atravelynn

I think the flooding explanation is an accurate one for the time I went (Aug 2012). There was still great birdlife and some monkeys. Floods were at 100 year highs months earlier.

Point, shoot, pray, delete. Didn't Julia Roberts star in something like that? Point, shoot, pray, delete is a great sequel and maybe I can star in that one. We'll have to get started on our own line of handbags for a merchandise tie-in.

<GREEN>
<B><I>Aug 13</B></I>
8:00 am departure by vehicle from Cuzco for The Sacred Valley Tour. I asked around about why this valley was sacred and got a somewhat cynical answer: It is so named for marketing purposes. Every valley was actually sacred to the Incas. Marketing or not, it is an interesting and scenic route, including the second most visited site in Peru. A few of my Sacred Valley highlights include:

- Sanctuario Animal de Cochahuasi- A privately run sanctuary in conjunction with Universidad San Ignacio de Loyola in Lima for recovered abused and black market animals.

They have a puma that had spent her life in a drugged induced state so nightclubbers could pet her. She will remain undersized for life. It was nice to see her snoozing contentedly in the morning’s first rays. They are introducing pumas born in captivity back into the wild.

There are two Andean Condors that flap around and with enough room to spread their wings and fly a short ways. A one eyed alpaca was very friendly. A tortoise lumbered around.

In addition to the rescued species leading a better life, I enjoyed meeting a friendly domestic Peruvian Hairless Dog. A fascinating breed and friendly fellow. Worth a stop and a donation. Not stated on the itinerary but Humberto figured I’d enjoy it and he was right.

- Awanakancha-The entire life cycle of the beautiful traditional Peruvian textiles can be found here, from roaming, wool-producing llamas and alpacas that are eager to be hand fed, to a fascinating wool dying demo, to weavers creating textile art, to samples of the various types weaves, to the finished product for sale.

- Sharp-eyed Humberto spotted a couple of wild Chinchillas sunning on a distant rooftop and I got some shots before they scampered off. A nice surprise.

- Urubamba River aka Vilcanota River aka Wilcamayu River. It flows past Machu Picchu.

- Pisac—the Official Start of the Sacred Valley boasts a huge, colorful market place. Arrival at 10:30 am.

- Lunch at the picturesque Sonesta Posada del Inca Yucay Hotel at 11:30 am. We chose a spot outside under an umbrella. Mmm. Mmm. Nice grounds for stretching your legs.

- Not specifically mentioned on the official itinerary, but a favorite of my whole day was a stop to observe beer making, do some sampling, and play a traditional Cuzco drinking game.

This visit was a wonderful mix of culture, art, ingenuity, and humor. Such accolades for beer and enthusiasm for a drinking game in the presence of these world renowned historical sites indicate I probably should have just worn a cheesehead throughout the whole Sacred Valley tour. But I found the entire brewing process to be fascinating, the strawberry beer to be tasty, and the traditional golden frog and desk drawer drinking game to be very clever.

Drawing on skills acquired during his days of misspent youth, Humberto exhibited mastery of the drinking game by tossing gold coins at an open-mouthed gold frog, perched on a small desk. The goal is to throw the coin into the frog’s mouth or have it fall into one of the many drawers for points. The ultimate objective is to score the most points to win free beer from your drinking buddies.

I even snapped one of my favorite photos here—multi-colored corn before it became beer. As a bonus, there was guinea pig barn.

- Ollantaytambo, the second most visited site in Peru, and a charming town as well, it is usually considered the end of the Sacred Valley. Arrival at 2 pm. Spent about 2 hours climbing and exploring the massive structure with Humberto.

Arrival at 4 pm to the impressive Pakaritampu Hotel with its expansive gardens and lawn. A group of birders staying there was going nuts with all the avian activity on the grounds and they shared some of their excitement/sightings with me. <I>(bird list at end of report)</I>

One of the most interesting sights in the town of Ollantaytambo were water channels created by the Incas, still in use today. The walk from Pakaritampu Hotel to the water channels and main square was about 10 minutes on narrow cobblestone and gravel paths, very safe with lots of visitors around even at night.

