{"id":1589,"date":"2013-10-21T09:52:16","date_gmt":"2013-10-21T09:52:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tucan.travel\/blog\/?p=1589"},"modified":"2019-11-21T16:54:00","modified_gmt":"2019-11-21T16:54:00","slug":"the-amazon-jungle-in-peru","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tucan.travel\/blog\/2013\/10\/the-amazon-jungle-in-peru\/","title":{"rendered":"The Amazon Jungle in Peru"},"content":{"rendered":"

What’s at the top of your bucket list?\u00a0 If you are among the people who voted for the New 7 Wonders of the World, there is a 1 in 7 chance you would say Machu Picchu.\u00a0 It was certainly near the top of mine, and enough of a motivating factor for me to plan a week long trip to Peru<\/a>. Approximately a year ago, I rallied up my friend Kristen, and we decided to make this trip happen.\u00a0 We spent several months researching different tour options and taking into consideration cost, time, and the places we could visit. We narrowed down our \u201cmust see\u201d list to included Machu Picchu<\/a> and the Amazon<\/a>. We were still up on the air about whether or not we should hike the Inca trail<\/a> or take the train<\/a>.\u00a0 Based on our time constraints, we decided to opt out of the Inca trail. <\/em><\/p>\n

\"Puerto<\/p>\n

Since we arrived so late the night before, Kristen and I missed the pre-departure group meeting and walking tour of Lima<\/a> with our Tucan guide, David.\u00a0 The next morning we were up by 6 and we were quickly informed that morning of having to transfer all of the things we needed for the next 3 days in the jungle to our \u201cday packs\u201d because we were putting our main bags in storage.\u00a0 I was never told that a \u201cday pack\u201d needed to be big enough for multiple days and I had packed the smallest day pack imaginable, so you can imagine my surprise!\u00a0 Fortunately, I also had a carry on tote from the plane that was slightly larger.\u00a0 After catching a flight from Lima to Puerto Maldonado (via Cusco<\/a>), our group of about 18 people was herded onto a lodge bus and taken to the office to repack and store our main bags.\u00a0 After 10 minutes, we were transported again via bus to the dock to jump on the motorized canoe.\u00a0 The canoe ride lasted 1.5 hours down the river, and the weather was beautiful even though the water was a dirty brown color!\u00a0 We passed several lodges along the river before getting to ours.\u00a0\u00a0 The lodge was impressive for being out in the middle of nowhere.\u00a0 There was a nice dining hall, a bar, pool, hammock lounge, and many individual bungalows for the visitors. The only 2 cons were the lack of hot water and the fact that we only had electricity for about 4 hours a day.\u00a0 A cold shower is not very fun, especially when you try to take one in the dark.\u00a0 Since we arrived around 2:30 to the lodge, we had a late lunch of chicken and rice wrapped in a banana leaf.\u00a0 Chicken and rice is a staple in Peru, and I\u2019d say we ate it (or something very similar) at least 10 more times during our trip.\u00a0 By the time I got home, I was craving a salad!\u00a0 After lunch, we had time to relax and enjoy the pool.\u00a0 It was freezing (or as described by the staff, refreshing!) and I did not last very long in there before going back to my bungalow.<\/p>\n

\"Food<\/p>\n

That evening, we had a delicious buffet dinner before regrouping for our night canoe excursion on the river to search for caiman.\u00a0 We swiftly moved along with our guide carrying a giant flashlight.\u00a0 We were lucky enough to spot multiple caiman by the glow of their eyes.\u00a0 They are much smaller than the average crocodile, but I still wouldn\u2019t want to cuddle with one.\u00a0 Even more amusing than the caiman were the stars!\u00a0 Maybe I should have known this, but the constellations in the southern hemisphere are different than those in the northern hemisphere.\u00a0 The Southern Cross was shining brilliantly in the sky!\u00a0 Before bed, we hit the bar for a traditional pisco sour and some socializing with the group.<\/p>\n

