Leaving Cuzco, after a 30 minute flight, 1 hour bus ride and 3 hour boat ride, we have arrived at Refugio Amazonas, an ecolodge in a remote area in the Amazon rainforest in eastern Peru. Our lodge is located along the banks of the Tambopata River which constitues one of the many headwaters to the Amazon River.
A little about our accomodations: Our room has 3 walls with the 4th being open to the forest. There is no air conditioner. There is no hot water. We have electricity from 12pm to 1pm and 5:30pm - 9:30pm, only in the reception area. There is no diet Coke! Our beds are covered with mosquito nets at night. As harsh as that sounds, it’s one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. The lodge is an huge A-frame timber structure with a large dining hall, bar, and sitting area with off-shoot walkways to the guest rooms. The lighting at night is by kerosene lanterns and candles. Its like walking into a Ralph Lauren/Banana Republic catalog.
Walking from the boat ramp to our room last night we passed poisonous caterpillars, numerous spiders (some as big as my hand), and multiple frogs, the largest found in our bathroom!
Every time our guide, Karina, says “Stop! Don’t move”, it makes my heart beat fast. Most of the things she points out aren’t dangerous; but today she said that right after the boys passed within 12 inches of a feathered viper, the second most poisonous snake in the Amazon. It was on our pathway and didn’t even flinch as we walked by…it was not scared of us even a little bit.
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