Humberto suggested dinner at the Blue Puppy, also a 10-minute walk from the hotel. The famous Peruvian dish Lomos Saltadis came in several versions, including falafel, a tasty way to cap off the Sacred Valley. During dinner Humberto and I discussed the race for guides and porters to Machu Picchu along the same Inca Trail that visitors spend 4 days hiking. The winning time was about 4 hours. A decade ago Humberto clocked in at 6 hours. Not bad!

atravelynn

<GREEN>
<B><I>Aug 14</B></I>
At 6 am Humberto and I and my luggage left Pakaritampu and took a mototaxi to the Ollantaytambo train station about 3 minutes away, which could easily be walked. Boarded the 7:05 am Vistadome train, about $15 USD more than regular train, and worth it IMO for a first time round-trip visit.

Nice little breakfast served on board. Beautiful route along the Vilcanota river, have your camera ready. Humberto pointed out an original Incan bridge, still used today, but with fortifications. He pointed out some Torrent Ducks and I saw two White-capped Dippers. Arrived 8:30 am in Aguas Calientes (6,700 ft) and de-trained.

Met a porter from my Aguas Calientes hotel, El Mapi, and handed over everything, except what I was carrying with me to Machu Picchu, a tad disconcerting to me, but the typical procedure.

Crossed the street to where the Machu Picchu shuttle buses run continuously with no more than five minutes between buses, no scheduled departures. Thirty minute bus ride to the top.

I made a final ladies room stop outside the Machu Picchu entrance, at a cost 1 sol, exact change appreciated, (no loos after entering) and joined Humberto in the line. We entered the gate and walked a few hundred yards. About 9:45 am, had my first views of Machu Picchu!

We descended to explore the buildings, walkways, plazas, and rooms during our morning together. No guidebook could have offered the personalized expertise and enthusiasm of Humberto in his knowledge of culture and architecture.

Humberto made sure I knew the path to the Sun Gate and Inca Bridge, pointing out which way to go in preparation of the next day on my own.

We had a buffet lunch at the Sanctuary Lodge, which was very good quality, but the chaotic and deafening atmosphere posed a challenge to diners as well as to a determined group of talented musicians performing in front of the hot dog rotisserie.

The lunch was part of my package and it made sense to stop midday for a hearty meal. But I noted a far calmer, less crowded café across the way that might be a better bet, as well as less expensive. As a former high school cafeteria monitor, I have a high threshold for “chaotic and deafening,” but this definitely was.

A sad farewell to Humberto about 2:00 pm. My independent exploration of Machu Picchu commenced.

I devoted the afternoon to trying to find the herd of 13 resident llamas in attractive poses in front of ruins, terraces, or mountains. The llamas were not shy about claiming the right of way on the cobblestone paths, pushing past visitors. Some enjoyed attention and petting. I watched one steal a banana from an unsuspecting visitor.

At 4:15 pm I was all Machu Picchu-ed out for the day and took the 30-minute bus back down to Aguas Calientes, then walked 10 minutes through the main plaza to El Mapi Hotel to check in and grab my belongings that had been handed off when the train had arrived in Aguas Calientes.

Inkaterra’s El Mapi,“designed to cater to budget-minded travelers,” and to be ecologically friendly, opened 1 April 2012. It was about $200/night less than Inkaterra’s Pueblo Hotel. I thought El Mapi was very fancy and extremely nice, serving delicious, several-course meals and a complimentary welcome Pisco Sour or lemonade at the classy bar.

It has hot springs on the premises, and terrycloth robes for “spring wear.” (I passed on each). Though described as budget, the cost is a couple hundred US dollars.

El Mapi is even more conveniently located for the bus and the train station than its well-known sister hotel, Inkaterra Pueblo, and there’s less uphill walking required.

