Day 350: The Amazon – Puerto Maldonado Day 3
Our streak of good weather couldn’t last forever – a thunder storm swept in in the middle of the night and it rained off and on for the whole day today. We didn’t mind much as the excursions we picked for today were really just filler. We started the morning with a trip to a nearby Oxbow Lagoon – a small lake that was formed when a section of the river got cut off from the main channel. Since the water here was still, not moving with the current, it created a habitat for all sorts of different (and dangerous!) creatures – especially piranha and anaconda.
We had a 40min nature walk through the jungle on our way to the lake, then another 30min slowly paddling through the water. Timoteo brought some bread to toss in the water and show off the piranha’s feeding frenzy – the pictures didn’t come out, but let’s just say it was obvious that you should NOT dip your finger in this water. (Timoteo admitted that he *has* had a tourist dumb enough to do just that. Guy was from Florida. Idiot lost the tip of his finger.) We continued our walk on the opposite end of the lake to visit a huge strangler fig tree that was completely hollow inside from having destroyed its host tree – sadly it was a complete downpour by that time, so we couldn’t take out the camera.
Lindsay takes a nap on the lobby sofa as we wait to see if the rain will let up. When we start our nature walk, Timoteo picks up a fallen weaver’s nest, which is surprisingly dry inside – good construction, birdies!
A Walking Tree?!? Is this Peru or Middle Earth?!? This tree’s stilt-like roots lift the truck over 5ft above the ground – if the tree isn’t getting enough sunlight or nutrients, it will grow a new root reaching to the side and the whole tree will start to move towards the new growth. So, not as fast as the CGI characters in the movie, but still pretty cool.
A new root vs an old root on a Walking Tree. The tree next to it is the Devil’s Penis Tree. Look at the roots and you’ll figure out where the name came from…
This clay tube coming out of the ground is the front entrance to a cicada’s underground home! Since the top has been broken off, we know the cicada has already flown the nest
An Owl Butterfly, and the rock-hard shell of a Brazil Nut pod
Fun with fungi! Hundreds of little white mushrooms start to decompose a fallen tree truck, and Lindsay can hear better with a gigantic Elephant’s Ear
Termites building a nest on a tree trunk using their poop. If the mosquitos are bothering you, the locals might recommend grabbing a handful of these guys, crushing them and rubbing them on your skin: natural bug repellent! Just be careful not to pick up any of the ants – the mandible is about a centimeter wide – ouch!
Downpour during our boat ride on Oxbow Lagoon
A pair of Hoatzin, AKA “Stinkbirds” – these jungle turkeys are herbivores that ruminate their food like a cow – the fermenting food sits in their crop and produces a bad odor. They are not endangered as apparently they also taste pretty bad and the locals do not hunt them
A break in the weather at Oxbow Lagoon
Climbing the canopy tower to get above the tree tops
Carefully walking across the slippery, lacquered wood planks to get back to our room
In the afternoon, we took another walk through the forest to an animal clay lick. We knew this was going to be a bust – we’ve NEVER seen mammals at any of the clay licks we’ve visited throughout the world. Our low expectations were justified – nothing in that hide except a cloud of mosquitos. Oh well, not every day can be amazing.
A hide next to the mammal clay lick in the jungle. (No one is there)
Even though it stopped raiing, Igor keeps his poncho on as an extra layer of protection from the mosquitos
So Lindsay noticed a cockroach in our shower, stuck on its back this afternoon. Rather than help the poor guy up, she left him struggling on his back and left for her excursion through the forest. Imagine her horror when she returns to her “dorm” in the evening and discovers that the unfortunate bug has been EATTEN ALIVE by a swam of ants!