Rainforest

Our first journey was to Manu National Park. We traveled for two days in a four-wheel drive van. Our tour leader was Samuel Solis of Caiman Tours in Cuzco. The guide can make the difference between a good trip and a fantastic experience and we were really lucky to have Samuel. His knowledge of the animals and plants (especially birds) really made our adventure special. We drove on a one lane road at the end of the rainy season. Occasionally, we would have to stop and clear the road of rocks and other debris. One of the interesting sites we saw in the mountains were the tombs of the Wari indians, a pre-Incan culture. Our first camp was on the Río San Pedro. Camps were covered platforms where we pitched roomy 3 person tents.


Rockslide	Río San Pedro	Río San Pedro Camp

	Mountain Flowers

Entrance to Manu National Park	Wari Tombs	Picnic Lunch Near Paucartambo

Early the next morning we took a short walk to a blind set up in front of a lek site for the Andean Cock-of-the-Rock, Rupicola peruviana. We were fortunate to see five males that morning as well as two females who flew into the lek and then left with their chosen male. Although we were in the cloud forest, the day was unusually sunny.


Cloud Forest- Manu National Park, Peru	Andean Cock-of- the- Rock, *Rupicola peruviana*

We stayed at a hostel in Pillcopata and took a hike to Huacaria. Many butterflies were seen exhibiting puddling behavior. The next day we met our boat on the Alto Madre de Dios River.

Traveling by boat was very relaxing and allowed for great looks at many birds and other wildlife. We camped on the Madre de Dios river. The next morning we met a catamaran covered in palm fronds. From this platform we drifted to the opposite side of the river to wait for the red and green macaws (Ara chloroptera) to gather and cling to the exposed river bank to feed on the clay.


Birdwatching	Red Brocket Deer-Mazama americana

Catamaran	*Red and Green Macaws (Ara chloroptera) on Clay Lick*

We then traveled up the Manu River. We had to stop at the Limonal Ranger Station to check into the reserve zone. We also had to stop here on the way back to Boca Manu. We camped at Pakitza Ranger Station. There we saw tarantulas, a severe (chestnut-fronted) macaw, Ara severa as well as the rather rare black-capped toucan, Toucan samuelensis (see photo).



Limonal Ranger Station	Camp at Pakitza	*Tarantula (top) Toucan samuelensis* (bottom)**

The next day we went further up the Manu River on to Casa Machiguenga. We spent a morning on Salvador Lake, an oxbow lake formed from the meanderings of the Manu River. Here we saw many birds, including a female hoatzin (Opisthocomus hoatzin) on her nest. In this lake live the giant otters (Pteronura brasiliensis), an endangered species. We were able to see a family group of seven swimming and fishing.


Salvador Lake	We Take a Turn at Paddling

Hoatzin-Opisthocomus hoatzin	Brown Capuchin Monkeys- Cebus apella

Our jungle trek ended as we made our way back to Boca Manu to catch a plane back to Cuzco. Memories of the fantastic birds, insects, monkeys, call of the jaguar, the sounds of tapirs feeding in the night, and the trees that seemed to scrape the clouds will be with us for a long time.


Squirrel Monkey-Saimiri sciureus	Amazon Horned Frog-Ceratophrys cornuta	Black Caiman-Melanosuchus niger

Grasshopper	Hollow Tree	Boarding the Plane at Boca Manu

If you are interested, Caiman Tours can be reached at : Plateros 359, Cuzco, Peru


Butterfly at Rest	Embarking-Alto Madre de Dios River