Monthly Newsletter - December 2008

While some well-seasoned travelers associate a vacation to the jungle filled with lazy afternoons, reading in hammocks and enjoying the savory cuisine of the rainforest, there are those travelers who take a much more active approach to a visit to the Amazon. Adventure activities in the rainforest are becoming alternative ways to experience the Amazon. The more popular of these activities are mountain biking, kayaking and canopy climbing. While visiting the Refugio Amazonas, the Tambopata Research Center and Posada Amazonas in the province of Tambopata in the Peruvian department of Madre de Dios I experienced these so called “soft-adventure” activities firsthand.

Mountain Biking at the Refugio Amazonas

The Refugio Amazonas has an extensive and carefully planned route for mountain biking. Speeding and rushing over harsh terrain in a natural sanctuary is surely not an effective way to spot the animals of the Amazon, but this is not the point of this activity. Taking a rugged activity and putting it in a different environment is an experience that is not easily forgotten. I put on a helmet, grabbed a water bottle and headed to the course with the Cesar, the lodge’s adventure guide.

It was hot, humid and sticky; my perspiration clung to my clothing, but air hitting my face as I pedaled along cooled me down. This carefully carved course is diverse, well-maintained and very exciting. The bikes are new and I almost feel bad taking them on such rugged terrain, but it’s this type of trail, not the paved streets of suburbia, that they were made for. After riding down slopes, ducking for hanging plants and pedaling hard to make it up steep hills, we reach a small stream with surprisingly clear water. We cool off before heading back on the trail to go back to the Refugio Amazonas.

Kayaking at the Tambopata Research Center

Kayaking may be one of the better ways to see the jungle’s animals up close. While the transportation boats of the lodges are large and have propellers, kayaking is virtually silent and the small size of the kayak allows access to shallow areas. At the Tambopata Research Center, I followed Cesar on a kayak excursion to the Amazon River. I listened to his instructions, put on a life vest and got into my kayak. It has been years since my last kayaking expedition, but it is easy to get in and start rowing away. As there is no rush and travelers are not racing against each other (at least my group was not!), this is a great way to observe the natural surroundings.

We silently proceed with our non-threatening kayaks to a shallow creek bed and start looking out for wildlife. A friend motions that he has spotted a baby caiman, so I proceed to row toward him. All of a sudden, my paddle gets stuck in some mud, the caiman sneaks under my kayak and some other wildlife rush to hide. One has to be careful to be very quiet in order to let the natural environment be at peace. We leave the calm creek bed and paddle towards a rougher part of the Amazon. After a fun path through wilder waters, we are met up by our transportation boat and head back to the Tambopata Research Center.

Canopy Climbing at Posadas Amazonas

While kayaking is a prodigious way to see some of the Amazon’s fauna that congregate around the river, canopy climbing lets you see the birds and animals that dominate the peaks of the rainforest’s highest trees. This is the method that macaw researchers use to get up and close to the animals that have made this region famous. This activity requires no previous experience; just a bit of determination will do the trick.

With the help of a guide, visitors can climb a thirty meter tree with a rope, harness and jumar. It looks much more complicated that it actually is. The first couple of steps are a little tough, but as I moved up the rope I found that these climbing devices are very user friendly. As you climb up, notice all the majestic trees you have only been seeing from the ground. This thrilling effort up will be rewarded by the opportunity to be as close as one can be to the natural habitat of some of the Amazon’s most magnificent birds.

To find out about what type of adventure you can have in the Amazon please contact a Peru for Less sales member. They will be more than happy to tell you about the exciting activities available at Puerto Maldonado’s Refugio Amazonas, Posada Amazonas or Tambopata Research Center

By
Alex Seeger

If you have any questions regarding his article, please write to him at alex@peruforless.com.

PAST NEWSLETTERS:

• Newsletter November 2008
• Newsletter October 2008
• Newsletter September 2008
• Newsletter August 2008
• Newsletter July 2008
• Newsletter June 2008
• Newsletter May 2008
• Newsletter April 2008
• Newsletter February 2008
• Newsletter January 2008