinner - must have been all that deet.

Jungle bridge...you go first...

Back at the Jungle Lodge, we had a beer and visited in the lounge and then it was off to bed.  It started pouring rain the minute I arrived back at my hut and rained non-stop all night.  It was amazing to hear the change in nature's sounds from a jungle night of frogs, cicadas, and crickets to just rain.  It was a wonderful, humid, calming rhythm to sleep to.