Monkeys frolicking in the trees outside with macaws squawking. Shortly after breakfast, we set off hiking into the jungle with the ultimate goal of climbing the canopy bridge. HIGHEST TREE PLATFORM IN SOUTH AMERICA! It is a 90 meter (295 feet) long walkway until you reach the platform at 45 meters (148 feet) high in the crown of an ancient Kapok tree. This was an athletic feat I am proud to say I accomplished. I have walked across other canopy bridges but never one that ascended to so great a height. Pictures do NOT do it justice. It sways continuously and, in several places, the “steps” (blocks of wood nailed to the bridge) were missing so my short little legs had trouble getting purchase. At the top, you crawl through a small opening in the platform where you are finally above the trees.

The picture on the left is me descending the canopy bridge.  The one on the right shows Rick descending with me following the recommended 12 feet behind.  If I thought getting up to the top was difficult, I was in for a big surprise as the descent was the tough part…slippery and at times, the hand holds caused my arms to be completely extended. When I got to the bottom, my legs and arms were shaking so badly I almost collapsed.

After this, we toured the animal preserve where they take care of injured monkeys, jungle cats (big and small), macaws, turtles, whatever animal they find who needs help:

This organization does great work but probably the saddest case is Cholita.  She is spectacled bear, rescued by the Animal Defenders League in 2015.  Poached from the wild as a baby, Cholita was displayed and harrassed for a decade.  Her canines were ripped out and her front digits sawed off at the knuckles just so she couldn’t harm her handlers.  Bad diet, stress, and confinement led to a case of atopecia,  a condition in which hair is lost from some or all areas of the body.  Sen a circus wanted her.he suffered for another decade until not even a circus wanted her.

She was finally sent to Taricaya National Reserve and, after a year, she has gained weight, appears to be happy, and is apparently remembering how to be a bear.  Here is Cholita today:

We met our guide, Alejandro, at 5:00 AM for our trip to Sandoval Lake. The lodge packed each of us a “snack” – apple, tangerine, crackers, breakfast bar, juice box, candy, bottled water, as well as two avocado, tomato, and sliced boiled eggs sandwiches. We each donned a pair of rubber boots, were issued a walking stick, and then rode up the river to Tambopata National Preserve where we hiked 6 K through the jungle. Over roots, through mud, balancing on narrow paths around trees using sticks to hold us upright, until we reached the swampy bayou where we transferred to canoes.

Sandoval Lake is full of caiman, electric eels, piranha, leeches, otters. We encountered many birds and butterflies and were quite excited when we rowed into this little inlet to see and hear a family of howler monkeys. We were excitedly snapping pictures when all of a sudden, Rick said “Caiman”. With that, Alejandro immediately said “ROW!”. This black caiman was charging us – I swear the look in his eyes was SCARY! We booked out of that inlet and, as soon as we did, the caiman backed off. This guy was huge. Alejandro said black caiman are extremely territorial and they have been known to charge boats, whipping their tails up into the boat. Phew!

Our view from the raft

After the canoe ride, hiked back to the trail head and motor boated back to the lodge where lunch was waiting. After a couple of hours of downtime, our guide drove us up river a ways where mid-river, Rick, Mary Pat and I transferred into a rubber raft with paddles. They left us! While it seemed scary, it was actually very relaxing as the sun set while the current lazily carried the raft along. When we returned to the dock, we got into one of the lodge’s motorized craft for a caiman search after dark through the marshland off the river.

 
Dinner was a traditional Peruvian dish – Pachamanca, a traditional Andean dish dating back to the Incas that’s prepared using the earth as an oven. The meal is known as a pit roast and incorporates marinated meats wrapped in banana leaves and vegetables, such as potatoes, fava beans, and corn on the cob seasoned with fragrant herbs.  YUM!

I woke at about 4:00 AM hoping to see the sunrise from our cabin but a thick, misty fog enveloped the area, absolutely obliterating the river and its banks. So, I made myself a cup of coffee and laid back down to read until hearing my cabin-mates getting ready for the day. We walked around the property until the gong sounded at 7:30 AM signaling the serving of breakfast so we immediately made our way to the dining area.

