Puerto Maldonado

Our last stop before returning to Lima and then home was Puerto Maldonado in the southeastern jungle region of Peru. Luckily for us, our timing was perfect: we were there during the dry season, so the weather was glorious and the temperatures moderate. Puerto Maldonado originally started as a frontier town for gold miners, but now the region is known as an ecological paradise full of diverse wildlife and botanical treasures. There are also two rivers - Tambopata and Madre de Dios - as well as numerous lakes to enjoy and explore. Come along for a quick visit...

We arrived punctually at the airport 

in Puerto Maldonado...

Where our guide met us with the van...

We stopped at the market in town to buy some supplies...

Since cars are very expensive, most people get around 

on motorized bikes or trikes...

The marketplace was very colorful...

Even this local dog enjoyed himself...

Everywhere you look - bikes...

We drove for 40 minutes to the river's edge...

Where our luggage and supplies were unloaded...

And transfered to our little river boat...

Soon we were on our way for 45 minutes along the river...

We saw this creature resting on the river bank...

We enjoyed the peaceful ride...

Soon we were at Posada Amazonas Jungle Lodge...

Truly paradise...

Our room with mosquito netting...

And bathroom, which became very popular 

with the frogs in the middle of the night...

We had our own hammock...

Coffee, tea, or coco leaves...

Bananas...

And a well stocked bar...

On the hikes we had to wear rubber boots...

There were many trails to explore 

throughout the rainforest...

So we set off on hikes...

and saw lots of leaf cutter ants in action...

and crawling trees...

And gorgeous sunsets over the jungle canopy...

And a very early sunrise...

The first morning sunlight hits the jungle...

Somewhere in there was a croc hiding...

We did a lot of birdwatching...

And enjoyed the full moon...

Here we were searching for more creatures...

And we enjoyed the early morning stillness on an oxbow lake...

And I tried my hand at birdwatching...

And my travel buddy, the botany professor, enjoyed the views...

A beautiful bird searching for something to eat...

Some mushroom spores...

And a flower...

We looked for macaws and found many in the trees...

And couldn't get enough of the lovely river scenes...

We also visited a medicinal botanical garden...

The tree on the left is male and on the right female...

And tasted some medicinal drinks...

And enjoyed one last sunset...

Unfortunately we had to leave...

A Brazil nut vendor at the airport...

Brazil nuts in all colors, shapes and sizes...

Our flight calls...

It's time to go...

What a fabulously relaxing and educational trip. And unlike F and Z's trip to Costa Rica, we didn't end up in quarantine! I normally plan all my own trips or simply arrive at the airport and then wing it; however, this trip was planned ahead of time by Ramiro at Southfares.com. He did a terrific job and everything went like clockwork. Thank you Ramiro! If you want to check out his website, his company specializes in Latin American tours, and he will customize any travel plans you may have. The prices are extremely reasonable, too. I'm ready to go back!