The rest of our journey in Manu national park is on long boats. This is
probably the best way to see jungle wild life and birds due to the density of
the jungle foliage. Any sighting of animals will be when they come to drink
water or at villages where there is a clearing.
My guide David gave me a sheet of paper with a list of birds, reptiles and
animals found in the park. The list was extensive, but after a walks yesterday
and this morning I could see that bar the flying birds I was going to be
challenged to find any. The jungle vegetation is a perfect home for all
animals, as it provides great camouflage and hiding areas.
If you are a twitcher, which, I'll admit is a hobby that has escaped me, then
this trip would satisfy you. There was a Spanish guy who seemed ecstatic at
every other moment and our guide David was a huge asset, assisting in spotting
birds and with their identification. Our guide, David had recordings of the
various birds and carried with him a well leafed resource book.
In the morning it was raining. The group yesterday who rafted first went for a
walk and our group went zip lining. Zip lining is like a flying fox with a
braking mechanism, it is safer (so long as there is proper maintenance). We
had a four stage set of lines running within the canopy of the trees taking us
down to the valley floor. Despite being wet it was enjoyable and we were
reassured with careful instruction and some semblance of good equipment.
The long boats were comfortable and designed for good sightseeing (fully open
viewing with only a sun canopy for cover) and easily traverse on the, at times
tricky rivers. They are able to carry lots of gear and are quite fast. A bit of
advice – do not sit at the front, you will get wet and cold from the bow
spray.
We had a lunch today of a rice and chicken dish wrapped in the vigao leaves
collected yesterday. I witnessed the preparation this morning and was salivating
in anticipation all this morning.
With the avocado and salsa salad and open air atmosphere this was pure culinary
indulgence.
The accommodation here was quite basic but it does the job. Beds have mosquito
netting and the rooms are all screened. Privacy was not great, but most people
are honourable in this regard. The showers were cold, but then the temperature
makes it easy to cope with. After a shower, you won't dry, it was humid, so you
are always sweaty. Clothes are always damp.
We went for a night walk again and this time came up trumps with our animal
spotting. A tree snake was spotted by yours truly !
Soon after we spotted a tarantula.
The promotional blurb from Manu Adventures was pretty accurate:
Very early we board our boat and make our way to Collpa, a clay wall by the
river where a variety of parrots such as the blue headed parrot, the White
eyed parakeet, possibly the Maracana Macaw and others come every morning to
substitute their diet with minerals and salts. After this activity we return
to Erika for breakfast, pack up and board our boat again. We will head down
the Alto Madre de Dios River to the of the hot springs of Aguas Calientes,
which are surrounded by the magnificent Jungle. After relaxing in the water
and a refreshing cold lunch, we will continue to the town of Boca Manu.
During this part of our journey we will see birds like skimmers, herons,
several species of kingfishers, swallows and flycatchers.
Looking at Google maps satellite view you can see how sinuous, muddy and
varied the river is in its pathways, glad I’m not doing the navigation:
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