Statues in the Parque de Amore
This is a description of my recent vacation, and, true-to-form, it's rather long winded! If nothing else, please just have a look at the pictures--you'll be packing your bags in a minute!
A note about the spelling of place names. I've seen more ways to spell "Cuzco," among others, to thoroughly confuse me. I'm going with the American spelling of Cuzco, but I've seen it "Cusco" and also the Quechua (native language) version "Qosqo." Like wise, I've seen "Sacsaywayman" "Saqsaywayman" "Sacsayhuaman," you get the idea. So, take your pick.
I'm not exactly sure what possessed me to travel to South America. It was a combination of things, I guess. A few years ago I had started to write a story about a "lost tribe" that took place in the Ecuadorian rain forest. While the story remains incomplete, I found myself intrigued with a brochure of a trip that featured a stay in the Peruvian rain forest as part of the itinerary. The more I thought about the possibility of gaining some first-hand knowledge for my story, the fewer arguments I had for not going. I had the time, I could swing it financially, so why not?
The trip, arranged by Overseas Adventure Travel*, described a seventeen day journey to Peru, Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands--three vacations rolled into one!
I arrived in Miami, all excited about my first trip out of the country, only to be brought back to reality by the news that Aeroperu had gone out of business that day. Well, things all worked out in the end, as my fellow travelers and I were booked on a later flight to Lima with another airline. There was an additional six hour delay, but we were still going!
The group I traveled with turned out to be the perfect size--fourteen people--coming from all over the U.S. and all walks of life. The extra time we had at the airport gave us a chance to become better acquainted, so perhaps the delay wasn't so bad after all! They were a wonderful group to travel with; great sense of humor and a zest for life that made them truly enjoyable companions.
After our early morning arrival in Lima, and catching up on some sleep, we had a tour of the city. It began with the Parque de Amore, (the lover's park) on the coast. We had a rare sunny day in Lima. Apparently, the convergence of the El Nino and Humbolt currents keep the city wreathed in fog most of the time. There is very little rainfall, but the vegetation is still green, no doubt due to the fog.
Other places of interest in Lima were the main square, with it's religious and governmental buildings, and a private museum with a staggering number of artifacts. The collection was almost overwhelming; I don't feel I gave it the attention it deserved.
Day two found us with a 3: 30 a. m. wake up call for our flight to Puerto Maldanado, the starting point for our trip to the Tambopata Jungle lodge. Our journey into the jungle began with a three-hour boat ride up the Tambopata river, in the Madre de Dios region of Peru. One of the tributaries of the Amazon river, it's muddy waters gave testament to the strength of the current. Our ride was more comfortable than I had originally anticipated, with a motorized wooden boat, equipped with cushioned chairs and an awning to shelter passengers from the sun or a sudden rainfall. What a wonderful way to spend the morning--cruising past the forested banks of the river with a slight breeze to dispel the gathering heat of the day. Several of our group seemed concerned that there would be an abundance of insects. Personally, I noticed very few. In fact, the bugs and humidity are worse back home in the summer than in the jungle! It was at the end of the rainy season, which correlates to our fall. Perhaps that was the reason for the lack of pests. What ever the reason, I was delighted to find out the "horror stories" were completely unfounded!
The Tambopata river
The "dock" at the Lodge consisted of a platform over the river, connected to a flight of stairs over the steep mud bank of the river. At the top was a collection of quaint buildings, built with native bamboo and thatched roofs. There was a central dining hall/lounge and several bungalows spread around a good-sized clearing.
It was interesting to note how the different people of Peru adapted to their surroundings. Our guide, a native of Cuzco, used to life in the highlands, had some difficulty adjusting to the heat and humidity of the lowlands. It was easy to see why the Inca's empire hadn't expanded into the jungles of Peru and Ecuador. As primarily a mountain people, the climate of the lowlands proved to be a more effective adversary than the indigenous people.
Once assigned our cabin, my trip mate and I checked out our accommodations. There were two bunks, complete with mosquito netting (unnecessary, I felt, but a nice touch). No electricity, but there was a shower! It was cold water, but after the heat, it felt great! All and all it reminded me summer camp. The visit was worth the nostalgia alone!
We had three days and two nights at the Jungle Lodge, featuring several nature walks into the rain forest(only two unexpected downpours!); an informative slide show; a night-time "cruise" to look for caimans (relatives of the crocodile and alligator), and some fantastic views of the stars. It was interesting to note the different positioning of the constellations from the northern to the southern hemisphere.
Of course no visit is complete without mentioning the cuisine! It was wonderful as well. As a cook, I was particularly interested in the meals. Served mainly native dishes, there were plenty of vegetables and rice (which I expected), but I was surprised at the many uses and inclusions of potatoes. I was later to discover potatoes are native to South America and were introduced to Europe, presumably, by the Spanish.
A pre-dawn wake up call returned us to the boat on the third day for the shorter trek downstream, back to Puerto Maldanado and our flight to Cuzco. Our guide explained the reason for the early flights to and from Puerto Maldanado, were due to higher winds in the afternoon.
