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The South American Odyssey
  • The Craze for Travelling
  • The Craze for Travelling

The South American Odyssey

A 147-day adventure by The Craze for Travelling Read more
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  • The Craze for TravellingThe South American OdysseyThe Craze for Travelling
    Immigration post Bolivia
    Bolivia-Peru border1In PeruSun setting over Titicaca2Our coach ready to go on

    Kasani border crossing

    November 1, 2017 in Peru ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C

    At around 6:30 pm, we reached the Kasani border post. Everyone had to get off before the border to submit their immigration form on the Bolivian side. After migration and customs checks we entered Peru.
    On the Peru side, we had to fill in the entry form. We got our visa stamped on the passport and then we were off to Puno for a 2 hour stopover before continuing to Cusco.    Read more

  • The Craze for TravellingThe South American OdysseyThe Craze for Travelling
    2

    Amazing sunset at the border

    November 1, 2017 in Peru ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    It was about 7 pm when we continued on in Peru. There were light clouds in the sky and the sun was setting behind the hills bordering lake Titicaca. The reflection of the sunlight in the clouds created a firey sky with some stunning colors. It was truly magical.Read more

  • The Craze for TravellingThe South American OdysseyThe Craze for Travelling
    Puno bus stop
    2A local market closing off

    Puno at night

    November 1, 2017 in Peru ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    The bus reached Puno at about 8 pm (Peruvian time) . There was a stopover for about 2 hours before it would continue to Cusco. There were no restaurants nearby so we decided to walk to the city center to find some food. It was about 2.5 kms from the bus station. On the way, we passed a local market that was closing at this hour. There were some food places but they had meals with only chicken. Eventually, we reached the city center. I decided to have a pizza while Hristo went looking for a SIM card. We both were done by 9:40 pm. With only 20 min to the bus, we decided to take a taxi back. On the way, we stopped to pick some food for Hristo. Eventually, we managed to reach back to the bus just 4-5 min before the departure.
    Then we were off to Cusco.    Read more

  • The Craze for TravellingThe South American OdysseyThe Craze for Travelling

    Reached Cusco

    November 2, 2017 in Peru ⋅ ☀️ 6 °C

    After the overnight journey, we reached Cusco at 5:30 am. Our bus from Cruz del Sur for Porto Maldonado was at 21:00 in the evening. That journey too would be for about 12 hours. The bus station for the Cruz del Sur was about 500 mts from the bus station where we were dropped so we decided to find a place nearby to stay. This would give us some time to recover from the night bus journey and prepare for the night journey again plus we won't have to come back to this area again from the city center.
    We found a place just opposite to the us station. A twin room cost us S/ 50 and we got a set of clean towels, toilet paper and soap.
    After freshening up, we went to sleep. We also charged all our gadgets and powerbanks since we might not have electricity in the amazon area.    Read more

  • The Craze for TravellingThe South American OdysseyThe Craze for Travelling
    The Pachacutec roundabout in Cusco
    Puma shaped map of Cusco

    Pachacutec iconic statue

    November 2, 2017 in Peru ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    Another 100 mts from the graffiti was the iconic roundabout of Cusco with the statue of Pachacutec. Anyone entering or exiting Cusco would have surely seen this statute. Inside the cylindrical base, there is a museum with the history of Pachacutec (the Inca emperor) and his life, rule and wars. We decided to go and have a look.Read more

  • The Craze for TravellingThe South American OdysseyThe Craze for Travelling
    With a jar of Chicha MoradaA mail drop box at the post officeMap of Cusco under the Inca empire

    Lunch & hunt for the ATM

    November 2, 2017 in Peru ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    By now, it was past 5pm and we were quite hungry. We stopped by at a local ceviche center where Hristo had his food while I had a Chicha Morada after almost 5 years. Chicha Morada is a non-alcoholic maize drink made from purple maize with a little bit of lemon. Aaahhh.. Its very refreshing.
    After that, we went to a Chinese restaurant nearby where I had my vegetarian lunch.
    After that, we decided to walk towards the city center to find an atm to withdraw some US dollars to pay the remaining amount of money for the amazon trip.    Read more