Another bonus is that El Mapi guests are invited to ascend several blocks to visit the Pueblo Hotel and enjoy the vast gardens, orchids, and jungle riverfront, which attract hummingbirds and other species. So El Mapi guests don’t miss out on these magnificent grounds, they’re just not out your door.

atravelynn

<green>
<B><I>Aug 15</B></I>
El Mapi starts serving a breakfast buffet at 4:00 am. I ate, and at 5:00 am handed off my luggage to the front desk to be stored and then transferred to the train station 30 minutes before my afternoon departure train, where I’d retrieve my things once again.

The streets were well lit on the way to the bus, no flashlight needed. I was in the bus line at 5:10 am. There were hundreds of people ahead of me. I made it onto the 3rd or 4th bus that morning. No waiting in between buses; it was one after the next at that early hour. Entered the Machu Picchu gate at 6:15 am. The sun appeared about 8:00 am after the heavy cloud cover disappeared.

I traded the pursuit of llamas for the Sun Gate and Inca Bridge, each marked on the pathways, and there are numerous English speaking guides to help with directions.

At 11:15 am I said adios to Machu Picchu and took the bus back to Aguas Calientes to search out the calienta agua that is known for. At the end of the steep hill that is the main street, probably 6 blocks, are the hot springs. Several people were relaxing in various little pools but I just looked.

Back down to the grounds of Inkaterra’s Pueblo Hotel (sister hotel of El Mapi), where I sat and watched hummingbirds, found one orchid (not orchid season in Aug) and walked along the river for what seemed like a mile, admiring the plant life.

Lots of red Kantuta blooms, the national flower of Peru. I paid the colorful markets at the train station a visit and took pictures.

At 3:40 the luggage was transferred from the El Mapi Hotel to the train station and then attended by an El Mapi staff member for 30 minutes before the 4:22 pm train. I retrieved my bag and boarded the Vistadome train to Poroy, the nearest stop to Cuzco.

A nice little dinner on the train was followed by costumed porters dancing to drums, plus a fashion show of really beautiful and exquisite alpaca clothing for sale. Many sales were made. A very fun and festive ride; then it got dark and most of us were out, drained from our active day.

Poroy is the final stop—the Cuzco stop—at 8:00 pm where Irwin and José-Luis were there to transfer me back to Casa Andina Koricancha Hotel.

I talked to numerous people whose MP visits took a variety of forms: mid-morning arrival, pre-sunrise arrival, just one afternoon, a single full day visit, two days with one day climbing one of the peaks, one day primarily devoted to climbing a peak—no matter what, everybody was happy with their visit.

atravelynn

<blue><b>IN THE JUNGLE, ON THE RIVER, AT THE LAKE, TO THE CLAY LICK--TAMBOPATA</b>

<B><I>Aug 16</B></I>
Fly LAN 7:40 am-8:35 am Cuzco-Puerto Maldonado with breakfast. One hour delay due to weather. Airport ground transfer to Inkaterra’s office to organize bags, drop off big items, change clothes, and sip an exceptionally refreshing welcome drink. Then a 30-minute boat transfer on the Madre de Dios River to Reserva Amazonica Lodge for our escorted canopy walk, arriving 11:00 am.

This canopy walk is not normally part of the itinerary and even mixes and matches the companies Inkaterra and InkaNatura. Mine was an odd situation due to incorrect flights booked by other guests that resulted in three of us getting to do this walk.

Even without odd things by other people, you could schedule one night at Reserva Amazonica Lodge where Mick Jagger once rented out the whole place for his family. It is right on the way to Heath River Wildlife Center. If you had a whole day, you could do the canopy walk at prime time--early morning and/or late afternoon. There is plenty to enjoy on the grounds too, such as agoutis (attractive rodents) and bird life, or take a boat trip.

I was pleased when this canopy walk got added unexpectedly through the help of Green Tracks just weeks before departure because, despite all the cool things in my trip, it had lacked a canopy walk.

