LOCATION: Interkerra Lodge, on the banks of Mardre de Dios River
Well, think we can officially declare ourselves Amazons! What a day. Three hours in the treetops to start the day. Second excursion was 6 km hike - with the last 3 km in the darkness of the jungle, following torch light balanced on a rickety boardwalk. Think I am at last glad they haven’t seen a jaguar here since 2014! Would have been a bit of a scramble if one had popped up on the walkway.
The good news was that @Gus had changed the order of excursions - if we had joined @Gloria, it would have been a 5 am start. Because it is Holy Friday here, means there are lots of locals visiting the places we are heading to and @Gus determined we would be better to visit the lake in the afternoon.
Our newly scheduled 7 am breakfast was easily manageable and as always, welcomed to the restaurant by @Alejandro.
It was full kit this morning - we were following instructions - with the addition of lodge provided gum boots and they were needed on the muddy tramp through the jungle. Glad to be wearing long sleeves and trousers because the prickles, thorns and branches grabbed you along the way.
Everyone in our group of 10 allocated to @Gus presented eager with the anticipation of seeing the wildlife billed on the itinerary.
But @Gus acknowledged this morning it is not really the time of year to sight the animals. Oh dear!
That quickly changed collectively to “oh well” and we have determined to just enjoy the experience.
@Gus made it an absorbing and interesting hike, with lots of stops to talk about the vegetation and the changing levels of the Madre de Adios River. We did get to see the endless march of the leaf cutter ants and their nest of 8 million and tried hard not to step on them. Added numerous bird sightings, (@Gus named them and @Lloyd was quick to share the binoculars) army ants and dozens of floor foraging Augoti (the look like a small capybara) and heard so many animal sounds which @Gus identified and then mimicked trying to help us determine the difference between the calls. @Deb was our ground crew and in the quiet was treated to a range of lizard sightings.
Have to have a little dig here about “quiet.” Not sure we were even in the running to take any wildlife by surprise. Our group included a lady from Texas (@Stella) and her Colombian husband (@Henderson.) They were LOUD. Louder than LOUD. And found a fellow LOUD yapper in @Pria, the matriarch of the family of four, of Indian heritage. Thank goodness @Gus was experienced enough to tell them to keep their voices down and at one stage, as we were climbing the canopy told them, “You will have to stop talking if we want to see something.” On the plus side, they were kind and interesting - just inappropriately LOUD and I have to say piercing! In fact my memory jolt was @StridentStella and @ParrotingPria.@Deb could hear us coming from 6 suspension bridges away!
Has a silver lining though, if we get lost in the jungle we can find our way back to their voices.
The ultimate goal (for some) was to climb the 41 metre tower which takes you high above the canopy for sweeping views of Tombopata National Reserve. At the 25 metre mark there was a platform that provided access to the maze of 6 suspension bridges that criss cross the treetops. They were a fragile swinging affair, that had a roped and netted side wall which was handy to steady the crossing and lots of stepping boards in various states of disrepair. Much better not to think about it and just take one step at a time to the other side! @Deb gave it a thought or two and decided the trek up was enough, there was no need to see NO animals from a dizzying height!
It was a slow creep along the top because only a single person was permitted on each bridge at any one time! When you reach the last bridge, there is a cabana perched in the treetops - and for an additional $1000 US a night you can enjoy dinner, a sleepover and then breakfast in the treetops… um, not for us.
The reverse journey had us dripping! Another race to the showers followed this time by a very welcome siesta in the hammock of the cabana. There was actually a breeze off the river today - not sure if the cabanas behind us are enjoying the same luxury when the fans are off!
This was a two hour do nothing break - and reprts indicate it included a kip for everyone.
Lunch and yep, kit up for the 2 pm departure - this time with the addition of a torch and some money. We only just made the time call, lunch service took so long today!
Most excursions involve access by the river - 20 minutes if heading down stream, 30 minutes of upstream . Always a little ride to get there.
Welcome to the boardwalk - took dome pics of what you "could " see
The itinerary says “visit Tambopata National Reserve to observe the giant otters, the howler monkeys and caimans.” Hmmm, not quite but you get to look at he places where they may have been “once.” “Lloyd commented he’d “walk to Burke if we see anything.” Well, he needs to start walking because on this side of he river (under the protection of national park status)/we did get a bit of entertainment. Everything is so fast, very difficult to capture a picture. Saw three different types of monkey - very red and noisy Howler, the ubiquitous cappucine and the squirrel monkey so cute and so fast in packs of 80 to 100. Witnessed and heard the mawcaws in flight (bright yellow under wings with a distinctive screech), spotted a solitary tortoise perched on a branch in the tanin stained waters of the lake and saw a tarantula in a web. Definitely dodged the bullet ants (saw them and know to avoid) and their ferocious sting and again followed the busy leaf cutter ants.