Approaching the dining room, several tamarind saddleback monkeys were scuttling in and out! Then, one of the most beautiful birds sat on a tree right outside our window—it is a trogon.
Breakfast was seasoned scrambled eggs, fresh cheese, mango and papaya, and absolutely divine, excellent coffee. After breakfast, Jean Pierre took Mary Pat and I on a tour of the property, showing us various trees and plants which help to self-sustain the lodge.
We were picked up by our tour operator at 10:30 AM only to experience the same bumpy ride but this time into the town. Puerto Maldonado, 34 miles from Bolivia, is located where the Madre de Dios and Tambopata rivers meet.  The Madre de Dios joins the Madeira River as a tributary of the Amazon.  We crossed the longest bridge in Peru across the Rio Madre de Dios.  Before the bridge was built in 2011, residents across the river had to boat over to Puerto Maldonado for shopping and other essential services.

Once all the tour participants had arrived, we were loaded onto a motorized canoe for the hour-long trip down the Madre de Dios River to the Amazon Planet lodge. We arrived just in time for lunch which was a scrumptious appetizer of tomatoes layered with fresh cheese, drizzled with a cilantro vinaigrette, the Peruvian version of chicken nuggets, rice and local vegetables.

 
We were told meals are at 7:30 AM, 1:00 PM, and 8:00 PM. Electricity is only available from 6:30 – 7:30 AM, 12:30 – 3:30 PM, and 5:30 – 10:00 PM. And, of course, there is no WIFI!
We were then shown to our rooms—a cabin overlooking the river. At 3:45 we met up with our guide for our first hike through the rainforest where he pointed out the various trees, vines, and plants. After less than five minutes or so, we were completely surrounded by the jungle with only the sounds of birds and monkeys. Other than nature, it is very quiet and peaceful here with the occasional motor-operated boat engine jarring the tranquility.
We were scheduled for a night hike at about 6:30 PM but instead, Rick, Mary Pat and I chose to attend the bar before dinner. Less than fifteen minutes into the hike, our fellow travelers abandoned the hike in favor of libation. Apparently, there was a swarm of flying cockroaches attacking them so even the guide was repulsed.
Dinner was Aji de Gallina–chicken, potatoes, and a curry-like sauce that gets its yellow color from aji Amarillo, a chili with a medium heat level. After dinner, some rousing games of jenga united this international group—England, Canada, New Zealand, Russia capped the day.

I traversed immigration and customs and then met up with Rick and Mary Pat in the Lima airport with only a short wait for our flight to Puerto Maldonado.  I expected some sort of rinky-dink airline as this flight is basically a commuter flight flown several times daily.  I was pleasantly surprised to see the roomy seats and especially that I got three to myself!  The flight is only a little more than an hour so, before we knew it, we were descending into the jungle onto a runway literally cut out of the dense rainforest.

After getting our checked bags, we were met by a guy holding a sign with our names and were loaded into a rather beat up van.  I guess the van was better than all the little three wheel taxis.  We embarked on this harrowing ride on a dirt road full of potholes that could swallow my VW Bug.  Even though the distance is a mere 5-1/2 miles, it took almost an hour!  We passed a huge shanty town which our driver told me contains squatters numbering two to three thousand.  Mangy dogs wander aimlessly, smoke wafts up through the air from fires in big metal cans.  As it is hot and humid, we were baffled as to the purpose of these fires.  When I asked why these people are there, I was told that it is a political thing.  They originally migrated from other parts of Peru seeking jobs mining gold in the Madre de Dios Region.

According to an article by Bill Weir of CNN,

Much like the ’49ers sluiced for treasure in California more than 150 years ago, these miners use primitive methods involving mercury. Most don’t fully understand that “quicksilver” is toxic to every form of life in the Amazon. Or that since they fish the same waters they mine, it can end up in their own bloodstream, causing a host of health problems.

 

We finally arrived at Sotupa Eco House on the banks of the Rio Tambopata.  A gem located outside of Puerto Maldonado proper (a city of approximately 80,000), this lodge is family-owned and operated.  Jean Pierre (the son) runs the place, bartends, and is a very charismatic and knowledgeable inn keeper.  A cozy cabin overlooking the river was our home for the night.  Dinner was announced by a gong…local sausage, wild rice, and spices.

After dinner, we joined Jean Pierre at the bar where Mary Pat and I chose Cusquena (local beer) as our libation.  Rick drank a Inca Kola that, to me, was reminiscent of vanilla sodas they used to make at soda fountains back in the day.

On the way back to our cabin, a porcupine scuttled its way through the brush.  Meanwhile, chickens and roosters wander the property at will and many multi-colored birds serenade.

