DAY 8 - THURSDAY
CUSCO to TAMPOPATA LODGE in the rainforest via PUERTO MALDONADO
by bus, plane, bus and boat
5.21am: Hotel Savoy Lobby, Cusco
38 trekkers start their journey back to the UK
5.30am - off they go - 10 of us (plus Kelso and Charlotte) left wondering when we will see them again.
Well actually it was about 4 hours later when we got to Cusco airport to fly to the rainforest as their flight to Lima had been cancelled so they were still there. They got put up in a 5 star hotel in Lima that night and got back to the UK 24 hours later than planned.
8am: the security guards are already on duty outside the banks in Cusco
a political car rally for the local elections
Avenue del Sol at 8am - Hotel Savoy on right of photo
Hotel Savoy
9am: Lady outside Hotel still trying to sell us her paintings as we leave on the bus
12noon: Puerto Maldonado - last minute rainforest shopping at the market
papayas, bananas and sweet potatoes
Madre de Dios river
Puerto Maldonado street scene
2pm: About to board the boat after a one hour bus journey
Heliconia flowers
Boarding the boat
The Libertador Tambopata Lodge boat
Lunch was provided in a basket
Tambopata National Reserve checkpoint for entry
The Lodge cat
A two toed sloth and babies at night (yes I could barely see them either)
...baby tarantula...
...tree frog... (look closely - it's the same colour as the leaves)
and a tree frog from Tracey:
Tree Frog photo © Tracey McGrath, 2006
...a lichen spider...
This was a HUGE tarantula that when provoked with a long twig by our insane Peruvian guide came out of it's burrow and ran madly around our feet.
My photo is not so great on account of being at the far back, being on full telephoto lens, having no torch as mine broke 10 minutes earlier and fighting complete hysteria......
This is Grace's (who is wearing the backpack I have such a great photo of above) photo of it:
Tarantula photo © Grace Parker, 2006
and here are two from Charlotte:
2 above tarantula photos© Charlotte Emler, 2006