I wasn’t originally supposed to go on this trip.
But at the very last minute I suddenly realized that I’d be an idiot to go to Peru and NOT see the Amazon.
It was not at all what I expected it to be. It was much more subdued, more powerful, and significantly less scary than it’s made out to be.
These were our rooms, outfitted with mosquito nets that were already “pre-bugged.” And by that I mean they were already covered in little insects.
The bathroom water came out brown and there was only electricity for a few hours in the evening, which forced many of us to shower in the pitch darkness. Although that may have helped with the “not seeing the dirty water” that we were meant to bathe in.
But each of our rooms had a porch and a hammock and so all was right in the end.
Our first order of business was to take a boat over to a little island that was a sort of rehabilitation center for monkeys. We all had to pick out a pair of boots because most of the walk would be through mud. I think maybe 3 or 4 people found boots that actually matched each other.
And so we headed in.
Once our guide got the bananas out, it took all of 3 seconds for the first little guys to appear.
The monkeys eventually got bored with us and headed back on their way so we hiked a little longer and then took the boat back.
When get got back this guy was waiting on our porch to greet us. Although “greet” might be a generous interpretation as he wasn’t the friendliest creature in the world.
After a beautiful Amazon sunset and a questionably brown but much-needed shower we headed to bed.
The next morning we woke up bright and early and set off in our boots on another hike. This one to a lake.
We made our way around the lake and then headed back for dinner.
After eating one of our guides took us on a “night-time nature walk” which mainly consisted of him walking us around the camp we were staying at, in the dark, and randomly shining his flashlight on at least 15 tarantulas that we passed. And occasionally pointing out plants that could kill you. It was a wild ride.
The next morning we ate a yummy breakfast of instant coffee, which became a Peruvian staple for me, and bread with jam.
After breakfast we headed to the river and got back on our little boat which took us to a bus which took us to the airport which took us back to Cusco.
If you’re ever in Peru, make sure to hit the Amazon if you can. Puerto Maldonado will not disappoint.
Thanks for reading!
Hours and Miles 