Manu Day 2: Cloud Forest to Pantiacolla Lodge

Another early start meant there was time for a quick walk up the road before loading back in the van.  The highlight of the walk was the brown capuchin monkeys -we were all entranced by how they bounded and bounced through the trees.

One of the little guys looking for some breakfast

The road continued down, the air noticeably warming as we went.  We stopped for a walk in an orchid garden, a local project, manned by a cheerful and very enthusiastic Peruvian.  It was hot, especially coming from altitude, but the orchids were beautiful and there were plenty of bugs to keep Ben entertained.

Roadside hawk keeping a close eye on the road

Enormous horned beetle, as big as a mouse

Bright beetle inside an orchid

The garden was also full of gorgeous butterflies

Finally the road came to an end and while we had lunch the canoe was loaded.  The small town was a hub for bananas coming up the river and into trucks.  Strangely, you can't buy bananas here - not unless you want an entire bunch.  The bananas sold in shops around here are all trucked to Cusco, then back in small bunches - madness!

Bananas, bananas everywhere

Even more bananas

Bananas in transit

One thing that was a little surprising to us was how fast the Madre de Dios (Mother of the Gods) flowed and that there were actual rapids.  They weren't big rapids, but quite shallow in places and in a long wooden canoe sometimes it felt a little exciting when it turned against the flow.  We soon got used it.

It was very hot and somewhat soporific puttering down the river.  There were birds to look at, but in this semi cultivated area they were fairly common kinds - herons, cormorants, kingfishers, terns.  We quickly figured out that when Miguel didn't get particularly excited the bird you had eagerly pointed out was just an ordinary bird.

A torrential downpour called a halt to our first excursion off the canoe, so off we went again.

As the river unfolded before us the banana plantations thinned out and it started to look a little more like jungle.  We all became very excited when we spotted the next monkey.

Red howler monkey looking rather morose

Pantiacolla lodge was a welcome end to the canoe ride.  The lodge is situated up above the river, with lovely big trees.  Almost the first thing we noticed was the noise - the cicadas and crickets are incredibly loud and make a bewildering variety of noises.  One in particular, we decided, sounded just like a dremmel drill, while another sounded like someone playing with a synthesiser.

The walk that evening started off at dusk, as the cicadas were winding down and the crickets were starting up.  As the forest became darker and darker the fireflies came out - acid green and pale orange, dipping and diving through the trees.

Walking through the rainforest is an interesting experience.  For long stretches you may see nothing, hear very little and you begin to wonder quite why you are there.  Then the next minute something will make it all worthwhile - a troupe of monkeys, a brightly coloured bird, a peccary disappearing into the undergrowth.

Once you started looking there was an abundance of creatures on trunks . . .

. . . leaves . . .

. . . branches . . .

. . . and even the path.
This enormous toad blended in so well to the path Miguel nearly stepped on him.

Delicate little frogs hid on thick grasses around the pond.

Spiders camouflaged on the forest floor.

There was an exciting brush with leaf cutter ants going about their business, which just happened to be on the path.  They are about five times as big as ants at home and they were very quick to start climbing up our unsuspecting legs.  After getting off the path and out of their way we spent a couple of minutes getting rid of them - brushing them off doesn't work very well - you have to pick or flick them off.

Ben had been kneeling down taking photos of something so they were making a concerted effort to summit his legs.  Luckily we were both wearing our gaiters so at least we didn't have ants in our pants =)

The guides did advise him not to kneel or sit down to take photos but sometimes it was just impossible to get the shot without doing so!

Towards the end of the walk a rustling in the bamboo next to the path revealed two bamboo rats - unfortunately they were rather camera shy.  Night monkeys and owls were audible but invisible.

After two hours in the rainforest we were glad to return to the lodge, dinner and blissfully cold showers, then to carefully drape the mosquito nets around the bed and be lulled to sleep by the crickets.