Titanium toes attempts to trek the Inca Trail plus some travels either side

[bPeteb]

Carlos took us in to the centre of Lima for an afternoon and evening city tour. We visited the catacombs and although interesting, they were a poor cousin of those in Paris. The architecture of the old city centre was much more interesting.





We walked down the main pedestrian street where I managed to get separated from the group. I could see them coming along behind me but they thought I was behind them and sent a couple of search parties back to look for me.





We eventually found each other and I never wandered again!

Carlos sent us to a restaurant across from Park Kennedy. I think most enjoyed their meals. I'll just say the pisco sours were very good.

 

[bPeteb]

Destination today was a jungle lodge in the Peruvian Amazon rainforest.

We flew LAN to Puerto Maldonado via Cusco. The flight was delayed an hour with no explanation. An A320 boarded from the tarmac. The flight over the Andes was quiet spectacular as was the decent, and ascent, in and out of Cusco.





Star Peru 146 just like MattG recently flew on. Taken from the plane during Cusco stopover.



I love a mountain with some snow on it. We saw plenty on this holiday



It was like walking out into a sauna when we arrived at Puerto Maldonado. It had been cool in BA and Lima but was 38 (I think) when we arrived in PM.

 

[bPeteb]

The bus ride to the landing on the river took about an hour. As we were so late we ate the lunch that had been brought to eat on the boat so that we could concentrate on wildlife spotting.

It was a really delicious vegetarian fried rice (we had a vegetarian and a vegan in the group)





The longboat ride to the lodge took two and a half hours.

A boat similar to ours heading up to another lodge.





We spotted a number of cayman (apologies for blurry photo)

 

[bPeteb]

Tortoises with butterflies on their noses





and even a family of capybara





I think everyone was surprised at how nice the lodge was. It was Explorers Inn

 

[bPeteb]

I'm just noticing how blurry all of the photos look. I'm guessing that's the picture resizer app that I'm using that's doing that. I'm a bit embarrassed now looking back through them. Too late now.

 

[bPeteb]

The lodge sits round a 'football' pitch, older buildings with power on one side and a new block with no power but much nicer rooms on the other



In the middle is a 'common' building where the very decent meals were served, a lounge area and most importantly





the bar



where they served a mean mojito, pisco sour, caipirinha, super cold beer, you get my drift

 

[love_the_life]

We stayed at the Inketerra lodge - similar set up with the boat down(up?) the river. Yep, it was humid!
Loving your TR - reliving a great trip and seeing it through another's eyes.

 

[bPeteb]

We were taken on a one hour walk in the dark the first night. One group, the other one of course, saw all sorts of interesting things including a huge tarantula.

We saw interesting plants, a cute frog




a stick insect



and a katydid

 

[bPeteb]

I'd very specifically said to Intrepid that we wanted a double room, not singles. I now it's never guaranteed but we cracked up when we walked into the room at Explorers to find this...



and this, etched into the back of the mirror. The honeymoon suite maybe? So funny.



It was the biggest room by the sounds of things. The screens worked a treat.



We had no mossie net and didn't get a bite. The shower was cold water only. When we first arrived it was very welcome but both mornings were quite cold and the water was too. They should think about investing in some solar hotwater collectors.

Every room also had a hammock out on the verandah.

 

[Deleted member]

Cape Gooseberry / Peruvian ground cherry

 

[ALH]

Great photos. I'm following with interest, as I'm headed to Peru and then Cuba in December. I've opted for the Quarry Trail after much deliberation. Hoping I've made the right decision.

 

[bPeteb]

Great photos. I'm following with interest, as I'm headed to Peru and then Cuba in December. I've opted for the Quarry Trail after much deliberation. Hoping I've made the right decision.

I'm sure you haven't. The two from our group who completed the Quarry Trail loved it. They loved the peace, as in not seeing anyone else, of the walk.