Elzabet, the Reserva naturalist, guided us on our trail/canopy walk, from 11:20 am-12:40 pm. After some Russet-backed Oropendulas on their nests, we encountered five busy Saddleback Tamarins at close range.

We climbed up numerous flights of wooden stairs with railings to reach the rope bridge walkways. Proceeding one at a time on the swaying rope bridges, we traversed all seven of them. There was a little bounciness, but nothing scary. We saw one lizard and a Squirrel Cuckoo in the canopy. Not much going on midday, but the canopy walk was interesting and fun.

Back on solid ground, we saw a White-fronted Toucan and watched some agoutis that hung around the Brazil nut cracking station. Great views of these normally shy rodents!

After lunch, it was time to leave Reserva Amazonica and board IncaNatura’s motorized dugout canoe with the other guests, who had just arrived from the airport, and continue 4.5 hours on the river trip to Heath River Wildlife Center.

We met Oscar, our InkaNatura guide, one of the finest guides/naturalists I’ve had anywhere. Skimmers were out and about early in the trip on the Madre de Dios River. No need to look for pink dolphins, as none reside in the rivers in this part of Peru.

There was a Bolivian border stop that two of us also used as a bathroom stop. Passport stamping was optional. No visas required. HRWC is actually in Bolivia.

After about 2.5 hours, we turned onto Heath River. When it got dark, Oscar and a crew member spotlighted a few caiman and two families of capybaras darting from the bank into the thicket.

We arrived at Heath River Wildlife Center about 7:15 pm. No electricity in the rooms, just candles. Lighters are used, not matches, so I needed lighter lessons. I had never “flicked a Bic” before. (Remember that ad?) Such a sheltered life.

Another lesson to be learned is to keep all luggage zipped to deter insects from taking refuge inside. Even unzipped bumbags/fanny packs/ditty bags/waist bags were inviting to cucaracha residents who had inhabited the general region long before touristas came calling. I was fortunate to have a small room-toad who enjoyed basking in candle light. S/he liked to be talked to but tolerated no physical contact.

Mosquito netting over the bed offered a formidable barrier between any and all the jungle inhabitants and us human visitors.

atravelynn

<blue><B><I>Aug 17</B></I>
Our first outing was the big attraction of Heath—the macaw and parrot clay lick. Depart lodge 5:40 am, 10-minute motorized dugout canoe trip, arrive at hide/blind at 5:55 am to find several parrots and one pair of Red and Green Macaws on the trees above the clay lick. Then wait. There is a western toilet behind a closed door in the hide/blind to make the wait more comfortable.

7:00 am in come the parrots! Amazon Mealy, Yellow crowned, Blue headed, and Chestnut Fronted Macaws. 7:12 all parrots fly off. Whoosh! Next round is the Peach-fronted parrots, but they sneak into the bushy parts of the bluff and are not easily viewed.

At 7:30 am a dozen or so Red and Green Macaws alight in the trees along the bank. At 8:03 the macaws all take to the clay cliffs. For 11 minutes they put on a tremendous bird show, and then they all fly off at 8:14, leaving the clay lick barren. But what a show it was! There were seven guests in the hide/blind and we all were thrilled with our morning. Back to the lodge for breakfast.

10:00-11:30 am was a jungle walk for 5 participants. A Bluish-fronted Jacamar was the highlight. <i>(bird list at end of report)</i>

3:30-7:15 pm Took the motorized canoe, walked in the jungle, then took a paddle canoe for a beautiful and peaceful river excursion, seeing Tiger Herons, a Cocoi Heron, Donacobius, and Gray Brocket Deer.

At night we walked back through the jungle to find rain frogs and spiders.

8:45-10:15 pm Night walk with 4 participants to a small clay lick pit. A tapir was enjoying the muddy clay when we arrived and remained undisturbed for 30 minutes of quiet viewing. A record viewing time for Oscar! And of course for us. Photos taken when the spotlight was not right on the tapir turned out best for me.

atravelynn

<blue><B><I>Aug 18</B></I>
It was only me going to the clay lick on Morning #2. Boat Captain Jesus took me while the other guests all went to climb the tower. If there had been a Harpy Eagle nest in view from the tower, I might have climbed too. There was not. I asked.

