Tambopata to Puerto Maldonado

Senovia in the peki peki on the way down the Tambopata to Puerto Maldonado.

The day I took the Rio Tambopata to Puerto Maldonado did not start off well. In fact, if I moved to Picaflor, I’d have to evict Pico. He left before I did this morning. With no idea where he was, I was ticked off. On Tuesday, the taxi-boat drove right by and we had to chase it down […]

Last Day at Picaflor Research Centre

Sunrise over the Tambopata River on my last day at Picaflor.

Today’s my last day at Picaflor Research Centre. Oh, no! I woke before the sun was up and went down to the river to watch the sunrise. It was so calm and beautiful, it was hard to stop watching. But it was my last chance to be in the jungle at dawn, so I pulled myself away. I […]

Wildlife Sightings Round-Up from Picaflor

This wildlife sightings round-up from Picaflor Research Centre includes a tiny lizard, here seen in the corner of the shower.

Time for another wildlife sightings round-up from Picaflor! Here are a few tales about the animals I’ve seen in the jungle and around the hacienda lately. Pico and I went for a swim yesterday. On our way to the quebrada, we sighted a red-and-green macaw. On our way back, I saw what might have been an olive tree […]

Sleeping With Tarantulas at Picaflor Research Centre

This spider may or may not be similar to the time when I was sleeping with tarantulas at Picaflor.

Sleeping with tarantulas at Picaflor wasn’t exactly on my itinerary, but in a way, I guess it was meant to be… Johanna discovered a tarantula on the ceiling of her bedroom one morning, but it was her time to leave and she was packing. I went down to the river with Johanna to wait for her boat. While […]

Quest for Cold Drinks: Bushwhacking at Picaflor

When the Tambopata River's this high, it's no good for bushwhacking at Picaflor!

Twice we tried to get to the neighbouring lodge on foot, but it appears that bushwhacking at Picaflor is not so easy. It took a bee attack and crawling over sinking mud before we quit… First Attempt Bushwhacking at Picaflor When Elissa and Joel were here, we got the idea to try to bushwhack our way to Tambopata […]

More Work and Play at Picaflor Research Centre

A view of Picaflor's covered walkway from a the backyard hilltop, which is the site of work and play at Picaflor.

Katie and Eric left Friday morning to continue their honeymoon. For us, more work and play at Picaflor lay ahead. That day, Pico set Johanna and I to weeding the garden. Johanna really enjoys it, but I don’t like gardening. In an impossibly bad mood, I shared my feelings with Johanna so that she would at least understand […]

Wildlife Tales From Picaflor Research Centre

Wildlife tales from Picaflor aren't complete without a capybara such as this Ron look-alike.

I’ve got a few wildlife tales from Picaflor I haven’t told yet, so I’ve collected them here… Capybara One day while Elissa and Joel were here, Ron the capybara was trying to play with me while we were pumping water. He took a tiny little nibble just below my right knee, but he shouldn’t be faulted. He’s just […]

Oxbow Lake on the Tambopata Reserve: A Snake Tale

Visiting an oxbow lake on the Tambopata Reserve by canoe

On Tuesday, Pico brought us visiting an oxbow lake on the Tambopata Reserve. Nearby, the University of Lima maintains a research centre where its biology students can stay to do field work. We took Pico’s boat — it’s got a 50-horsepower Johnson, so even though it may look like a pekipeki, it’s much more powerful. By the way, […]

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