 

[bPeteb]

Very early start for our walk to the oxbow lakes and our canoe paddle. Just on dawn. The aim was to have us at the lake as early as possible then back at the lodge by lunchtime to avoid the heat of the day.



Round trip was 10km. Lots of birds heard and seen on the way to the lake but no larger animals. I kept hearing toucans but didn't see any. Saw a monkey skull left on a log.



We got to the lake not that long after sunrise with mist still sitting across the lake.



We were loaded in to six canoes, lashed together in three catamarans and paddled out onto the peaceful lake.

 

[drron]

Cape Gooseberry / Peruvian ground cherryView attachment 77799

I had an uncle who grew them in Portland,NSW.Always looked forward to picking a few.

 

[bPeteb]

The wildlife was pretty sparse. A couple of macaws in the distance.

Some giant tadpoles



a few hoatzin, a large bird that dates back to prehistoric times.



When we got back to the jetty we ate our breakfast snack packs – fruit, juice and biscuits. When we’d arrived at the lake we’d asked about piranhas and were assured that they were in the lake. This of course had terrified some of the group and interested others. No sign while we were on the water but it was suggested we throw some biscuits in if we wanted to see them. Who knew piranhas loved sweet biscuits? They went crazy.

We were split into two groups for the walk back. We got Ivan this time and within a few minutes he heard monkeys. We saw heaps. A huge group of squirrel monkeys came through the forest and passed straight over us.

 

[bPeteb]

Then some brown capuchins.



Towards the end of the walk we were offered the chance to walk up a tower to look across the canopy. I’m not a fan of heights, especially when it involves rusty towers just bolted together.



I went as far as I was game. The view across the trees wasn’t that great to be honest.



The rest of the afternoon was r&r. Full participation during happy hour. We gave all of the 'two for one' coughtails a go. Another football match at five. We watched.

After dinner we went out on the river to go cayman spotting. We saw quite a few on the banks. Also a couple of egrets and some other birds lit up by the spotlight. The highlight though was the sky. It was spectacular. The boat drifted down the river with the engine off. The funniest moment was when we were all asked to stop talking to just listen and the mobile of the skipper of the boat started ringing.

 

[bPeteb]

Not so early a start as the flight to Cusco was after lunch and the boat ride down stream was much quicker than the one up. Breakfast was delicious – fruit and omelettes.

The steps down to the river landing were super steep with the last few steps across very slippery muddy rocks.



Super-hot on the boat back to the landing but we were well prepared with hats and sunscreen. Some not so much.



Instead of going straight to the airport, after we’d collected our bags, we drove into Puerto Maldonado. There was a parade on in the centre of town, something that would become a recurring theme for nearly everywhere we visited. School bands were parading down the main street, boys in quasi-military outfits followed by marching girls in lots of shiny satin.

 

[bPeteb]

The flight to Cusco was late leaving, as was every LATAM flight that we caught but it was only a short flight and there was nothing planned for Cusco when we arrived.



The view over the rainforest was very sad as we left Puerto Maldonado. There was evidence of lots of strip mining and other large areas of forest cleared, either for palm plantations, grazing, or other farming.





We climbed back up over the Andes and dropped down into Cusco for the second time.

 

[bPeteb]

I was light headed and had a head spin as soon as we walked out of the plane. By the time we were getting on the bus to the hotel I was feeling a bit better. Some of the group struggled quite a bit with the altitude but we were both pretty good most of the time, Al even more so than me.

The Koyllur Hotel was quite a surprise. I’d tried to find reviews of the hotels that we’d stay in on our Intrepid trip and either the hotels I found were on basix trips or they were different and much better on ours. This place was really nice.



After the cold showers at the jungle lodge (it was cold in the mornings and the showers cold as well) everyone was after a warm shower.



Most of also needed laundry doing before we headed off on our Inca Trek. Shower tick. Laundry handed over tick.

 

[bPeteb]

We loved Cusco from the moment we arrived. It has a great feel. The people, the architecture. I was already wishing that we weren't leaving first thing the following morning.