The Tambopata River

These photos taken back in the days with my Tarzan camera in 2008

I wrote a time ago about how rafting is a great way to see the hidden parts of a country.  So I began thinking, not everyone can to do this activity.  Before I began my trip to the Amazon, I had never really thought about a river acting like a major interstate to get somewhere.  Boating, for me growing up, was always a leisure.  A lot of people used our rivers or Lake Michigan for fishing and other recreational activities like jetskiing or swimming.  I can only count on one hand the boats that use Lake Michigan for major human travel. The car ferry that operates out of Manitowoc, Wisconsin to Ludington, Michigan comes to my mind.  So while we were in Peru, we discovered the Tambopata river as a major roadway into the secret forests of the Amazon.....for both the good and the bad.  I had flown into the isolated yet expanding village of Puerto Maldonado with a lot of crazy and idiotic biker people driving around on scooters.  It was funny and sad at the same time.  People, sometimes 3 on a motor bike!!!, would zoom around the city square without helmets.  In many ways, I felt like this city had a lawless attitude about nature and human safety.  I wish I had taken pictures of all the bikes on the road.  Our taxi driver actually hit one of those bikers while looking at a half naked girl advertisement.  The van stopped to make sure the girls were okay and sped off not wanting to pay for the accident.  Most people don't have insurance there.  We kept driving until we reached the port of the Tambopata river, and this is where our story begins....

The city of Puerto Maldonado used the Tambopata river for the deforestation efforts going on in the Amazon.  How?  Simple.  They cut trees down and let them float on the river towards the wood mills awaiting their arrival for processing and shipment.  The majestic and beautiful mahogany was their precious export.  I remember having some anger.   It was directed not only at Peru for the tree slaughter but at other countries such as my own, the US, for purchasing the wood from this town.  Do people even know they are supporting this?  I don't think many people realize what's going on out there just as long as their lives are uninterrupted to text and eat fried food.  Anyhow, I soaked in this "human progress" thinking, "It will get better. " Well it got worse before it got better.  We headed down the river leaving this ugly human stain behind and entered the first zone of the Amazon.  Here, we witnessed a poacher slaughtering a group of peccaries crossing the river in broad daylight. The "good news" is that the guide wrote down this incident and reported it back to the park officials.  I don't know what the outcome was, but I did overhear the Spanish conversations to know that the incident was taken seriously.  Once we left "sin city", we entered the protected zonal reserves of the Amazon region.  This trip on the river took about 5 hours. We saw monkeys, parrots, caiman, and a jaguar on this incredibly stunning waterway!!!

To get anywhere in the Amazon or Manu reserve, you have to take a boat.  From what I understood, there were 3 zones.  In the first zone, native people could farm small tracts of land.  The second zone was where we stayed at the eco-lodges while in the 3rd zone, no human people were allowed at all without a permit.  AND some of it was for scientific study ONLY beyond a certain area!  Before we took this trip, I thought that I was going to be disappointed that I didn't get to see the virgen Manu Reserve, but later it proved to be an unfounded fear. The Manu Reserve is VERY expensive to visit while the ecolodges outside that zone are much more affordable.  So what's the difference between the two zones?  If you are wanting to see Blue and Gold macaws or the Giant Otters, your best chances are in the actual reserve, but they can be spotted outside the zones. 

Along the way, we saw incredible colors flashing about on the shores of the river.  I took my terrible camera out and snapped these okay shots.  I can only describe to you some of the magic that we experienced on the Tambopata.  My camera would have never captured the night sky as it appeared the evening we searched for caiman in the river.  We turned off ALL lights and sat in our boat for several silent moments.  I had experienced quiet moments like this before, but this particular experience was different.  Water. River. Sounds from the midnight jungle.  And the brilliant lights from the galaxy above us. No people. No city lights.  Just us, safe within our boat in the middle of nature.

At early dawn, we got up to head over to the clay licks where parrots and other birds go to do their morning ritual.  We docked our canoe on shore and headed up the muddy hill towards the lookout and waited.....and waited.  While we sat there patiently, I got some great shots of the Amazon dawn.

We had a canopy over our head while we were on this boat, but it's still best to wear a cap and protect your scalp from the instense sunlight.  It's strong.  Like all rivers, there are places that are treacherous and places are safe to pass.  Our guide knew the passages well.

My best recommendation is to remain quiet once you enter the zones for optimal wildlife viewing.  We spent a portion of our time on this river and took advantage of the amazing flora and fauna opportunities it provided.  I also want to mention that for the first time in rain forest history, I was not uncomfortable at all.  The humidty was so low that I was able to relax and absorb the experience better.  We had gone during the "winter" months in June which had cooler breezes coming off the Andes mountains. 