Unlike the Reserva Amazonica canopy walk, that was not scary and most anyone could do it, the tower was more challenging. It was straight up and climbers wore a safety harness. Good arm strength as well as leg strength was needed (per the climbers’ accounts) to get to the top. I talked with a retired couple that arrived the day before I left that had come to HRWC primarily to do the tower climb.

The second parrot and macaw clay lick with the whole hide/blind for just Captain Jesus and me went like this:

5:58-6:20 The first round of parrots plus the Chestnut-fronted Macaws flew in, appearing only minutes after our arrival. Something spooked them briefly, but they all returned at 6:22 and stayed until 6:35.

Motion in the thicker brush was the result of the sneaky Peach Fronted Parrots and a few birds were visible.

Not a single macaw in sight until 8:05. Then a few started to fly into the tree tops, and many more followed. At 8:20 and then again 8:35 two motorized canoes with fishermen came by, which frightened the macaws off of their trees, but they came back and at 8:40 the first macaws were on the clay banks.

They stayed until 8:50 and then scattered, only to do a loop and immediately return, remaining until 9:00 am. Then in a flash they flew off.

When counting, we came up with about 100 parrots and 60 macaws. Even if you don’t really care for birds, this is a colorful spectacle! Truly a unique world class phenomena!

The bird behavior these two days differed slightly but was typical of what to expect. They could be counted on to arrive in the morning during the dry months, about June-Oct, barring storms or lurking predators. Once they leave en masse (and don’t just loop around) the flocks do not return again later in the day.

In the wet months, the birds are less predictable and might arrive in a flock or as individuals anytime between morning and afternoon.

I asked why the birds came to the same spot all the time when there were many open, unobstructed clay cliffs in the area. The answer was that these are social creatures that like to congregate so picking the same place means they’ll all be together.

It is the same reason the birds still come to the clay lick in the wet season when the toxin removal qualities of the clay are not a necessity because there is a greater variety of non-toxic fruit for the birds. They just like to get together at a common, well-known spot.

If you did a private trip on your own schedule, you stay longer and have more visits to the clay lick. It would be fascinating to watch a week’s worth of flocks on the clay lick.

10:00 – 11:30 am walk for 5 participants produced a nice view of a Howler and a sounder of White Lipped Peccaries crossing our path. Oscar explained that peccaries are a good indication of a pristine habitat because when people are around they hunt and kill the tasty peccaries, reducing their numbers and making the peccaries fearful of being anywhere near human scent or activity.

3:30 – 7:15 pm - about a 2.5 mile walk out of the jungle and into the savanna-like pampas and up into a tree house to watch the Blue and Gold Macaws return to their roosts for the night. Then a 2.5 mile night jungle walk back. We saw Squirrel Monkeys and a distant Spider Monkey (our only one) and flushed several Wild Turkeys.

The butterflies sunning themselves on the river banks in front of the lodge were captivating and competed for my time lounging in the hammocks. The grounds, atmosphere, comfortable tents & main lodge, good food, and attentive staff made Heath River Wildlife Center an outstanding jungle retreat.

atravelynn

<blue><B><I>Aug 19</B></I>
A very early 5:20 am departure, which is typical. When it became light, some Skimmers were visible. At 10:50 am we arrived at Sandoval Lake.

We were now down to 3 participants, and we began the 2-mile, hike to the lodge. We spotted a White-necked Jacobin Hummingbird enroute. Boarded a paddle canoe for the 45 minute trip on the lake to the lodge and docked at 12:30 pm, where we were greeted by the ever present and every changing arrangement of Sidenecked Turtles sunning on a nearby log.

4:30 -7:30 pm paddle canoe for 3 participants-First Hoatzin sightings of many. I always wanted to see one and Sandoval Lake is Hoatzin Central! One Capuchin monkey and many Squirrel Monkeys. Black Caiman heads spotlighted in the dark made for ominous photos.