Our second day in the Amazon<\/a> was very busy because we had to squeeze in a trip to Monkey Island that was intended for the day before.\u00a0 After an early morning breakfast buffet, our group split into two for our journey into the jungle.\u00a0 The group I was in started off with a long hike through the wilderness.\u00a0 Our local guide, David (not the Tucan guide also named David), led us along a path from the lodge.\u00a0 As we walked into the first clearing, I decided it was a good time to try out my Off fan.\u00a0 I switched it on, only to be dismayed by the louder than expected noise that was now coming from it rotating around.\u00a0 David immediately stopped talking and looked directly at me, saying \u201cWhat is that noise?\u201d\u00a0 Uhh\u2026 I tried to explain to him that it was the fan that was clipped to my belt loops, but I\u2019m not sure he ever really understood what it was meant for.\u00a0 After a good laugh from the group, I noticed more people walking beside me trying to mooch off of my insect repelling technology.\u00a0 It may have been loud, but it definitely worked.\u00a0 I did not get any mosquito bites while in the jungle!\u00a0 It may have also been because I started dousing myself in 100% deet mosquito spray.\u00a0\u00a0 That is not something I would recommend for everyday use, but I figured two days can\u2019t be that bad.<\/p>\n

\"Tarantula<\/p>\n

Along our walk, we came across monkeys, fire ants, a termite nest, and many other creepy crawlies.\u00a0 At one point, David noticed a tarantula hole and decided it would be a good idea to try and coax it out by poking it with a stick.\u00a0 Sure enough, the tarantula crawled out of the hole for a quick photo op!\u00a0\u00a0 Further along our walk, our path was intercepted by a family of peccaries, or wild pigs.\u00a0 There were really aggressive and we had to stay back.\u00a0 Earlier in our walk, David told us that if we got attacked by a peccary we would have to climb a tree to get away.\u00a0 You can bet I was scooping out trees while we waited for them to pass.\u00a0 By the time our walk was coming to an end, we were all very hot and sweaty, but the last stop of the walking part of our morning was to the lagoon to search for anacondas.\u00a0 You may be wondering what type of incredibly safe boat we took to protect us from these large snakes.\u00a0 The answer is\u2026 a rickety old canoe that almost tipped over several times!\u00a0 As David paddled us around the lagoon, vultures soared overhead.\u00a0 Taking that as a good sign, we continued for about 15 minutes, but could not find any animals<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

The second part of our morning tour was to paddle a canoe down a small river.\u00a0 After walking for hours and literally dripping with sweat (Kristen\u2019s hair never dried that day), we all piled into a canoe and attempted to row with 30+ lb. wooden oars.\u00a0 I can honestly say I was not a very effective contributor to the team that day.\u00a0 My oar was so heavy, but after switching with Kristen, I found hers was even heavier, so I made her switch back.\u00a0 Good thing she is such a good friend!\u00a0 We saw a few other birds, including a fly catcher, but nothing really crazy. I did manage to pluck some aguaje fruit from an overhanging tree.\u00a0 They are supposed to be very healthy and delicious, but it takes two days to soak them in water so they are soft enough to peel and eat.<\/p>\n

\"Bugs<\/p>\n

During our morning hike, David continuously cracked open various nuts in search of the elusive \u201cwhite worm\u201d also known as a Sago worm.\u00a0 As we made our way back to the lodge, we finally found some.\u00a0\u00a0 As he was handing them out for us to hold and inspect, the popped one into his mouth and spent the next 10 minutes trying to convince us of the wonderful health properties of this worm.\u00a0 We all looked at each other trying to decide how much we believed him and who would be the first to eat the live worm.\u00a0 The first victim was a guy from Germany.\u00a0 He ate it right away and said it tasted like coconut.\u00a0 After him a few other people gave it a shot, including me.\u00a0 Yes, I ate a live worm and it wiggled in my mouth.\u00a0 Just kidding, it did not wiggle, but it tasted like goo, not like a coconut.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t crunchy either.\u00a0Was it delicious?\u00a0 No, but it wasn\u2019t horrible either.\u00a0 I probably wouldn\u2019t want to eat a bowl of them though.<\/p>\n

\"Monkey<\/p>\n

We made our way back to the lodge for lunch, and then had a quick turnaround to Monkey Island.\u00a0 The island is owned by the lodge as a place to put monkeys they rescue, including capuchins, spider monkeys, and tamarinds.\u00a0 We only saw capuchins during our visit because they are bullies and gang up on the other monkeys when they try to come out for bananas.\u00a0 I think I was least impressed by monkey island because I\u2019ve been to other countries where they have \u201cmonkey parks\u201d and excursions like this.\u00a0 We only stayed there for an hour before jumping in a canoe to go fishing for piranhas.<\/p>\n

