Creepy Crawlies
Topic: Peru
We woke early to the eerie sounds of the howler monkeys. We showered in the dark which has its advantages: you can't see what monsters lurk in the corners (it's all open to the jungle).

Everyone was lively at breakfast. Mark and Ann found a Blair Witch like voodoo construction outside their tent - a stick with twigs tied around one end. What could this mean? It wasn't there the previous day.

We compared ankle bites. The cunning critters are biting through socks and trousers!

We spent the morning powering back by boat to Boca Manu, Fitzcarald (yes, like the film): to semi-civilisation and the airstrip where we would leave Nora and Alejandro. Alejandro is a mystery man from the jungle. He was introduced to us in Cusco simply as "an engineer coming to examine the campsites and lodges" but we generated alternative theories about his identity during the trip. What was funny was that we left Katherine to find her own way to the airstrip but we delivered Nora and Alejandro and even put them on the plane!

The airstrip was very amusing. We moored the boat and walked through the woods, past a house with washing out to a grass clearing with a basic shelter. Two men were mowing the grass with hand mowers. Mark and Ann told us that they had been doing the same thing when they had arrived. The shelter (4 poles and thatched roof) was in fact the terminal building, waiting room, check in desk and control tower. There was a weighing scales which weighed the baggage AND the passengers. A wheel barrow was available to take the bags to the plane. A military plane landed and people got off, including a charismatic gringo who knew Alejandro. We added further conspiracy theories to our growing plot. There is a novel in there somewhere. And a film. The trailer voice over would start: "A secret airstrip in the heart of the Amazon rain forest".

After putting Nora and Alejandro on the plane, the rest of us went back to Boca Manu for a lunch of rice and beans. A scabby, skinny dog patiently waited for leftovers, probably the best meal he had had in months. Well fed children pestered us with requests for coke and sweets. One boy said to me "Gringa, comprame gaseosa". I told him it would rot his teeth. He glared at me. I glared back. He knew I had won.

Before leaving, I went to the loo - it was a corner of the room behind blue plastic sheeting. To my surprise there was a real toilet (and a real bucket to flush it with brown river water).

After 3 more hours of boat travel (the reason why I have such a complete diary for this section!) we arrived at the lodge. We were very excited. It was beautiful - all wooden walkways nestled in tropical jungle. Clean towels and our own bathroom - luxury indeed! There were fewer mozzies but the candle light revealed the most enormous flying cockroaches up in the rafters. I hoped the flimsy mosquito net would keep them out.

After a brief rest, we put or wellies and went on a walk through the sludge to spot tapirs. I still don't actually know what a tapir is! Nicolas was in a foul mood. We think we was missing Nora. He stormed on ahead and shouted instructions back at us. It was really mucky, hot and sticky. The ground that wasn't flooded was covered with fungi, damp leaves and frogs. David kept walking into giant spider webs. We thought Shelob would get him. After about an hour, we reached a lookout tower and were told to sit still not moving or talking or looking out in an attempt to spot tapirs. No looking. No standing. No moving. No photographs. No talking. No breathing. Poor Vaila sneezed and received a dirty look from Nicolas. We sat there for about an hours and a half as it turned dark listening to the symphony of noises of birds and insects from the forest. We have serious doubts of the existence of tapirs. Nicolas had never even seen one! We walked back by torch light which was scary and exciting. I slipped in the sludge at one point and almost went in. I wonder how many creatures perished under 6 pairs of welly boots that night.

We could't wait to shower as we were hot, sticky and absolutely dripping. I loved taking a shower that I didn't share with 200 mosquitoes!

We had bought a bottle of warm Chilean wine in Boca Manu and we had it in out steel beakers to accompany the rubber chicken. Only Vaila would eat it (as a challenge) as she prides herself o being able to eat anything. She's not kidding. It would have been easier to eat rubber ball. We were laughing until we cried as we speculated as to the origin of the chicken. Even the "cooker" was laughing at it.