<u>The Hoatzin</u>
This odd bird is the sole member of its Order: Opisthocomiformes, Family: Opisthocomidae, Genus: Opisthocomus, and Species: Hoatzin. It has more than one stomach, vaguely similar to a cow. It stinks with reptilian odor. It lives near water, but is not a water bird. The chicks have two claws on the end of their wings, probably to assist in gripping branches. They make grunting and growling sounds. Despite their many quirks and oddities, Hoatzins are attractive and have found success in their niche. Kinda like Tom Cruise.

atravelynn

<blue><B><I>Aug 20</B></I>
5:30 - 7:15 am On our canoe trip the 3 of us saw Squirrel Monkeys, Red Squirrels, and Caiman.

10:00-11:00 am walk-And then there was one, just me. The other couple departed after one night, which is an option. Oscar found me Night Monkeys high in the canopy, visible only by their white eyelids. Oscar snapped a photo to help me locate them. They were that obscure and Oscar was that good.


4:30 - 6:45 pm Oscar paddled us to a tower along the shoreline that we climbed for better views of a troop of Squirrel Monkeys quickly passing by in the trees.

After dark we sought out some tarantulas—the Chicken (Eating) Tarantula and the Pink Toed Tarantula. Tarantulas were scarce because it was mating season and the males were on the prowl for females or perhaps dead from fighting their rivals.

<blue><B><I>Aug 21</B></I>
5:30 – 7:40 am Oscar and I joined another group and canoed across the lake. On foot we looked for Blue and Gold Macaws perched on palm trees in the morning light. We found about 10 and a howler.

Our return to the lodge was a 45 minute walk where we spied a Titi Monkey, the seventh monkey species seen this trip. A family of Scarlet Macaws in a distant tree was our last sighting.

9:00 am canoe departure, followed by the 2-mile walk to the motorized canoe, a 30 minute river trip, then a transport van to InkaNatura’s office. The big sign in front of the office had several Giant Otters on it, which only added insult to the injury of the Giant Otter statue on the night in my Sandoval Lodge room, and Giant Otter drink coasters in the dining lounge--all constant reminders that Giant Otters are a frequent enough sighting at Sandoval to merit mascot status. But they had disappeared during my Sandoval stay.

Wilburt, the Sandoval Lodge bartender, has several of his own creations on the drink menu. After a few of his works of art, the hammocks in the lobby are even more inviting. The lodge setup is similar to spacious office cubicles, where the wall between rooms is open at the top. It can get a little loud, but everybody is pooped by 10 pm and in bed. End rooms, where you have only one neighbor are # 9 (near the kitchen, but there’s not a lot of kitchen noise, I had 9) and #1 (even better than 9) & #10 (on the end near the main lobby) and #25 (best).

Even with AWOL otters, Sandoval Lodge and the surroundings were great.

atravelynn

<blue>
<u>Brazil Nut Fact.</u> It takes between 40 to maybe 100+ years for a Brazil Nut tree to mature to the point of producing nuts. That’s too long for Brazil Nuts grown on a plantation to turn a profit. So the only place to get Brazil Nuts is if the Brazil Nut tree is left to grow in the jungle.

atravelynn

<white>..............................<chocolate><b >THE METAMORPHOSIS OF CANOPY GIRL</b>
Watching the change in demeanor of those aboard the Ayapua as the trip progressed was intriguing. The tension, stress, and insomnia melted away as we left civilization behind and headed upriver. But nobody on the boat transformed to the degree of Canopy Girl, a fellow traveler to Heath River.

I first encountered this very pretty young lady and her fiancé at the Inkaterra Office, prior to our Heath River adventure. In our get acquainted conversation she stated that she was on her first trip and that she had found Machu Picchu to be ok, but had preferred the pre-departure Atlanta airport hotel. She was thrilled, though, with the 5-star Miraflores Hotel in Lima, and with the shopping opportunities.