My friend Jen captured me here chewing my nails like I will do occassionally when I am nervous.  It's such a bad habit and I don't know where I picked it up.  At least I don't chew the hair off my arms like my Dad does!!!  Bizarre stuff.  What do you do when you get anxious? I think we were heading into some muddy areas from the shoes I'm wearing and didn't want to sink in the mud as I had done when we first arrived.  I had brought my water shoes but since we were hiking, I left them behind.  There is nothing worse than mud all over your clothes because it's so hard to get out....especially when you're on a trip with a limited supply of outfits!!!

This was one of my favorite parts of our journey to Peru.  Although to be honest, I had a lot of favorite moments in this country.  What I loved best about this part of our trek was that we had great weather and were able to relax a bit before some major hiking.  Monkeys got into everything which included my backpack!!  But that is another story.  Once we left the rain forest and flew back up into the high altitudes of Cuzco, my headache returned for the remainder of our trip. 

The Tambopata river flows through the Tambopata Natural Reserve. If you know you'll be in Peru for some time, take a flight out of Cuzco or Lima for Puerto Maldonado.  Most of the ecolodges will be awaiting your arrival at the airport.  Once that happens, you'll be bussed to the river from Puerto Maldonado.  Our flight from Cuzco to the Amazon was really cool.  We went from icy mountaintops to green green green rainforest as far as the eye could see.  When we landed, I remember the warm and breezy air.  It was like paradise.  Cuzco gets cold, but in the Amazon, it was perfection.  Until tomorrow....

An Oxbow Lake

This week we're heading to the Amazon before coming back to Southern Arizona for the "After the Wildfire Series" which are photo shoots that I took in April, May, and July on Mt. Lemmon and at the Chiricahua National Monument.  After that, we'll be visiting the El Presidio Gardens and property.  Along the way, there will be stand alone articles that interested me over this past month.

One of the things I found interesting on our trip to Peru back in 2008 was an area of water in the Amazon rain forest known as an Oxbow Lake.  At first, I thought it was the name of the lake until our guide informed us that it was a type of lake found in different parts of the world. So what is an Oxbow Lake?  Here's the definition with some really cool illustrations by Ponds and Lakes .

An oxbow is a crescent-shaped lake lying alongside a winding river. The oxbow lake is created over time as erosion and deposits of soil change the river's course. You can see how an oxbow lake takes shape below:

On the inside of the loop, the river travels more slowly leading to deposition of silt.

Meanwhile water on the outside edges tends to flow faster, which erodes the banks making the meander even wider. Over time the loop of the meander widens until the neck vanishes altogether.

Then the meander is removed from the river's current and the horseshoe shaped oxbow lake is formed. Without a current to move the water along, sediment builds up along the banks and fills in the lake.

The Kapok Tree on a trail leading to one of the Oxbow Lakes off the Tambopata River in the Amazon

Here's the experience to the knowledge......and my favorite part:)  We initially went to find the endangered 6-8 feet Giant River Otter that lives in these lakes.  There were also chances to see the black caiman and boa constrictors, but we didn't see any of these elusive reptiles.  However at this point, I was happy and still living off my high that I got to see a jaguar in the wild.  My eyes and camera have gotten a lot better over time spotting wildlife in the rain forest.  My experience in Panama this past summer has sharpened my senses. So in hindsight, I wish I could go back in time with the focus and experience I have now to redo the trip.  I bet I would "see" a lot more the second time around. And let's not talk about my camera at the time.:)

However, we learned a lot about these magnificent Oxbow Lakes.  The trail to the first one was incredible.  We took a boat ride up the Tambopata river to a trailhead.  Once we arrived at Tres Chimbadas, we could only use a paddle boat to get onto the lake.  Here my friend Jen fished for Sardine and Piranhas! And she caught several.  The fish were captured and released.  Talk about aggressive little critters.  We put some "carnada" or bait on a hook and within seconds, a pirahna would snatch it off the line.  I didn't really care for fishing as I had done a lot of it as a kid and don't have the patience for it. So I watched Jen work her magic until I noticed the sun setting.  We had our headlamps, but I started getting a little preoccupied by the darkness.  There was still a lake that needed to be crossed and a trail that had some substantial hiking to return to our boat on the river. The pic below shows why I was a bit nervous.  At night, MOST of the animals come out of the dark and in this particular area, there were some larger critters I didn't want to come across in the black forest....caiman, tarantulas, and especially boa constrictors!  I remember that walk for all 3 of us.  It was fast with some tension in the air because it was scary!  In hindsight, I loved that feeling.  And I'll never forget the night sky.  No people.  No lights.  Just the stars and the Milky Way. Our Southern friends have a great view of space!  Of course, I cracked jokes and said Jen's favorite word, "BUSHMASTER!". There was no denying that we needed to move quickly to make it back safely to our boat.  Luckily, there weren't any bushmasters but it was always the running joke. We would eventually be attacked by killer ants but that is another story.  No one ever tells you about the bugs.....the real dangers!

