La Selva, Puerto Maldonado

On sunday I left for Puerto Maldonado, near the Bolivian border, with the flight of 10:50. Puerto Maldonado is a small town in the middle of the jungle (la selva). I will stay for 4 days in a jungle lodge, Eco-Amazonia. From the airport we went first by bus, later by boat to the lodge, about 1,5 hour downstream the wide Rio Madre de Dios. The boat is a big canoe with a 16 hp motor that makes a lot of noise and sounds like peke-peke, so that is also the name of these type of boats. The lodge is beautiful in the middle of 10000 ha of protected rain forest at the border of the river. I slept in a good bungalow. The shower was cold, but that is perfect with temperatures between 30 and 40 degrees C.

Everyday activities were organised by the lodge. Going by boats, canoes or hiking in the jungle. Looking at this excelent and beautiful nature, listening to the noises of all kind of animals, looking at butterflies, birds, monkeys, spiders (tarantulas, as big as a men's fist), frogs, Caimans, turtles, fishes, ants etc. And an incredible lot of mosquitos in the jungle, not at the lodge. Admiring all kinds of flowers, bushes and trees, some of them 500 years old. It is awful to know that these magnificent giants are the victim of greed of mankind. A crime!!!! Looking over the roof of the forest from a tree-watchtower, and rowing over rivers and moors. It is almost undescribable how beautiful this nature is. The weather was again perfect, only tonight and this morning it has started raining (a lot). It is supposed to rain already a long time. It was a real adventure, but at the same time very relaxing.

Now I go for Cusco again, and probably tomorrow to Arequipa, by bus.