  • The Craze for TravellingThe South American OdysseyThe Craze for Travelling
    Quoricancha golden palace
    Main square CuscoCusco Cathedral

    Cusco city center

    November 2, 2017 in Peru ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    The tour package with all the activities and food and stay had been 600 USD per day and we had prepaid 300 USD. So, we needed to withdraw another $ 900 for the rest of the payment. We started searching for an ATM to withdraw the cash from. Some places there was an extra fee, some places there was a limit to what we could withdraw and some places did not have USD.
    By the time we managed to collect the required amount from the various machines, we had almost reached the city center. We decided to have a look at the main square before returning back to the hotel.
    So many memories came back to both Hristo and me from our previous trips. Its an extremely beautiful plaza with some amazing colonial era buildings around.    Read more

  • The Craze for TravellingThe South American OdysseyThe Craze for Travelling

    Traveling in Style

    November 2, 2017 in Peru ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    We were at the Cruz del Sur stop by about 8:30pm. The bus came in about 10 min. The buses from Cruz del Sur are pretty luxurious with lovely interior, big comfortable reclining seats with a personal entertainment system.
    The bus left the terminal at 9 pm and was supposed to reach Porto Maldonado in the amazonas by around 7 am.    Read more

  • The Craze for TravellingThe South American OdysseyThe Craze for Travelling
    Auto cycles outside Porto Maldonado bus station
    Porto Maldonado bus stationOn the jungle road

    Porto Maldonado

    November 3, 2017 in Peru ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    Our bus reached Porto Maldonado about 45 min before time. We reached at 6:15 am and waited at the bus stop for our pickup to arrive. Porto Maldonado is the gateway to the amazonas in this region of Peru, much as Rurrenabaque was in Bolivia.
    We were driven to the office of the Chuncho Lodge (our tour operator). We freshened up there and also had our breakfast before beginning the journey into the forest.
    The 1st 48 kms of the route was on the pan oceanic highway that connects the Atlantic Ocean in Brazil to the Pacific ocean in Peru.
    The next 18 kms after a left turn into the amazon jungle was a dirt road with mud and a lot of water at some of the places. It was a bumpy 45 min ride.    Read more

  • The Craze for TravellingThe South American OdysseyThe Craze for Travelling
    Brazil nut tree
    The jungle roadAvatar treeInga or ice cream fruit (from the family of Pakaya fruit)

    The jungle road

    November 3, 2017 in Peru ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    On the way into the jungle, we stopped to see the Brazil nut tree. 60% of the world's Brazil nut is grown in Brazil, 30% in Bolivia and 10% in Peru. Our guide Jorge told us that the fruit of the Brazil nut grows very high and cannot be plucked before it is ripe. The people wait for it to ripen and then fall. Most of the fruits are exported to Spain and further.
    We also saw the Avatar tree (Saiba tree) so called since it looks like the trees in the Avatar movie.
    We also saw the Inga fruits or the ice cream fruit, it belongs to the family of the Pakaya fruit and is used as an ingredient in ice cream for flavor.    Read more

  • The Craze for TravellingThe South American OdysseyThe Craze for Travelling
    Trekking trails Chuncho Lodge
    Ajo Ajo tree

    Afternoon jungle walk

    November 3, 2017 in Peru ⋅ ⛅ 32 °C

    We went on a short trail of about an hour or so at around 11 am. On the trail, Jorge pointed out some interesting plants and their usage. Some of these we already knew from our previous trip into the amazon. We saw the (Epifita), its a parasite ivy. We also saw the Ajo Ajo or the Garlic tree, the bark of this tree tastes and smells like garlic and is used as a spice in the local food. The bark when rubbed on the skin acts as a mosquito repellent as well.
    We also saw Tangarana ants. These live inside the hollow of the host tree and protect it from insects, mushrooms, fungus and even animals. The local indigenous people use these ants to cure fever. 20-30 of these ants when boiled in a liter of hot water and then drunk can cure fever. Just a tap on the tree trunk caused quite a few of them to come scurrying out to investigate. In the indigenous tribes, they tie the unfaithful to the tree and then hit the trunk hard to punish them.    Read more

