Amazon Rainforest

Amazon Rainforest - Day 1

Day 1, Amazon Rainforest, near Puerto Maldonado, Perú (5/14/2012)

In early May of 2012 we spent two weeks in the incredibly beautiful country of Perú. One of the highlights was our three-day stay in the remote lodge Posada Amazonas in the Amazon Rainforest. The rain poured down for a good part of the time, so the photos from the several hikes we did are a bit limited in spots. But after our four-day hike of the Inka Trail to Machu Picchu, the gentle slow pace of the jungle was a welcome diversion. And we got to see plenty of wildlife, some of which I was able to photograph.

To get to the lodge from Machu Picchu we took Perú Rail from Aguas Calientes to Poroy, got a car to Cusco then flew from Cusco to Puerto Maldonado. We then took a boat up the Rio Tambopata for at least an hour. No roads lead to the lodge, only boats. This added to the sense of isolation and serenity. The lodge has an extensive network of hiking trails and we probably hiked all of them during our three-day stay. On Day 1, after checking into our room, which only had three walls since it was wide open to the jungle (!) we headed to the Canopy Tower and from the top got a nice glimpse of the vast extent of the rainforest. We also watched a group of 6-7 howler monkeys in a distant tree, but thanks to my 35x optical zoom, I got some nice photos.

Total distance hiked today was maybe 3 miles in about 2 hours.

Continue to Day 2

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