This morning, at breakfast, I met two American expatriates now living in Panama.  One is a missionary who originally went to Panama to perfect her Spanish and stayed because she fell in love with the country.  The other, a gentleman traveled for business down to Panama often enough that he decided to relocate.  He is now retired and living the expat life.  According to these two, approximately 5,000 expats make their home in this country that welcomes new residents.  I’ve read posts saying as many as 20,000 Americans and Canadians make their home in Panama.

For a retiree, this means you don’t actually have to be retired to get it-you just have to be over 18. All you need to do is to prove you have a lifetime pension of at least $1000 per month.  If you buy $100,000 worth of property in Panama, then the minimum is just $750.  Others basics you’ll need for a visa are a police certificate from the town you most recently lived in  your country of origin, a health exam and an AIDS test.

At one point in my life, I actually considered this.  I think I was 60 and investigated both Panama and Belize as potential retirement destinations.  Instead, I went into Americorps for a year and somehow decided that I didn’t really want to leave America other than as a vacationer.

Anyway, after breakfast, I caught the shuttle to the airport.  I had several hours to kill so wandered around the shops and stopped for a con leche.  Several times I saw a young woman wearing a University of Pennsylvania t-shirt.  It caught my eye because I used to work and attend school there (many years ago).  I decided to sit and read for a bit so I went to my gate area and settled in.  It wasn’t but a few minutes when the U of P woman sat down across from me.  I had to ask her if she attended school there.

We spoke for the two hours until boarding exchanging stories.  Mariella is a citizen of Peru, grew up in Lima, told me the t-shirt was a gift from a friend but that she and her husband both attend Penn State in  programs to obtain their Master’s Degrees—hers in sociology and his in business.  Her sister is getting her Master’s in Wild Animal Management in Australia.  According to Mariella, most Peruvians vacation within their own country but many get their higher learning elsewhere.  Mariella and her husband intend to return to Peru when their studies are complete but she told me her sister plans to stay in Australia as she feels safer there than in Lima.

What a nice girl she was–right before boarding, I noticed the charge on my phone was at 38% and Mariella very graciously offered me her charger to use while on the plane.

As is my usual habit, I immediately started reading after settling into my seat.  My seatmate commented to me he wished he had brought his Kindle.  We exchanged the usual pleasantries, inquiring as to each other’s reasons for the trip to Peru and for the entire three-hour flight, I abandoned reading and instead listened to some of the most fascinating stories.  Back in the early 80’s, Dom, born in Peru, wanted to attend college but spaces available at the university in Peru were given mostly to the privileged class.  He managed to get an invitation to attend a school in southern California but he said the US would not grant him a visa.  Dom told me that opportunities in Lima for impoverished youth were limited.  So, determined to lead a better life, at age 18, he embarked on a mission to get to California.  He took buses from Lima, Peru up through Ecuador, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and into Mexico.  I cannot even imagine!  To finance this trip, he had to work odd jobs along the way and he told me that it took him about three months. Once in Mexico, he again applied for a visa to get into the United States but was denied.

While in Mexico, he met some guys who told him they knew a place in Tijuana where they could cross.  He told me that not only was he successful that time but crossed back when learning of his mother’s death a year later so he traveled back to Peru to get his brother who he brought back with him to California, crossing illegally again into the United States.  He said he worked construction for various people in southern California and, in 1986, under President Reagan, amnesty was given to illegals.  Under this program, Dom applied for legal status.  He said the process was very long, starting with temporary residence, then permanent residence, and ultimately, citizenship.  In his recollection, the process took approximately ten years.  Dom proudly showed me his American passport.

He said he is a successful business owner in Riverside, California with a wife and two grown children.  We discussed the current conversation in America surrounding immigration and the wall.  Dom admitted to me that he is conflicted having entered the United States himself illegally.  His sons, he says, are staunchly in favor of the wall.  Interesting!

By the way, I have to mention Copa Airlines and how completely pleased I was with the flight, the seats, the plane, and the food!  We were served a fritata with creamed spinach, fresh watermelon and mango salad, strawberry yogurt, and some sort of tasty meat (although it was a mystery to me as to what it actually was).