  • The Craze for TravellingThe South American OdysseyThe Craze for Travelling
    Palm tree
    Iron treeCotton tree

    Deeper in the jungle

    November 3, 2017 in Peru ⋅ ⛅ 32 °C

    Other varieties of trees we saw were a kind of palm that grows very tall and has natural holes that are used by Mackaws and Tucans for their nests. Jorge also showed us the Iron tree, so called since it seems to attract lightening strikes during storms. He also showed us Sano Sano. The bark from this tree when used with hot water is used to cure smaller kidney stones.
    We also saw the massive Saiba tree with a girth of about
    25 mts.
    We also saw the Cotton tree (Topa), so called because the fruit from this tree almost looks like cotton and is used as filling for pillows etc.    Read more

  • The Craze for TravellingThe South American OdysseyThe Craze for Travelling
    Owl butterfly
    Tree spiderSnake treeFruit from the Brazil nut tree

    More jungle information

    November 3, 2017 in Peru ⋅ ⛅ 32 °C

    On the way, we saw the Owl butterfly, perfectly camouflaged in the surroundings. Jorge also showed us the Death finger mushroom. When you squeeze it, a liquid comes out. Just 5 drops of it are enough to cure any kind of ear infection.
    We also saw a beautifully camouflaged tree spider. It was hardly visible to the nacked eye.
    Jorge also showed us the snake tree, so called since it seems to keep peeling off the other skin as it grows. It was nice and cool to the touch. The skin has some oils as well which make it flammable. The locals use it for lighting a fire during the wet season when everything is wet and hard to burn.

    We were back at the camp by 12 pm. At about 1 pm, we had our lunch.
    The plan for the afternoon was to wait for 2 more people to join us and then go for an evening/night walk. If they don't reach by 4 pm, we would start the walk anyways.    Read more

  • The Craze for TravellingThe South American OdysseyThe Craze for Travelling

    Reached Filadelfia

    November 3, 2017 in Peru ⋅ ⛅ 32 °C

    After 45 min on the jungle road, we reached Filadelfia on the shore of the Tambopata river. Jorge explained that this is the same river Beni we had been to in Bolivia, its just called differently here in Peru. He also showed us the nests of the Oropendula bird. Its a small black bird with a yellow tail. There's another bird with similar nest (Yellow rumed Casique), the shape and look is exactly the same but these have bigger nests.Read more

  • The Craze for TravellingThe South American OdysseyThe Craze for Travelling
    Walking palm
    Wasp nestAnt hillPenis plantAn empty cicada nestAn occupied cicada nest

    Evening jungle walk

    November 3, 2017 in Peru ⋅ ☀️ 35 °C

    In the evening around 4 pm, we went for another jungle walk.
    We saw the walking palm. Its a variety of plam that has roots starting above the ground. If it is not getting enough sunlight, it starts roots in new direction in such a way that the plant leans into the new direction and starts getting sunlight at the new angle. Like this, this tree can move from 15-20 cms in a year.
    We also saw a wasp's nest and a very symmetric ant hill.
    Cicadas are insects that make most of the sounds in the jungle. They live from 8-10 years below the ground and built a tower like nest above the ground. The hole for the nest could extend about a meter below the ground. Eventually, when it is ready to fly off, it breaks the top of the nest and does so. It lives only 5-7 months after it starts flying.    Read more

  • The Craze for TravellingThe South American OdysseyThe Craze for Travelling
    Ladybirds
    A full moon peaking from above the treesA tree tarantulaFantastic dinner of rice and fried soya with apple juice

    End of night walk

    November 3, 2017 in Peru ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    Towards the end of the night walk, we saw 2 ladybird like insects mating. It was a beautiful full moon night. Unfortunately, no camera or device can capture the magic of the moon rays and the light illumination inside the jungle.
    Back near the lodge, we saw a tree tarantula.

    At around 7:30 pm, dinner was served. It was a delicious meal of asparagus soup followed by rice and fried soya and mango mousse as dessert. A perfect end to a fabulous day.    Read more

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