After a relatively calm week, with a short hospital stay and some bouts of nausea, I decided to go to Tambopata despite all advice. When will I have the chance to go to the jungle again?! So, we embarked on a 12-hour bus ride, next stop: 'Puerto Maldonado', the last proper city before the jungle begins. We arrived early and I finally started feeling better, so I decided to go out for a meal with the others. We treated ourselves to a very nice and delicious breakfast/lunch. And then, it was time to go, with the big nutshell across the river (I don't remember what it was called, but like all the others, it flows into the Amazon), past palm trees, banana trees, and a whole lot of nature. After half an hour, we arrived at our accommodation for the next 2 nights. There's not much else to say, except 'WOW'.
Just like paradise, with nothing else around except the giant Amazon rainforest, Tambopata is a nature reserve in the Amazon rainforest. The only unpleasant thing was that I have never sweat so much and so heavily as I did in those 4 days there. As soon as we arrived, the full tourist program started.Tambopata is known for something very special, the hanging bridge over the jungle. And I am known for my fear of heights, a great combination, but I thought it wouldn't be too bad. Well, when I stood in front of it... Let's just say I definitely didn't consider that you have to climb a 30-meter-high tower first, and that we were in South America where the construction is very questionable. Perfect to take away my fear! When I miraculously reached almost the top of the tower, I noticed how the whole structure wobbled with every movement. At that point, I thought to myself, 'No way, you won't get me up there for anything in the world!!!' Unfortunately, I didn't count on our guide. Tough luck. So, I walked up the last stairs as if I were walking on eggshells, only to find myself face to face with a very questionable wooden ladder at a height of 30 meters. That definitely brought a lot of joy for me. Well, with the help of our super cool guide and very slow steps, I crossed the bridge and was really proud of myself for not passing out. Being happy to have arrived on the other side, I now asked myself where the ladder down was. Surprise, surprise, there was none, because it wasn't just one bridge, but damn three hanging bridges. Around this moment, I mentally lost it and I just walked like a zombie behind the others, even the beautiful view didn't help. To top it all off, the last hanging bridge was also uphill. My t-shirt was soaking wet and my nerves were shot, I just wanted to get down. Miraculously, I reached the tower where you could walk down. While the others were still riding the zipline, all of whom I definitely labeled as completely reckless, I slowly walked down. The joy that came over me when I finally had solid ground under my feet again can definitely not be put into words. As we were on our way back to the accommodation for a minute, my body decided to bring up my amazing meal again. So, I threw up in the middle of the jungle in record time. Let's look at the positive side, a part of me will always remain in the jungle. After recovering from the shock, we continued with the program. Paddling a little on the river with a kayak, the first five minutes were nice, but in the heat you are exposed to there, everything quickly becomes very exhausting. Arriving at Monkey Island, I was already excited to see little capuchin monkeys. Unfortunately, luck was not on our side and the monkey island did not live up to its name that day. But the highlight of the first day was definitely the night boat ride, where we could see caimans up close. Just super cool. After a long and exciting day, it was time to go to bed, because the alarm would ring at 4:30 in the morning. Hoping and praying that we wouldn't have any unwelcome guests during the night, such as a tarantula, we went to sleep.The next morning, all refreshed and lively, we went on a 3 km hike right through the jungle, which definitely leaves you speechless. At the end of the hike, we took a boat ride on a lake that had been separated from the river due to the growth of the palm trees. There we could see a lot of otters and even watch one of them eating, which quickly turned the cute little animals into beasts, but somehow it was also cute when it ripped the head off the fish. The boat ride was actually quite nice, but after 2 hours in the scorching midday sun, we were all glad to be back in the shade of the trees. Back at our accommodation, we had the rest of the day free, so we just dropped into the hammocks and enjoyed the afternoon sun. In the late evening, there was a night hike. I could have done without greeting the tarantula on the tree in front of our hut before going to bed. After freeing a little bat from our room, we had the second and unfortunately already the last night in the jungle. At 4 o'clock in the morning, we boarded the boat and headed to the parrot and lory cliffs. Thousands of birds licking salt off a rock, it was definitely very colorful. On the way back, we saw a sloth, which was really funny.After a failed attempt at fishing, but with a lot of fun and a boat driver who had tattooed a cannabis leaf on his leg, the end of our jungle tour was the visit to a local family. One of the most interesting experiences of my entire trip in South America. The simplicity of their way of life and the appearance of the family, I had only seen something like that in movies before. We were immediately decorated with the typical face paint and given an introduction to the art of making fire and archery. After all the experiences, we took the boat back to the bus terminal at sunset, where we had to bid farewell to the jungle. My adventure in the Amazon rainforest will definitely stay in my memory for a long time, and I would go back to that absolute paradise at any time.