Off the main river was an inlet where piranhas like to hang out.\u00a0 Mind you, we are still in a little canoe that could easily tip over if someone were to stand up too quickly.\u00a0 We did not even have life jackets on at this point.\u00a0 When we reach our destination, David hands everyone a stick with a piece of rope tied to it and some kind of meat fastened to the end.\u00a0 Most of our sticks had make shift sinkers made from some nails, a washer, and various other rusted tools.\u00a0 After about 10 minutes, someone catches a piranha!\u00a0 We all oooh and ahh because it is actually a pretty little fish.\u00a0 It gets thrown back in and we continue to fish.\u00a0 Shortly after, the next person catches one!\u00a0 She flings her fish into the boat where it falls off the hook and starts flapping around. Mind you, this fish has very sharp teeth and could easily bite someone\u2019s ankle, so we all kind of back away and huddle on one side of the boat.\u00a0 As David tries to reach over to grab the fish, it bites a hole through his pointer finger and he starts bleeding profusely.\u00a0 Our other guide catches it by the tail with pliers and throws it out.\u00a0 Since David is now bleeding all over the place, he thinks it\u2019s a good idea to wash off his finger in the piranha infested water.\u00a0 They decide it is time to go, so our boat driver starts to pull away.\u00a0 As he is pushing us away from the shore, he gets bit by a piranha too! Now we have two guides with blood spurting from their fingers.\u00a0 Oddly (or not so much) enough, none of the guides have first aid kits on the boat.\u00a0 Lucky for them, we all have extensive kids in our bags and are equipped with a doctor in our group tour.<\/p>\n

At some point that afternoon we return to our bungalow and Kristen announces that she has to pee.\u00a0 She rushes into the bathroom and comes right back out screaming!\u00a0 Much to her surprise, there is a frog hopping around in our shower.\u00a0 In any normal situation, one of us would probably grab the frog and haul it outside, but we are in the jungle!\u00a0 There are poisonous frogs in the jungle!\u00a0 Neither of us wants to seem like a sissy, so we decide not to go find someone to help.\u00a0 Kristen grabs a plastic zip lock bag and tries to convince the frog to jump in the bag.\u00a0 By some miracle, he jumps right in and she is able to take him outside to freedom.\u00a0 How the little guy made it into our completely screened in lodge is still a mystery.<\/p>\n

Tina enjoy Tucan Travel’s Amazon & Incas<\/a> Adventure Tour.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What’s at the top of your bucket list?\u00a0 If you are among the people who voted for the New 7 Wonders of the World, there is a 1 in 7 chance you would say Machu Picchu.\u00a0 It was certainly near the top of mine, and enough of a motivating factor for me to plan a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":54,"featured_media":4925,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[8],"tags":[295,24,13],"yoast_head":"\nThe Amazon Jungle in Peru - Tucan Travel Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tucan.travel\/blog\/2013\/10\/the-amazon-jungle-in-peru\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Amazon Jungle in Peru - Tucan Travel Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"What’s at the top of your bucket list?\u00a0 If you are among the people who voted for the New 7 Wonders of the World, there is a 1 in 7 chance you would say Machu Picchu.\u00a0 It was certainly near the top of mine, and enough of a motivating factor for me to plan a […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.tucan.travel\/blog\/2013\/10\/the-amazon-jungle-in-peru\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Tucan Travel Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/en-gb.facebook.com\/tucantraveladventures\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2013-10-21T09:52:16+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2019-11-21T16:54:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.tucan.travel\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/IMG_3070.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"450\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"300\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@tucantravel\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@tucantravel\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\">\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Tina Donnarummo\">\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Estimated reading time\">\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"8 minutes\">\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.tucan.travel\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.tucan.travel\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Tucan Travel Blog\",\"description\":\"Inspiration, Information & Experiences\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":\"https:\/\/www.tucan.travel\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\",\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.tucan.travel\/blog\/2013\/10\/the-amazon-jungle-in-peru\/#primaryimage\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.tucan.travel\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/IMG_3070.jpg\",\"width\":450,\"height\":300},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.tucan.travel\/blog\/2013\/10\/the-amazon-jungle-in-peru\/#webpage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.tucan.travel\/blog\/2013\/10\/the-amazon-jungle-in-peru\/\",\"name\":\"The Amazon Jungle in Peru - 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