We redeemed 3,000 Avianca Lifemiles per person plus $4.25 in taxes (18,000 LifeMiles plus $25.50 total) for our flights from Cuzco to Puerto Maldonado and were picked up from the airport and taken to our hotel in the city of Puerto Maldonado. We enjoyed some time at the pool and picked up some snacks and supplies for our journey to the jungle the next morning.
We booked a 2 day, 1 night trip with the Corto Maltes lodge, and paid a bit extra to start very early (6am) and get a few more excursions in. All in all, we were able to get all of the excursions in that they normally schedule for a 3 day, 2 night trip and we still had some downtime in the lodge.
We were taken from Puerto Maldonado by boat up the Madre de Dios river to the Corto Maltes lodge where we dropped our stuff and got some gum boots and headed, again by boat, further up the river for a trek to Sandoval Lake.
We walked 3km each way through slippery mud to get to Sandoval Lake where we were able to see turtles, bats, a black caiman, many different species of monkeys, and other wildlife. Zander got bit by fire ants while we were walking out and made some shrieking noises of his own to compete with the monkeys.
Had we known what we were getting into, we probably wouldn't have chosen to do this expedition. It was very hard, especially with the little kids...it was not for sissies. It was hot, humid, filthy (trudging through deep mud will do that to a person), and there were bugs and insects aplenty.
Once we got to Sandoval Lake, we got into a large canoe where we paddled out onto the lake. It was blistering hot and there was no escape from the sun (everyone was so hot and sweaty that it was nearly impossible to apply additional sunscreen as it would just mix in with the sweat and not get absorbed at all). A few members of the group, led by Cody jumped into the lake despite the piranhas and the threats, warnings, and anger from the wives/mothers in the boat (Eliza and Alex).
Those that did participate in the swimming were in much better moods because they were able to get a small reprieve from the heat and humidity.
A family of turtles as we enter Lake Sandoval on a long canoe.
Our crew at Lake Sandoval, Peru.
Bats, lined up orderly on a tree on the shore of Lake Sandoval, Peru.
Hiking through the mud on the way to Lake Sandoval, Peru...as can be seen from the picture, the gum boots came off for some as it was easier to walk barefoot in the mud than carry the sticky gumboots.
Despite the heat, humidity, mud, and bugs, there were some pretty amazing trees in this section of the Amazon rainforest.
Family picture at the end of our hike to Lake Sandoval, Peru.
Zander was exhausted after having hiked 6km+ through deep mud in heat and humidity to Lake Sandoval, Peru.
After the excursion to Lake Sandoval, we had some downtime at the pool and ate lunch in the lodge. We were able to wander through the grounds of the lodge and walk out to one of the lookout towers nearby in the jungle.
At night, we took an excursion out on the river with spotlights and looked for caiman. Luckily, we were able to spot 2 dwarf caiman and a white caiman to add to the black caiman that we had seen earlier in the day at Lake Sandoval.
When we got back to the lodge we went hunting for tarantula and were able to find a few hiding in the trees and bushes, eerily close to where we were sleeping.
Some of the group woke up early the next morning and hiked out to a spot in the middle of the jungle and waited for about 35 minutes until hundreds of parrots and parakeets gathered near a clay lick.
Dwarf caiman on the banks of the Madre de Dios river.
Tarantula hiding in one of the palm trees near our lodge.
Rick, trying to sneak off with some platanos for lunch.
Ryder, Levi, and Nash in the city of Puerto Maldonado...these chicken are probably being cooked in the sun it was so hot.
Cody and Nash, sweating to death on the canoe at Lake Sandoval.
Our crew, enjoying some shade on one of the tributary rivers to Lake Sandoval, Peru.
Black caiman on the banks of Lake Sandoval, Peru.
Our crew (Kemps and Whippermans) at the end of our hike to Lake Sandoval, Peru.
Animals at Corto Maltes lodge.
Cool animals wandering around the grounds of the Corto Maltes lodge.
Hundreds of parakeets at the salt lick that we hiked to from the Corto Maltes lodge.
Turtles on a log at Lake Sandoval, Peru.
Lake Sandoval, Peru...beautiful, but hot and difficult to get to.
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