Since the entire time I was in the jungle, internet and cell service were non-existent,  I am just now getting the internet in Cusco (it is now May 12th) so I will be posting blogs from the past several days…

This morning at home…

I’m getting ready to go.  Chloe was deposited at Auntie Barb’s house at about 10:00 am so I could wrap up final preparation for leaving.  Got to brother Jim’s house at 11:15 am as he is my ride to the airport.  I lucked out because he has a meeting in Tampa so is dropping me off about an hour earlier than required.  Rather uneventful ride, traffic was light (considering) and I checked in at about 12:30 pm.  I wandered around the airport trying to figure out where to eat.  I’m pretty sure my flight from Miami to Panama provides only purchased sandwiches as repast so figured I’d fill up here.  I finally settled on PF Chang’s.  Normally, I get the lettuce wraps but the guy next to me at the bar had ordered this spicy chicken dish that smelled and looked so good, I caved and ordered it plus a nice refreshing glass of riesling.  Mmmm.  I had the bartender package half of it up to eat on the flight from Miami to Panama.

No line at security but, SURPRISE—I was TSA – Pre-board so I didn’t have to remove shoes or anything from my bags.  So, now I am sitting on the smoking deck (just my e-cig) but it is outside, I am alone and can gather my thoughts.  I still have about an hour until boarding the flight to Miami.  All is good and I should be in Panama City at about 8:30 this evening.  I am staying at a hotel about a half mile from the airport as I have an early flight to Lima, Peru.

This afternoon in Miami airport…

Flight to Miami was on time but we sat at the arrival gate for over 30 minutes waiting for clearance!  What is up with that?  The flight from Tampa to Miami is basically a regular commuter flight.  I will never understand some of these airport rules but I lucked out again—my departing flight was right across from my arrival gate.  Good thing because it was getting ready to board.

Evening in Panama…

We landed on time and I found immigration and customs in Panama to be a breeze.  The officials smile, welcome you to their country, stamp your passport and say “Bienvenido a Panamá”.  Free shuttle to the hotel—YAY!  I picked this hotel since it is one of the few close to the airport as I have an early flight.  Panama City center is about 20 km (about 12.5 miles) from the airport.  Besides the friendly people, my first impression was the incredible humidity!

I am now ensconced in my lovely king room in the Crowne Plaza Panama Airport, drinking a crisp sauvignon blanc.  I found that it is one hour earlier than the US East Coast and lucky for me, my phone figured that out for me.  So, nothing exciting to report as today was a traveling day.  Tomorrow, Peru!

Packing for a trip where temperatures will range from the mid 30’s up into the upper 80’s (Fahrenheit) is a true challenge, especially when traveling alone.  LAYERS!  I have nine different flights where I will be wrestling with luggage, so I must keep it to a minimum.  I have managed to get it down to 38 pounds—one small suitcase and my NRA tote bag (which I got for free when I joined).  I will be meeting up with sister Mary Pat and her hubby, Rick for a portion of the trip so I will not be alone for three of the flights (but they have their own luggage to deal with).

This trip to Panama and Peru will range from sea level up to 11,152 feet.  I booked most of this trip last August so am very excited that it is finally imminent.  To get ready, I was merrily reading blogs written by previous travelers to the region when I encountered several discussing the plight of altitude sickness.  Having suffered through a particularly virulent case of this malady when I drove out to Utah at the start of my Americorps stint (and that occurred at only 7,100 feet), I realized that some advance preparation may be called for.

Ascending slowly is the best preparation but that isn’t an option as we fly directly from Puerto Maldonado (840 feet) to Cusco (11,152 feet).  Maintaining adequate hydration is a necessity and I don’t see that as a problem as water is the best beverage on earth.  I read on several blogs that chlorophyll taken daily several days beforehand as well as during the time at the top can alleviate any symptoms.  Yikes!  I’m leaving tomorrow!  What to do?

I immediately went online to find where this potentially magic elixir could be found—GNC in the Mall, closing in 45 minutes.  So, I jumped in my car and drove over and picked up a bottle of chlorophyll gel caps for the three of us.  I also decided to stop at Walgreens for a pulse oximeter which measures oxygen level.  Some of the blogs recommended having one because if your blood oxygen drops too low, it can be dangerous.  My level today is an excellent 98 mm Hg,

It looks like a diet high in complex carbohydrates will also help the effort to keep oxygen levels high and, according to a couple of websites, laughing is a great way to increase oxygen levels!  So, maybe I had better swap out some of my murder mysteries with some humorous reading.