Colors of the Amazon

A chorus of cackles erupts early morning on the largest clay lick in the world, Chuncho, a two-hour boat ride away from our jungle lodge in Tambopata National Reserve, deep in the Peruvian Amazon. There are two other Amazon locations in Peru - Manu National Park and Iquitos. Tambopata, however, has special animals we were rearing to see.

Reaching our lodge, inside Tambopata, took some maneuvering. A 30 minute van ride followed by a silent boat ride in the darkness on the Madre de Dios River.

“These waters have plenty of animals – catfish, piranhas. Never pee in them, because of the candirus.” – our boatman cautions. “My nine-year old likes to swim in the waters” – he adds. “When the caimans come, he just splashes hard and they turn away”.

Our lodge in the jungle is no Hilton. Pitch darkness around our quarter that needed headlamps, wild animals abound from birds and butterflies to this interloping caiman in our dining area.

The next morning, we head out in a boat and see animals resting along the water, including turtles, cormorants, and a family of capybaras - the largest rodents in the world.

A chorus of cackles erupt on the largest clay lick in the world, Chuncho, a two-hour boat ride away from our jungle lodge in Tambopata National Reserve, deep in the Peruvian Amazon.

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Click to go on to the wild river otters of Lake Sandoval (coming up).