Peru Adventuring – Lake Sandoval, Wow!

It’s day 5 on Peter’s Peru Adventure.  Day 4′s entry can be found here and all previous entries can be found here.  To get updates sent to you via email, subscribe here.

Today’s excursion was a combination of the Lake Sandoval hike and paddle with a side trip over to Concepcion, a research facility run by the Amazon Center for Education and Environmental Research (ACEER), funded by National Geographic and open to a number of Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) for their use in studies.  After an early wake up knock (it’s not really a call as there are no phones) I decided to sign up for two massages the coming weekend.  There are a lot of good choices but I picked the Amazon Purification Treatment, complete with cooling gel wrap and the cold stone massage, one on each day.  I met up with Susie and our guide Yuri and we were on the water heading West by 6am.

It’s a short walk from the boat to a checkpoint where all who enter Tambopata National Reserve via this path must register.  At the checkpoint is a good display featuring panels describing wildlife, plants and the ecology of the lake.  By now I noticed the rubber boots I put on at the lodge were not the best fit, even with big, thick socks.  I was feeling a bit of rubbing on both heels.  Later, that rubbing would build to the largest heel blisters I’ve ever had.  Although an attempt was made to stop some rubbing with the application of Piglet and Pooh bandaids borrowed from a family we traveled with.  I have since made sure to carry my full first-aid kit, with moleskin, everywhere I go.

Along the flat but muddy 3km trail to the lake we spotted quite a bit of wildlife.  A family of macaws screeched over head sounding as if a 737 were about to land.  Perched on a far palm tree, we were able to watch as the parents looked for food and the juvenile continually pestered his mother.  Kids are the same in a lot of species.  Capuche monkeys darted 10 meters over our heads and we were constantly stepping over lines of ants rummaging through the forest and bringing back food.

We reached the boat launch which took us down a wandering, swampy path to the open lake.  This lake was formed more than a thousand years ago when a bend in the river was cut off from the river proper, which took a more direct path towards its goal.  Known as an oxbow lake, its northern half slowly filled in with palm trees which thrive in the swampy areas.   The short journey to the lake was a delight, with a chance to view a night heron from ten paces as it was perched, waiting for a meal to surface in the boggy waters.

Out on the lake we noticed about five pairs of a local bird called the Hautzin.  They like to nest close to the lake and travel in small groups.   They are a colorful bird with a large, blue ring around their eyes, giving their stare an eery quality.  Soon Yuri took us to the other side of the lake in a hurry as he had spotted the rare and endangered giant river otters resident here.  The numbers of these otters have dwindled world wide to less than 500 I believe.  I always love watching otters for their playfulness and this family of six was feeding on the ample fish in the lake.   The presence of a large omnivore at the top of the food chain was a good sign that the protection the lake enjoys has helped it thrive.  It is a truly beautiful lake made all the better by the general lack of other visitors and motorized boats.

The list of animals just kept piling up; ruffled tiger heron, snake bird, mosquito bats, stripped heron, so many more!  In the lake are also piranha, cayman and anaconda.  We reached a spot to get out and try our hand at a rope swing and hide from the blazing sun that was giving me a bit of a sunburn on my face (Inkaterra had provided Yuri with some cool towels and they were very welcome on the lake).  The rope was a bit short so I had to launch from the boat.  The water was a refreshing 75F or so and about 4 feet down dropped to 50F.  It was just what was needed to chill out and I was happy to be out of the infernal boots.  By the way, the piranha aren’t the kind that eat your flesh, in case any of you were were worried.  Just don’t let too many people know cus I plan to boast that I swam in a piranha filled lake and survived.  :)

The blisters weren’t doing any better on the 3km hike back and then 2 more kilometers to Concepcion.  After a nice picnic lunch we toured the medicinal garden, sporting over 250 different plants for study.  Plants that can numb your mouth, plants that turn red when crushed and water is added, plants that heal this infection or that.  My mind couldn’t take it all in, there was just so much.  And I took crappy notes.  For those interested in medicinal plants, I highly suggest hitting this stop with a knowledgeable guide.  You won’t be disappointed.

25 minutes later, and thankfully by boat, we were back at Inkaterra.  I headed for my shower as yet another day in the Amazon produced yet an other complete sweat soaked me.  You can’t escape the sweating really, but you can wash it off from time to time.  Plus the shower is cool and refreshing.  I did some reading, writing and relaxing at happy hour.  I joined Susie for dinner again and we chatted until they threw us out at midnight when they shut off the generator.  Another fun day in the jungle was over.  I have plans to do nothing except massages this weekend and gave Yuri the weekend off to spend with his family.  All in all, I’m really loving it here.