When I mentioned my main interest in Heath River was the macaws, she asked, “The what?” “Parrots,” I replied, using a more familiar bird name.

Our first activity together was the jungle canopy walk. She wore a smart pair of wool trousers bought at one of the local markets, a spaghetti strap tank top, and sandals. The guides insisted on a footwear change, and that required twenty minutes of searching for luggage and unpacking a pair of tennis shoes.

Finally three of us set off with our guide on the trail to the overhead canopy walkways.

The prospect of bugs or bug bites was a major concern to Canopy Girl, who asked many worst-case scenario questions and engaged in a good deal of swatting imaginary insects, complete with sound effects.

Suddenly we encountered some Saddleback Tamarins. Canopy Girl was captivated and watched them intently until they slipped away into the jungle, all the while slapping at anything that might be crawling up her spaghetti straps.

At last we reached the stairs to the canopy walkway and ascended. After traversing three of the seven bridges, we paused on a platform to look around. Canopy Girl commented on the beauty and peacefulness, and then inquired, “Where is the canopy?” We explained we were in it. “Then WHAT IS the canopy?” she pursued.

Our guide further explained the animal and birdlife found in the treetops. A smile formed on Canopy Girl’s lips, “I thought we were going on a dumb little ride to look at the rooftop of a hut.” That was her concept of “canopy” and it explained her attire. What explained her complete misconception was that her fiancé had done all the planning and booking of the trip. Just weeks before departure, this canopy tour had been added, which Fiancé had mentioned, but without clarification or explanation.

We all had a laugh and now you know how Canopy Girl acquired her name.

Through our walks and boat excursions Canopy Girl was intrigued by the jungle. “It’s magical!” she exclaimed. For better views of the skittish peccaries, she willingly squatted in the dirt to remain hidden from their view. The bird activity at the clay lick delighted her and she correctly distinguished the macaws from the parrots.

She speculated about a return to Peru and wondered how to secure Oscar again for their guide. But before heading into the wilderness again, she vowed to get binoculars and “an expedition shirt like you all have,” referring to the quick-dry, neutral-colored, vented, collared shirts.

Her bed broke down a couple of nights in a row. Kaboom! We could hear it several tents away. No injuries and no harm done. She recounted her mishap the next morning with wit. No Princess and the Pea drama from Canopy Girl.

One night at dinner there was no ice and as a result, some grumbles arose from the table. “What? No White Russians!?” “I think there are some issues here.” That sort of thing.

Canopy Girl squelched the complaints: “I know what the issues are. We are out here in the middle of nowhere. It’s amazing what they are able to feed us, much less provide ice. We’ll survive.” You go, Canopy Girl!

The night of our tapir viewing it had rained a little bit earlier, making the wooden bridge over the tapir clay pit somewhat slippery. As we took leave of the tapir in the dark, one member of our group slipped. He was the tall, lanky, super-fit-mountain-man-guy, who never bragged about his exploits, but it had come out casually in conversation that he regularly took to the Alpine wilderness for hundreds of miles of solo hiking, snow camping, rock climbing, trail blazing, river forging, canyon crossing, buffalo hauling, wolverine wrangling, and similar pursuits.

After he slipped, Mountain Man’s momentum sent him sliding to the edge of the bridge and a 20-foot drop. Canopy Girl, who was walking next to him at the time, sprung into action and was down on all fours, grabbing Mountain Man and hoisting him away from the edge.

I suspect Mountain Man would have regained control of the situation and not plummeted off the bridge, even without help. (For anyone fearing that tapir viewing at Hearth River is life threatening or that this is an inherently dangerous place, that’s not the case by any means. It was just an unpredictable loss of footing.) Still, I give Canopy Girl credit for completing the final stage of her metamorphosis that night.

