Out of Brazil into Peru.

I know this post is a bit out of order but its been busy and today James and I are having a forced extra day due to a very bad tummy bug he picked up last night so we elected to stay in Urubamba for an extra day and catch up tomorrow while everyone is at Colca Canyon with the Condors. I’ll use the time to catch up on my blog and sorting photos

We left Rio Branco and its razor wire for the drive to the Brazilian border over fairly good tarmac with not too many potholes. About 3k’s from the border we thought we had a tyre going down the way the car was handling only to discover that we had broken a main rear spring leaf. So the potholes and the fact that the rear springs have been on the car ever since James and I did Africa in 2012.

The decision was made to limp to the border and get into Peru before it closed at 1300 for lunch then fix on the other side. Brazil exit was as smooth as you can hope with a border and we arrived at Peru at 1200 in the middle of a thunderstorm. Rain shuts down the power and border processing stops. While lunching James said let’s go and find a fuel station awning and we will be nearly fixed by the time lunch was over. Mainspring leaves is one of the few spare parts we carry.

We found a great awning back in no man’s land with dry concrete and room for people to get to his pumps. The owner spoke very good English as welcomed us while we fixed. While there we had a visit from a Peruvian dog which has no hair except its tail and a Mohawk.

With the help of Ian the service mechanic we had the job finished about 10 minutes after the rest of our group had cleared the border so good timing.

We arrive into Porto Maldonado for a rest day and jungle visit in the dark but still in time for dinner so another great day.

We started the day with an early cruise to visit parrots that eat clay out of the riverbank in special areas to get minerals they require. The parrot activity was not great but it always impressive being on the waterways of the Amazon with the size and the flow of the river and this was only a tributary.

After lunch we all headed out on a riverboat trip to a jungle walk and canoe trip around a lake. This started as good as it gets with a 2 Toed Sloth and baby in the trees as we head down the steps to the boat. Sloths appear to like an urban environment due to their main predator the eagle doesn’t come near towns.

The jungle walk was fun with a snake eating a frog and main butterflies before getting to the lake for sightings of Caiman, Squirrel Monkey, Bats and many different birds.

Walking home from dinner that night I saw a most interesting bike load with the 2 kids sitting on the fuel tank in front of Dad and Mum breast feeding the baby on the back while going down the street. The only person wearing a helmet was Dad. From what I saw in the town, law must be that only the rider needs a helmet as no passengers ever wear helmets

It was then of to the Andes and Machu Picchu the next day.