As one can imagine, jungle experiences are not next door to big cities. One must travel a relatively long distance to be in the thick of things with exotic animals surrounding you. When I found Manu Treehouse Inn, all the uncomfortable feelings I had had about which rainforest experience went away, and my gut instinct told me this was the place for us. We would be driven from Cusco, and although it was a great distance, it could be done in a day, AND we’d have the opportunity to stay in another treehouse!
Jessica and I felt like royalty. (Remember, we’re teachers, so we didn’t spend a fortune!) We were picked up early in Cusco by our guide, our chef and a driver (or perhaps I should just go ahead and call him our chauffeur). Yep, three people who were there to take care of the two of us. We’re not accustomed to that, but we’re grateful for the opportunity to be spoiled. As it turns out, once again, I think that’s just how the cards played out about with who booked at the same time we did.
We stopped for breakfast in a small town, and our guide, Moses, helped us to find headlamps which were very helpful! Soon after, he asked if we liked beer or pisco or wine. We said of course, and he asked if we had ever drunk a Hit. Having no clue as to what he was talking about, he said we’d stop for some. In the next small village, we went into a small market and purchased a few of these drinks, for our dinner, we assumed. A few minutes later, at about 10 am, bee-bopping down the road, our three caretakers each popped open a bottle. Yep, even our driver.
Now, I must say that after having one of the drinks at dinner, it tasted like koolaid with only a slight amount of alcohol. Also, I would have trusted our driver on those roads even blindfolded more than I would have trusted myself. Plus, blindfolding me would have been the only way you could have gotten me to drive on them or perhaps it would have taken some liquid courage for me to get behind the wheel as well. We went from Cusco, at a height of near 10,000 feet above sea level to nearing sea level in a matter of hours. We did this on single-lane dirt roads that hugged the sides of mountains on one side and plunged deep into the valley below on the other. Despite the evidence I’ve provided you with, our driver was skilled and cautious and navigated the roads with precision.
The landscape quickly changed as we descended from dry, desert-like areas to lush, green forests. We stopped periodically to walk along the road and look for animals. Our guide, Moses, who is in his mid-twenties has a greater knowledge of this area than I could ever hope to learn. He grew up not far from here and is passionate about the rainforest. Somehow, he could spot green birds (in the rainforest) at a distance of 100 yards. He rattled off Spanish, Latin and English names of plants and birds with confidence. Now, sure, he could have made up whatever he wanted and I would have believed him, but I believe he truly knew what he was talking about. He could mimic dozens of bird calls, monkey calls and even the caiman we were seeking. When wandering through the jungle, he could point out a variety of trees and tell us how the natives used these for home remedies. You would think Moses could part the seas or something. But then again, when you gave him a machete and set him loose in the jungle, he was a ten-year-old boy. His evil laugh gave way when he killed a cannibal ant and watched mass chaos ensue on the rest of the heard. He would tease us about seeing snakes, cut vines so he could swing on them like Tarzan and he used the machete whenever possible on any out of place stick.
He had said we would have a picnic on our first day. What do you picture? Sandwiches? Maybe some meats, cheeses and fruits? What about a hand-prepared meal on the side of the road by our personal chef? Soup, rice, chicken, vegetables, fresh fruit and even fresh passion fruit juice. Not sure what happened, but we are living our best life here, for sure.
We spotted wooly monkeys along our journey and stopped on the side of the road to watch them. Monkeys are always one of the most fascinating, entertaining creatures at the zoo. Is it because they are so much like ourselves? Their hands and facial expressions are so similar. They leapt from branch to branch with ease, gathering seeds and hung upside down by their tails. We waited long enough and even got to watch them cross the road, looking like agile cats with their tails high in the air.
We searched for a long time in a specific part of our journey for the famous red bird of Peru. We only got small glimpses of him, but he was in the middle of his dancing ritual, showing off for the ladies, so watching the competition was very entertaining.
