EC-Rider Travels

Lie-in till 0630 – luxury, though needless to say the howler monkeys and their friends had not got the message and rose with the sun!

I said a fond farewell to Denys, Lesley and Brian and headed off for the boat. On the way we passed a family of toucans which was a bit of a treat. Two hours on the boat back down stream followed by a 1.5hr journey on the rickety coach (air-con broken) to the ‘office’.

The poverty is quite sobering; there are a few communities along the river living in tin shacks with polythene roofs or sometimes vice verca . I can’t imagine what the heat must be like. There were a few slightly more sophisticated wooden houses but still with tin roofs. Most people are driving tuktuks or on motorbikes, the dust is indescribable so I cannot believe either is a pleasant experience, particularly when a rickety old coach passes. The last part of the journey was on a very potholed, but tarmac road and a slightly more organised life could be seen with a few brick or breeze block houses. Fences made of tyres keeping a small numbers of stock in small corals, but no structured farming could be seen. As we got closer to Puerto Maldonado life became a little more sophisticated.

My big suitcase was still in the office which was a relief and then on to the airport for a flight back to Lima via Cusco. They were proudly announcing an exciting promotion at Puerto Maldonado airport offering the use of the VIP lounge for $10 with access to air con, Wi-Fi, free drinks and food – so Ricky said I should. It was a room about the size of Grans sitting room, with a few chairs, a broken fridge with nice warm water and about three sandwiches, no Wi-Fi, but the air con was a joy.

For some reason I flew via Cusco but this did allow me to catch my first glimpse of the beautiful Andes. It was another very grey day in Lima indeed Lima seems rather a grey place. The journey from the airport perhaps does not show its best side, all pretty chaotic, half built and covered in what looks like a thick layer of dust. There is a massive Government development along the Pacific sea-front where they have reclaimed a huge amount of land which is apparently to be turned into hotels, amusement parks and houses – a surf centre so far! I checked into the Casa Andana Hotel which is in the up-market district of Miraflores. It is rather lonely to have a room all to myself with no flapping roomies buzzing around.