Sunrise to Sunset, Lake and River

We had to get an early start today because it was going to be even warmer than the previous days—probably around 95 and very humid as usual. There’s no wi-fi or cell reception at the lodge, so we’re not sure about the temperature, but we are sure it’s uncomfortable! However, the bugs haven’t been bothersome.

Before 5:30 am we were in the lodge boat with Alejandro heading upriver to the Tambopata National Reserve. The sunrise was spectacular and the full moon was setting in the sky across the horizon.

There is a boardwalk path of about 2 miles to get to Lake Sandoval, where we hoped to see giant river otters from our canoe. The lake was formed when an oxbow from the Madre de Dios river closed it in.

Along the shaded, but not really cool walkway, we saw lots of leaf-cutter ants at work. We were told that they bring the leaf pieces back to their nests to do a little farming. They chew up the leaves, spit them out, and wait for a fungus to grow as a food source.

Once in the heavy wooden canoe (with massive, heavy paddles!) we paddled down a canal to the river. We saw lots of interesting birds, as well as turtles, but no giant otters.

For our last activity, we were taken upriver in the motorboat, then we launched off in a rubber raft to float downriver at sunset. It was a bit cooler by then, and a peaceful way to spend our last day in the Amazon.Read more