Slick's Shoe Box

Paracas Candelabra

The Paracas Nature Reserve is a must for anyone visiting Peru, many have called it the Peruvian Galapagos and for good reason. The area around the Ballesta islands is home to a multitude of animal species including penguins and seals. We arrived a little late and had to rush out to the tour boat with everyone already waiting on us. The boat itself had room for roughly 14 and was perfect to take pictures from as we traveled out to the islands past the Paracas Candelabra which is a glyph from around 200 BCE. Historians and archaeologists are unsure as to what it symbolized but it was absolutely massive, being roughly 600 feet tall on the hillside.

A fishing vessel we passed on the way to the Ballestas

Ballesta Islands

The islands themselves were like a scene out of The Birds, the vast numbers and types were astounding. Additionally the islands are inhabited by seals which were raising their young on our visit, we were extremely lucky to see some of the baby seals both in the water and along the shoreline.

These guys were quite the characters

The birds...they are everywhere!

Quite a meme-able expression

The king of the island

We spent a solid two hours out around the islands before heading back to the shore. I probably should have put a little more sunscreen on as I was pretty red by the time I made it back on land. We spent the next hour touring the the town at Paracas, eating some seafood and snapping a few touristy photos like this one:

It just wanted the fish

It took some convincing to get her to stand next to the pelican but I think it was well worth it! After we left the town we went to the newly constructed nature center located in the protected area of the Reserve. The nature center provided lots of interesting information on the ecosystem of the area as well as being located near a beautiful beach unlike anything I had witnessed before. The colors were gorgeous!

The yellow limestone was etched out in some areas

The contrast was stunning

We left Paracas and headed back to Lima for the night before flying out to Puerto Maldonado bright and early the next morning. When we stepped off the plane we could instantly tell the difference in climate; the air was thick and humid, the forests were lush and creeped into civilization anywhere possible. The airport terminal was open air and had no jet-ways or other common modern airport conveniences beyond a single luggage conveyor belt. From the airport we were loaded onto a large jacked-up van where our luggage was lifted and tied down on the roof. Once we sat down we were told to look under our seats and were greeted with a snack of local fare including plantain chips, macadamia nuts and other treats. The van took us to the main "offices" of the company that operates the Refugio Amazonas Eco Lodge located in the Peruvian Amazon. There we had to show our immunization records (Yellow Fever can be a serious issue in the forest). The lodge was located 4 hours up river and required us to board a small boat that would take us there.

Our sweet ride for 4 hours

HDR anyone?

 The boat ride was peaceful and engaging. We passed locals who rely on the river to conduct commerce and as their main avenue of transportation. 

The largest Papayas I've ever seen

Stopped along the way for a bathroom break... intimidating to pee in the Amazon.

Along the way we saw a wide array of animals that became more prevelant the deeper into the forest we went including Macaws, turtles, Camen, and any number of parrots and other birds.

Just a couple Macaws kissing...

Apparently the butterflies drink the turtle's tears

The venerable Capybara-largest rodent in the world

A freshwater Camen

Along the way we also stopped at the check in station to the nature reserve where we were required to sign into the park, show our immunization records again and received an awesome stamp in our passports for the park. When we finally arrived at our destination we walked up a staircase built into the river bank and up through a candlelit path in the forest. It opened up to the lodge, a stunning two story complex open to the jungle that even had a bar and spa.

Refugio Lodge walkway to the suites

Refugio Bar, proprietor of jungle libations

Refugio walkway

Our room only had three walls, the forth was completely open to the jungle. We were even provided with a safe to keep any food items we had in just in case a monkey decided to wander in. Meals were served at set times for the whole lodge and the food was outstanding. It was all locally sourced and included many types of fruits and vegetables I had never experienced before. The lodge also had plenty of room to lounge around, read, and decompress as you listen to the noises of the forest around you. It also acts as the rally point for all sorts of excursions. While there we took a guided forest tour detailing some of the fauna and flora as well as taking a canoe tour around one of the lakes in the area.

Small bats resting on a log

Dragon fly I captured while walking to the lake

A bird through the reeds

A pretty butterfly

The Army Ants were everywhere Two other tours we went on during our stay took us up a canopy viewing deck ( I only made it halfway before my fear of heights overwhelmed me) and to a local sustainable farm across the river from the lodge.

The friendly pet monkey we met

Priceless We left Puerto Maldonado with heavy hearts, it was a marvelous experience and one I am surely not soon to forget. At the same time we were extremely excited for the last leg of our trip...Cusco and Machu Picchu!