Sadly, no sighting of the billed giant river otter, but we did see a statue of one. 😂😂😂
This was four and a half hours … a 30 minute ride in our usual motorised long boat to get to the head of the trail and easily an hour to walk to the lake. And, yes, predictably the sole came completely off my right shoe aided by the uneven pathway constantly nipping at the already unglued toe section. With a combination of hair tie and tape from the medicinal belt, @Gus fashioned a solution to get me by (glad he has 14 years of guide experience - wouldn’t be the first time one of his guests has thrown a shoe) - with lots of input and suggestions from @Pria and @Stella.
The end goal was to reach a paddle boat. Boarded and gently rowed around the edge of the lake for an hour with passengers taking turns at the oar to propel us to various vantage points. @Gus pulled out a bag of fruit for us to enjoy while the antics of the leaping, chirping acrobatic squirrel monkeys provided entertainment.
Hmmm, glad we were caged in the boat for just an hour - yap, yap yap - and nothing about the moment we were trying to be in! Guess the middle of the lake, in the middle of the Amazon Basin is as good a place as any to learn the life story of an insurance broker and a mother of a senior graduating and attending Chicago university. There was a gentle little “ssshhhhhh” building from the pointy end of the boat …. at regular intervals.
Now put it all in reverse, a 3 km hike at speed by flash light along the boardwalk, hampered slightly by failing footwear. It really was only a one person path, but @Mac did the traverse on the edge (slipped twice) so he could pull me along. Think I did a 5 year PB for the 3 km - we had “map my run” on so will be able to check if and when my phone restores again. It has stopped working again - think putting it in the waterproof case creates its own little humidifier.
Definitely know that we were barreling along. We were first off the boat and with light fading quickly @Gus asked us to take off and start walking - that he would catch us. Using @StridentStella and@ParrotingPria as motivation we kept them out of earshot. If we could hear them, we knew they were catching us and we upped the ante- risking life and limb to save the earth drums.
No mean feat and definitely earned us our Amazon badges. Pitch black. Lots of jungle sounds. Only one 20 metre stretch with a hand railing (you couldn’t use at night because of the risk of a bite from a bullet ant) on a raised uneven platform that had irregular gaps, broken and rotting boards and we couldn’t see more than five boards ahead. Chalk that one up as an “experience.” And believe it or not, we were not the last group, we had noted three other boats still on the lake as we were leaving.
At the end of the trail there was a shop that sold cold drinks and ice blocks. We fell on them and devoured in a dripping mess - bodies and melting ice blocks - and were very thankful they had change!
Back in the motorised boat for the return journey - not sure how @Sam sees the waterway and the floating logs in the river (maybe it is literally one of those things he can do with his eyes closed) but didn’t seem to be a problem.
Back to the shower - cold by choice, dressed and off to dinner. Pisco Sours on the menu - and as always three courses on offer.
I was done for at 9.30 and opted for the quiet cover of the canopy bed (I even turned the fan off to enjoy some quiet) and @Mac took up a position in the Meeting House to access the internet. No idea of his return time but no doubt tied to the cycle of access to power from the generator.
PS Getting a little frustrated with the phone. Each time I put it in the waterproof case to protect it from the water, it seems to absorb moisture and it shuts down. Grrrh. Definitely in a loop of “wet phone” warnings.
PPS Need shoes …. a problem for the future
Can you believe this?
Interesting facts about The Bullet Ant Sting from Co-Pilot
Pain and Description
The sting of the bullet ant is considered the most painful insect sting on Earth. Described as intense, throbbing, and almost paralyzing, it ranks at the top of the Schmidt Sting Pain Index.
Bullet Ant Bite vs. Sting
“Bite” is often used colloquially, but the pain comes from the sting, not the bite.
The ant uses its strong mandibles to hold onto the skin before stinging.
The sting injects a venom known as poneratoxin, a neurotoxic peptide.
Symptoms of a Sting
Immediate, searing pain lasting 12 to 24 hours.
Swelling, redness, and potential muscle spasms.
In rare cases, victims report nausea, vomiting, and disorientation.
Can a Bullet Ant Kill You?
While a bullet ant sting is excruciating, it is not typically fatal to humans. However, multiple stings or an allergic reaction could require medical attention. No recorded deaths have been directly attributed to bullet ant stings.
Survival Barometer
Steps 16 803
Weather hit and humid
Health all hanging in there - foot weary and sticky hot
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