For a full-fledged metamorphosis, some adventure, or a chance to experience a rainbow of natural wonders and culture, consider Peru!

atravelynn

<i><b>The Bird List:</b>
Amazon kingfisher
Anhinga
Bank swallow
Bearded Mountaineer
Black caracara
Black crowned night heron
Black fronted nunbird
Black Skimmer
Black tailed tityra
Black tailed trogon
Black vulture
Blue and gold macaw
Blue gray tanager
Blue headed parrot
Bluish fronted Jacamar
Boat billed heron
Brown chested martin
Canary winged parakeet
Capped heron
Chestnut bellied seedeater
Chestnut eared aracari
Chestnut fronted macaw
Cobalt winged parakeet
Collared plover
Common potoo
Crimson crested woodpecker
Cuvier’s Toucan
Donacobius
Dusky capped flycatcher
Dusky headed parakeet
Fork tailed palm swift
Gray breasted martin
Great black hawk
Great egret
Greater ani
Greater kiskadee
Green and white hummingbird
Green back trogon
Green Ibis
Green kingfisher
Hoatzin
Horned screamer
Ladder tailed nightjar
Large billed tern
Lesser kiskadee
Lesser yellow headed vulture
Lettered aracari
Limpkins, which were supposed to be in Brazil
Lineated woodpecker
Little hermit
Masked crimson tanager
Masked tityra
Mealy Amazon parrot
Muscovy duck
Northern jacana
Olivaceous cormorant
Orange winged amazon
Orange winged parrot
Oriole Blackbird
Pauraque
Peach fronted parrot
Pied lapwing
Plumbeous kite
Plumbious antbird
Pygmy kingfisher
Red and Green macaws
Red bellied macaw
Ringed kingfisher
Roadside hawk
Rock pigeon
Rufescent tiger heron
Rufous collared sparrow
Russet backed oropendola
Sand colored red night hawk
Scarlet macaw
Shiny cowbird
Short tailed parrot
Short tailed swift
Silver beaked tanager
Slate colored hawk
Snail kite
Snowy egret
Social flycatcher
Southern martin
Southern rough winged swallow
Spot breasted woodpecker
Striated heron
Swallow wing puffbird
Thickbilled euphonia
Tropical kingbird
Tui parakeet
Turkey vulture
White bellied hummingbird
White eyed parakeet
White fronted jacamar
White necked Jacobin
White necked/cocoi heron
White tailed trogon
White winged swallow
White winged swallow
Wild Turkey
Yellow bellied dacnis
Yellow billed tern
Yellow browed sparrow
Yellow headed caracara
Yellow hooded blackbird
Yellow rumped cacique
Yellow tufted woodpecker
<white>........................................... ..</WHITE><B>THE END

colduphere

I hope this question makes sense. Is the route from Machu Picchu to the Sun Gate the same route as the Sun Gate to Machu Picchu? I don't remember running into anyone coming from Machu Picchu.

I will also google this question.

atravelynn

Yes, same route.

mlgb

Maybe the weather had something to do with that.

colduphere

Could be mlgb. It rained really hard late in the morning.

atravelynn

Could be rain or during an eclipse the Sun Gate route reverts to the opposite, I believe, which means the toilet swirls in reverse.

I'm hoping the above statement makes it into the Fodors Guide to Peru or South America.

shouldbewriting

What a treat, Lynn! You got me to Africa (& onto Fodors, for which I will be forever grateful,) & now we want to go to the Amazon and once again you've blazed the trail!

This report will form the basis of much research and planning as I decide what I can manage; as always many thanks for taking the time and being so thorough. Haven't looked at your pictures yet; I'm sure they're great.

atravelynn

You are most welcome Shouldbewriting! Another great destination awaits you.

Leely2

Lynn, I missed this wonderful report when you first posted, it seems. As usual, it's a doozy. Your sense of humor always shines through--and of course your bird lists are to die for. I'll go to safaritalk to view your pics.

Where to next?

cybor

Lynn,

Woweee. I feel so fortunate to have found this incredibly well done report. I finally have a few miles saved up and am trying to figure out where we can go for our 30th.
Course, I don't want to look at no stinkin birds..... although, you do make it sound very appealing.
Well done.