Lake Sandoval

In the morning, we took a one-hour flight to Puerto Maldonaldo in the Amazon basin. When we got off the plane, we were in a different world -- hot, humid and very green. People from Sandoval Lodge were waiting for us. We took a bus to their Puerto Maldonaldo office, where we were given small green duffel bags. We had to put everything we needed for the 2-day stay into these bags and leave the rest of our luggage in the storage room in the office. Then the bus took us to the river and we got onto a long motorized boat very similar to the boats we took on the Mekong river in Vietnam and Laos. Madre the Dios river also looked very much like Mekong, not as wide, but definitely the same color. During the 40 minute boat ride, we got our lunch --- brown rice with tofu and vegetables wrapped in a banana leaf, banana chips and a banana + a bottle of water. After the boat ride, we had to trek 3 km through the jungle to the lake and then take a 20 minute ride in a paddle boat across the lake to the lodge. Luckily, we didn’t have to carry our duffel bags. There was a porter who carried all of them in a big sack. This is the only way to get to the lodge and even the supplies get there the same way.

The road through the jungle was very uneven, but mostly dry. Supposedly during the rainy season, you walk in mud up to your knees. There are tons of mosquitoes everywhere so we sprayed our clothes, hats and all exposed parts of the body. We all smell like hell. During the paddle boat ride, we watched a bunch of red monkeys playing high up in the trees.

When we finally got to the lodge, we were greeted with a glass of passion fruit juice and a lecture about the rules and the daily drill. The lodge is pretty nice -- a spacious wooden building on stilts. The middle part is open and houses a social area --- hammocks, tables and armchairs, a bar and a dining area. On both sides there are two wings with sleeping quarters. Rooms are pretty small and not completely enclosed. The ceiling of the building is very high and the walls of the rooms don’t go all the way up to the ceiling so everybody can hear their neighbors quite well. Luckily, each room has a bathroom.

We had an hour and a half rest and at 4:30 got on the boat with our guide Hebert to watch the wildlife. If was getting dark and the mosquitoes were vicious. We circled a part of the lake and saw some exotic and less exotic birds, but no giant otters or caymans. We climbed a mirador high above the tree level and listened to the evening sounds of the jungle.

Then we got back to the lodge, sprayed some more mosquito repellent on ourselves and went on a night trek through the jungle. It was completely dark by then so we had to carry flashlights. We walked up and down and Hebert was pointing out creatures to us --- tarantulas, scorpion-spider, a snake, a black alligator, lots of gigantic ants, bats, etc.

We got back for dinner, and then had time till 10 pm to enjoy electric light because there is no electricity at the lodge between 10 pm and 5 am. At 5 am we got a wake up knock from Hebert and we had to get on the boat again at 5:30 to see the sunrise and watch how the jungle wakes up. We circled the lake in complete silence, saw lots of different birds, including parrots and tucans, a couple of black alligators… it was very peaceful. Then the group went back to the lodge for breakfast, and I climbed onto another boat in the middle of the lake to take the same trek to the airport for my flight back to Lima. I joined four young Minnesotans and we traveled to the airport together.

I was really surprised at the level of service the lodge provided. Not only did they pack a nice breakfast for me, but when we got to the office in Puerto Maldonaldo, our bags were already waiting for us and we were given boarding passes for our flight. After repacking, they took us to the airport, carried all our bags to the check-in counter and waited until all the bags got checked in. First class service. I am now sitting at the airport waiting for my flight to Lima. I am very relieved that there are no mosquitoes here!!!