May 25, 2010 (Day 7)
Another early morning wake-up call to travel about 8 to 9 hours upriver into the Reserved Zone of Manu National Park. Logging is reportedly prohibited in Manu so the locals take full advantage of fallen trees that are swept downstream during the rainy season, and harvest the massive trees that eventually end up back on shore.
Before entering the Park, we stopped in the village of Boca Manu for lunch at the waterfront patio and the opportunity to buy any forgotten basic essentials at its general store before heading back on the boat.
Our next stop was at the Limonal Guard Station where our tour's permit was checked and we signed the log book before continuing further upstream. All throughout the boat trip, we came across a variety of birds and the occasional shower.
In the afternoon, we arrived at Albergue Casa Matsiguenka, where we spent two nights in the "rustic" lodge. "Rustic" was the term used by the tour guide and it met the bill fairly well.
The washrooms were 54 steps from the lodge through the jungle...
Yes, 54! I counted them before we went for our late afternoon hike... just in case, I had to go in the middle of the night and went the wrong way... lol The washroom facilities had more than its fair share of ants, cockroaches, spiders, and even a bamboo rat (chewing on a bar of soap) on one of the overhead support beams. Sorry folks, no photos of the rat.... we saw it after our late evening candlelight dinner and I didn't have my camera with me. The kitchen and dining facilities were located in another opening in the jungle a short walk from our lodge.
The lodges are built in typical Machiguenga style and are operated by the natives, who have a small presence on site.
After dinner and the rat incident, it was time to bunker down into bed, draw down the thick mosquito sheets (yes, a thick bed sheet and not one of those wimpy, thin screens).
and hope that a midnight walk to the washroom wasn't necessary :)
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