Caiman

This is a terrible pic, but during the day, A LOT of caiman could be spotted sunning while at night, they surfaced all over on the rivers and lakes.  The Oxbow Lakes had an eery quality to them. Magical but eery.  If one were to film a horror flick, this would be a place to do it.  They are secluded areas full of wildlife, but I sensed that danger was just lurking moments away.  Thankfully we had our guide Robin with us to keep us safe.  It was definitely an amazing trip and we learned much from this Oxbow Lake experience.  Remember, if you go here, keep your eyes open for that Giant Otter.  They'll play with their families early morning or before dusk.  I would recommend you get up early and go to the clay licks to watch Macaws and other parrots do their morning ritual and then head over to the Oxbow lakes for an early morning view of the Giant Otters.  Until tomorrow....

The Amazon in Peru

A walk back from our plant studies and whom do we find feasting on the fruits?:) Why yes...it's Pepe:)

The Oxbow Lakes where one can find the endangered Giant Otters

So sorry about the video but it was my first attempt to start taping little events in life such as Pepe eating our food...it's crude but fun...no sound on these vid clips.

Inspiration from the wild and what I bring to my current garden:)

Butterflies on the beach and they LOVE clay soil!

Me and Pepe having a chat about taking a bath and stealing clothes at night:)

Closer and then he ran:)

Watch where you walk:)

Greetings all,

Look closely to see the Jaguar...it's called casmulaje:)

By night....oh the stars in silence surrounded by caimen

As I piece together journals from the past years, I begin to look at some of the things that help me form my "style" here in the desert southwest.  Today was a fantastic day.  It has rained non stop over the past 3 days and the air smells so wonderful....there is nothing like a desert rain.  I took at walk and listened to some great music around the neighborhood.....I'll have a post on my neighborhood down the road....it will be titled, THE GOOD, THE BAD, and THE UGLY:) because that is where I live:) I always explain to people that I live between good and evil at the dead end of a road....we are kind of our own island. Okay...stay on track!!:)

The Tambopata River

The crew

My mind loves to wander and that is how I teach in my classroom.....talk about tangents!!!  The kids love it and I have to admit that it gives me a good laugh.....as I long as I get my work done:) Where was I??  Right my neighborhood:)  While I was working on the garden today, an older French lady strolled upon my secret garden and wanted to know if there any spaces available for renting. She loved the place and all the vegetation.....I was working on my cactus garden and trying to find the leak in my window from the rains. I don't know who she was but I fell in love with her....well not love...but I really liked her...the international type trying to make it in this dark world of ours.  She doesn't have a car and is 64 years old trying to get out of a neighborhood that turned bad...gangs, prostitution, drugs, etc, etc.  Her situation is characteristic of so many people today....you know the one....where you say, "At 64 I will have 10.5 grandchildren and a house made of gingerbread.", but discover that you are divorced, no grandchildren, stuck with dengue fever, and your gingerbread house was eaten by a pothead.  I'm a sucker for these cases.  We spoke for about 45 minutes. What struck me as awesome was that a person.....and a FRENCH one noticed my work and fell in love....it was a huge compliment and confirmed why I do this...not only for the love and what you leave behind stuff....but for people to stroll and smile and enjoy nature.....so it tells me that I am on the right track:) I hope that she finds a place to rent....we are a 16 unit condo property with one person selling currently....maybe she'll rent...who knows?:) So I gave her the info and we'll see if we have an educated international French woman on our property....oh yeah...she also served in the Peace Corps...nothing like meeting another PCV(Peace Corp Volunteer)....instant worldly bond:)

Our room without walls to the Amazon...awesome!!

