What happened to our wake up call? Good job I set a gazillion alarms! Essence of citronella and Eau de deet de rigour. Breakfast over we joined our group in the information centre ready for our trip to Lago Sandoval. Earlier I’d managed to capture the river at dawn.
Wonderfully cool and ethereal as we motored along. Docking, we clambered up onto the long boardwalk. Protecting the rainforest from further deforestation, logging and mining, the Inkaterra manage concession land leading to Tambopata National park. Pre-covid there was a scientific centre and laboratory used for studying the protected area, funded through tourism, supported by the NGS and a steady stream of volunteers. Expecting to come back, scientists abandoned everything, following covid guidelines. Without constant maintenance buildings deteriorated and computers wouldn’t turn on! Sadly Brazil now has 2 new stations; they hope with increased tourism currently at 40% to recover their scientific prowess.
Group registered; we entered the “proper” jungle; following the board walk to the channel heading for the lake; 3km.
Stopping frequently our guide showed us the delights of the rainforest; birds, trees, lizards, spiders, termites, caterpillars and butterflies, he also shared his extensive knowledge. I can’t believe how tall the 100+ year old fig trees are with their buttress roots, whilst the strangler figs insidiously slowly strangle their host. There was a huge termite mound; they can grow to 10ft tall to escape rainy season flooding.
We even saw some red squirrel monkeys leaping around the canopy, along with a larger brown capuchin. My photography skills slightly lacking in that I totally missed them!
I did however manage to catch a turquoise colourful blue marvel butterfly and black and white striped caterpillar;the sphinx moth larva with a fake tail antenna to trick predators into thinking it has two heads! Apparently hairy caterpillars are toxic whereas smooth are not, but deet laden fingers are to them! Also butterflies are attracted to pee! The better your pee the more butterflies (or was I being had?)
Really interesting to learn although looking back I’m struggling to decipher the subject of my photos, let alone match up the names! We saw so many colourful birds; vultures, ibis, hawks, herons, egrets, oropendolas and loads more!
Macaws, monogamous, flying overhead in groups of 3 were parents and chick. So many calls; musician wrens sound like flautists, orapendula like dripping water.
On arriving at peaceful tranquil Sandoval lake, the reflections were beautiful in the morning light. Essence of citronella and Eau de deet insufficient as a beastly moggy attacked me through leggings! Something I did know male mosquitos are uninterested in drinking blood, just the pregnant females need the protein. Let’s hope my daily malerone and eau de deet coupled with essence of citronella do the trick and I remain malaria free!
Our guide steered the canoe along the shallows looking for wild life. We toured the closest section of the large 3km by 1km lake, seeing baby caiman, turtles, birds, butterflies, insects and a snake!
More photos of indecipherable blobs hidden within the jungle undergrowth! In South America the food chain including natural predators still functions, despite deforestation. This makes spotting wildlife hard; camouflage our enemy.
After sharing our grenadia fruit and homemade sesame snack bar in a shady corner, handed a wooden paddle, Simon and I took turns assisting in paddling the canoe back.
Retracing our steps along the boardwalk we saw more butterflies and larva. Discouraged from the bathrooms, I gratefully boarded the boat, now in a hurry, for the breezy return journey.
After cooling off in the plunge pool and our lovely lunch; great gespacho and unusual cabbage salad, we headed off on the canopy walk. The 200ft/60m high rainforest consists of 4 layers; forest floor (organic matter), understory (shrubs & trees), canopy (intertwined tree tops), emergent (tallest tree crowns). The hanging bridge walk was through the canopy.
We saw walking trees, (when young the stems move 20-30 cm/year around the main trunk), strangler figs (where bird poop becomes nutrient base for vines growing around a host tree; those vines slowly strangle the host as they blossom) and a puna erotic palm (looking rather rude the dark trunk, once dried provides termite free waterproof hollow wood for construction loved by natives).
On reaching a viewing platform I thoughtlessly followed the group, up and up, and up again to the top of the platform to the emergent canopy. Terrified I hugged a tree trunk whilst everyone revelled in the view and momentary phone signal!
Point of no return; down to the jungle floor alone or continue along the canopy trail of suspension bridges! Having promised the kids I would not succumb to my fears, I valiently put my best boot forward. Resorting to counting out loud every step I made it round the walk; just. Courtesy of the youth in the group, I have photographic proof! Still traumatised, relieved, I descended. Where was overzealous health and safety when you needed them?
Conserving energy and allowing guests to experience the rainforest sounds we returned to no power in the cabin. Cold refreshing shower, calming hammock slouch and I felt much more human! Just in time for our nocturnal bug hunt around the lodge, starting with common sightings of agouti and race runner lizards by the cabins. Agouti squirrel away Brazil nuts using their large rodent teeth to gnaw in the shells. Locals adopt youngsters as pets; once grown they return to the jungle of their own accord! Race runner lizards are part green (amount age dependent) and grey matching the ground.
A more extensive exploration through, as yet unnoticed jungle paths much more treacherous than expected, despite head torches. We photographed or at least attempted to capture hairy tarantulas (pink toed and chicken), eggs laid in bark from a beetle’s ovipositor (rear end), a rare sighting of a nocturnal night (or owl) monkey high in the canopy, and using uv light, a scorpion’s pincer hidden in a bark crevice!
Hustled into dinner of really unusual carrot and ginger soup, and horrible pasta before lights out. Overpowering eau de deet, necessitating another shower, plenty of power (til 10pm) so luxuriously hot this time. At least we have a lie-in until 7am.
Dawn on Rio Madre de Dios
Sandoval lake
(Fig tree; sphinx moth caterpillar; blue marvel butterfly; tapir claw tracks)
(Fig tree; caterpillar; dock for Sandoval canoe; lake Sandoval)
(Birds, can you spot them? What are they? My notes need Dr Google tbd!)
(Strangler fig; oropendola nest)
(Termite mound; sign; owl butterfly; canoe on lake; macaw family; bird another unknown!)
Plunge pool
Canopy walk
(Agouti near our cabin; walking tree; flower autocorrect has mangled the name of!)
(canopy observation tower and walk start; Simon and I on canopy walk and towers; last tower down underneath canopy observation room where you can spend the night!)
(Observation Tower room; view from top of first observation tower; bridges; looking down)
Dusk on Madre de Dios
(from Inkaterra lodge dock sunsetting; oil lamps around camp at night)
Bug hunt or jungle at night
(Scorpion's pincer; chicken tarantula; some sort of cricket; possibly a cicada ( apologies notes indecipherable); beetle laying eggs from depositor; another spider; night or owl monkey rare to see; pink toed tarantula)
Video to follow if technology back home allows.
We stayed in a cabin at Reserva Amazónica in the Inkaterra Reserve Puerte Maldonado.
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