Days 4-5: Puerto Maldonado (Amazon Jungle)

Tuesday 24th to Wednesday 25th September

Tuesday morning began with our alarms ringing at 5:30am. We all met in the hotel lobby and took a bus to Lima airport where we would be taking a flight to Puerto Maldonado in the Amazon Jungle. The only way I can describe the check in hall at Lima was chaotic! I was so grateful to be with others during this flight because I think I would have become quite anxious trying to be in the right line.

Once we had all checked in and dropped our bags, we headed through security with instructions from our leader to be at the departure gate at 8;15am. The 9 of us found our way to a cafe and with our lack of Spanish managed to get ourselves a sandwich and a coffee. I didn’t finish the coffee – probably the first coffee I can remember that I didn’t enjoy. Anyway the half that I did have satisfied the necessary caffeine instalment. I did end up buying a juice and also water which went down a treat. We sat on the floor at our departure gate eating our breakfast as there were no seats available.

We were flying with Latam airlines which I found comfortable and we got us to our destination safely. I think we all slept during the 1.5 hour flight which was a good thing.

Once we landed at Puerto Maldonado airport, we disembarked the plane to be hit with a wall of heat! The heat and humidity was intense to say the least. It was 38 degrees but definitely felt much hotter! Queue red faces and sweating.

The airport in Puerto Maldonado was basically a big shed with a dividing wall for departures and arrivals. There were a couple of ceiling fans on attempting to move some air around the building.

We left the airport and took a mini bus 10 minutes down the road to the lodge office in town. Here was where everyone was given the opportunity to refill their water bottles with clean water from jugs. We were given duffel bags which we were told to pack 3 days and 2 nights worth of clothes plus our essentials. Big bags wouldn’t be able to come as we would be taking the bus out and then a motorised canoe for 2 hours out to our lodge in the jungle. I went to grab a duffel bag but my tour leader told me I didn’t have to repack as my bag was small enough to come! I was really happy about that. She had commented at the airport that I had packed the smallest and lightest bag out of the 9 of us. Our leader who packed lighter than me also could bring her bag.

Once everyone’s lighter bags were reloaded and tied down on top of the mini bus we headed off down a very bumpy and long trip out to the Amazon Jungle.

After about an hour of driving we ran out of road. How do you get to your lodge when the roads run out? Canoe of course!

We walked down to the water and hopped into a big motorised canoe. We were given our typical Amazonian jungle lunch. A rice dish wrapped in a leaf. It was really delicious! I think food must just taste better when wrapped in a giant leaf from the jungle.

We spent the next 2 hours powering along the river heading deeper and deeper into the Amazon Jungle.

The humidity was intense to say the least. After about an hour we weren’t talking anymore. We were looking at the views as we travelled along, sipping water and trying to retain as much energy as possible. Dehydration had well and truly set in.

Despite all this though one thought was playing through my mind – this experience, in that moment was so surreal. We were going so far away from roads, towns, cars, mobile reception and electricity. I had never been so isolated from the everyday world – and how unique and special that felt.

Our lodge was in the Madre de Dios area of the Amazon Jungle. Once we arrived, we walked up the many wooden steps up to where the lodge was. From here we were briefed on the lodge and what to expect. The only building to have electricity was the dining hall and this electricity would be on from 5-10pm where there would be ceiling lights and fans. Apart from these hours the property had no access to electricity. The water was unsafe to drink so there was a water filling station which consisted of 2 big jugs of water. You were free to refill your water bottle as you needed. If you had any snacks in your bag they needed to go into a special container in the main area as animals will find them otherwise. You would have a solar torch light in your room and this would be your source of light at night – but it would only work for a couple of hours so you needed to use it wisely. There’s no hot water so there’s only one tap in the shower – think of it as a refreshing wash!

Mosquito nets above each bed – use them!

We had the rest of the afternoon to take in our new surroundings, apply as much mosquito repellent as we could, try and adjust to the humidity, grab a drink from the bar and enjoy the sights and sounds of this beautiful location.

That evening Frank, our local guide, took us on a night walk to spot a range of animals. What a cool experience that was! We saw tarantulas, snakes, grasshoppers, scorpions, frogs, you name it!

The next morning we were up and having breakfast at 5.30am to leave by 6am for our 12km hike through the jungle. We had to leave super early because of the forecasted heat. It was set to be 38 degrees again and with the humidity who knows what it would feel like. We set off on our journey before the sun had risen over the horizon. What a great yet challenging walk. There were lots of underlying roots, uneven surfaces, sudden steps etc. If you know me, you’ll know I have a lot of motivation to try things, but often doubt how successful I’ll be when it comes to my vision. So you’ll know it means something when I say I’m proud of myself for completing this without falling once! Of course I had a few near trips. I think the 6km there were a bit easier for me because on the way back when the temperatures had skyrocketed and the sun was beating down through the trees; we were all frazzled. My water supply was getting quite low and all of us were suffering with really swollen fingers and hands from the heat. I did struggle to lift my feet or coordinate myself to avoid uneven surfaces because of how sluggish we were by this point. I always caught myself though with every near fall and I was pretty proud of myself.

On the 6km hike to the river we spotted macaws, bullet ants, fire ants, butterflies and my favourite – a sloth! We reached the river a couple of hours later and started rowing down the lake. We saw monkeys, more macaws and butterflies, fish etc. I really enjoyed this and it made the walk so worth it.

Once we arrived back at the lodge we all went for our refreshing showers, had a delicious lunch from our fantastic cooks and relaxed for the rest of the afternoon. This included napping in the hammocks, watching the sunset by the river, drinking a pina colada and a baileys colada, and playing cards with each other.

For your our final night-time excursion, we ventured out in the dark in search of caimans on the Tambopata River. We all hopped into our motorised canoe and set off. We traveled for about 5 minutes till we were far away from the lodge and the only light was from the stars. The motor was turned off and we were told to not speak and to just listen for a few minutes. In the dark you really focus on your hearing and the sounds of the wildlife on the rover and on the land were rich and full of life. It was an amazing few minutes to just take stock of where we were and what was around us. Once the motor was back on we travelled down the river whilst the naturalist guide used a spotlight h to locate the caimans on the banks of the river. We spotted them about 3 different times!

We arrived back at the lodge in time for our dinner with its rich jungle flavours, and headed to bed.

Overall the Amazon jungle was such an incredible experience and exceeded my expectations. I was amazed by the richness of the wildlife and the natural beauty of this place. If you ever get the chance to visit the Amazon Jungle, I highly recommend it. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever experienced!