Yummy Lunch

Okay Okay...you're saying this blog has nothing to do with the Amazon....it will:) Tomorrow I am going to jump on the roof and shoot some pics from the sky downward and post.  I LOVE what I saw today....but part of why I am doing this is to record the history of this property because every year it has been changing and like a dummy, I have not taken my "Before" pictures like most people do.....so my intention tomorrow is to do some shots of the grounds from above to keep track of the progress.  When I first moved into the property 3 years ago, we had dead trees all over the place and it was terrible....there was empty land with weeds growing all over surrounded  by rotted fences(which are still there!!!) Except the amazing 2 live oaks that somehow survived neglect for so many years....:) We had these overpaid alcoholics(yes they were....you should have smelled their breath!!!) come and rake gravel and blow leaves...no watering no planting no fertilizing....nada.  They would lie to me about things working which didn't.....so I just observed my first year and got very angry.  I was spending my own money and they were killing my plants!!!  So in January of 2008, I took the money and reigns over the property, fired the company, and started buying my garden tools that were recently stolen(that's another story!!).  I replaced old rotted wood with Mexican art and learned how to tile benches!! I had to fix things first before I moved forward if that makes any sense?.....so today, it's nice just to be able to go and buy plants and dig a hole instead of pruning trees that should have been pruned 20 years ago or cutting down dead trees and ripping out the roots....hiring people to do this is expensive!!! People freaked and complained that I was doing more damage because I was cutting down their favorite dead yew tree....yes I wrote dead:)  Apparently our irrigation system worked as well.....and I have yet to see any water come out of it:) Moving on....

Catching Piranhas on the Oxbow Lakes

The Amazon????  Almost there......I'm on summer break and therefore have some "fun" time on my hands to blog so don't think I am a complete nerd who sits at his computer all day...I don't....most of the time:) And I need to recollect things to keep this in a log for this property in case anything ever happens to me....I will be able to die comfortably just knowing that "Las Aventuras" is there for them to read.....of course, they will probably die of boredom from reading it:)  Okay I need to close my boca and talk about Peru.

My perfect breakfast with monkeys in the background

The boat ride to our site...wow!! 6 hours!

Peru is amazing and as the blog suggests, there will be 4 parts to it as there is much to see in this incredible country.  Too much to cover in one blog and  never have I seen such crazy zone change in one place.  You could be freezing your butt off in one part and several meters away, you are in the balmy rain forest.  Yes that's true...I am not lying.  I hiked the Inca trail up to Machu Picchu and I was just dumbfounded by the climate change...so there you go. You have to see it to believe it!

Los Gatos waterfall from a distance

Sunrise in the Amazon. Notice the mist rising from the forest floor!

The Amazon is something you should see before you die or before it dies.  Sorry but I am a pessimist in this area....I believe the world is going to get worse before it gets better.  The Amazon is shrinking and all you need to do is take a boat ride to see it happening.....it is so hard for me to watch.  I am very much a part of the natural world and watched several animals there trying to escape humans in a river killed illegally.  It was hard to watch....so let me stick to the positive:)  I flew from winter Cuzco into sunny jungly Puerto Maldonado.  You see ice glaciers for miles and miles...and then clouds and then you descend from those clouds and you see nothing but rain forest for hundreds of miles...no cities....no people and as far as the eye can see.....heaven amidst chocolate rivers surrounded by an enormous green emerald.....there is nothing more stunning than the Amazon.

Path out into the jungle

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Nice on a hot muggy day:)

The Walking Tree....like from Lord of the Rings...this is real stuff people!!

This was my 2008 trip for one month and I discovered that things like caladiums and other tropical beauties do well in my Tucson...with a little water and mostly in pots and in more shade than sun....and out of frosty winter nights:)  In a post back, I showed everyone some inspiration that I had in Peru.....that pic is uploaded here for your viewing pleasure.  The Amazon is everything people say it is.  You need to go for inspiration, soul searching, or just simply to relax. You will be taught about the plants and how the farmers work within the Amazon to produce things like bananas, or the Brazil nut(they argue it should be called the Peru nut), mahogany wood...those trees are HUGE and sadly many are cut and sent down the river to mills for production.

In closing, something amazing happened on this trip.....Pacha Mama(their version of Mother Nature...and P.S. They really do believe in her...no joke...I did and they didn't think it was funny) allowed me to view the very elusive Jaguar.  Never in my life did I think I would see this sacred animal.....but I did and I hope you do as well because nothing is better than seeing a live, free Jaguar in the wild as it was meant to be.  Happy Gardening!!

At our Lodge...no walls and all critters of the night came to visit including a Howler monkey who stole stuff out of my backpack:)  His name was Pepe!

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Los Gatos with a friend