The first night, due to the long journey, was in a simple lodge not too far from the river. We slept in beds with mosquito netting, but never had any issues and had a nice simple bathroom to ourselves. Of course our personal chef prepared an incredible dinner and breakfast.
The next morning, we made our way to our boat ride and for the first time on our month long journey, we saw rain. We were in fact entering the rain forest, so I guess it makes sense, but still, it was an odd sensation. Thankfully, our first boat downstream on the expansive river was covered and relatively comfortable. On the boat our guide, our chef, a boat captain and a “stickman” were all there to guide us on our journey. Our second one, a smaller one as we were on a smaller river, was not covered, but the rain had let up. Here we only had one, new captain, and our guide and personal chef. We are not on the Amazon River here. It is in the north of Peru, but as with any major river, most water across the continent flows to or from the Amazon. So, it is fair to say that we are on one of the tributaries of the Amazon and can consider our location to be part of the Amazon Rainforest.
After about two hours of boating, far from where cars can travel, far from any civilization or even any other lodges, we arrived at the treehouse lodge. The dining hall or main lodge are right on the river, which was perfect because although we only arrived with a small backpack, our chef brought boxes and bags worth of food and serving utensils. It was more like how we’ve traveled in the minivan the past two summers. Our treehouse, one of three, is set off just into the forest up a steep set of stairs. It’s adorable. Two trees hold the house up and inside are two twin beds with mosquito netting, a toilet, sink and a hot shower (temperamental, but it does provide hot water). It’s not fully separated from the forest around (as Jess can attest to seeing as a mouse tried to share her pillow), but it protects us from most bugs and provides glorious shelter.
We spent a lot of our time wandering in the jungle. There were trails leading out from the treehouses, never wandering too terribly far, but rather in large circles. And oh, how thankful I was that Moses was assured of where he was going because deep in the forest, my good sense of direction was useless. Who knows, we could have walked in small circles the whole time. While the weather was very similar to home (I must admit that part of me was thankful to feel humidity and heat again), but deep in the forest the weather was fairly pleasant. Bugs were certainly present, but when we remembered to put on bug spray, they were not much of a problem.
The trees and the thick canopy were incredible. After being around dry climates for the past month, the lush greenery was such a joy to be a part of. Unfortunately, we did not see a ton of animals as all who venture here dream of doing, but we were reminded that it was not a zoo, so seeing any in their natural environment was a treat! We learned to take Moses’ excitement with some hesitation as his excitement level was the same for frogs and squirrels as it was for monkeys. By the river, we spotted a couple of otters. There were lots of frogs of varying sizes and all sorts of insects. The ants and termites were both fascinating and terrifying. Colorful butterflies and moths with a wingspan of about nine inches were never far from us.
This guy would probably cover FDR’s head on the dime, but not the entire dime.
This is an ant colony or ant “hill”.
We saw lots of brightly colored birds and even learned one of their unique calls. There were toucans, parrots, macaws, kingfishers, hawks, swallows, herons, egrets, vultures and dozens more that I didn’t recognize.
We only caught glimpses of small monkeys carefully climbing through the treetops, but we were often overwhelmed with their loud cries that sounded like they belonged on a much larger creature. On our night hike we spotted large spiders and a scorpion. Our ears were filled with the sounds of frogs and even oversized jungle rats (ROUSes anyone?). Thankfully, we only ever HEARD these. The small pond close by provided us with a small glimpse of a caiman, or at least our flashlights spotted his shiny eye that he winked at us.
I spotted dozens of sloths! Well, actually, I spotted dozens of clumps of moss and dead leaves that very closely resembled sloths. And you know how in jungle movies there is usually a scene where someone thinks they are grabbing a vine, but it’s actually a snake? Well, we saw tons of vines that easily could have been snakes. I sort of wanted to see a boa or anaconda (from a safe distance), but part of me was glad our paths never crossed.
Both mornings, we woke up early to go to the clay licks. There is a cliff side along the river where, as the sun rises, parrots and macaws get minerals and nutrients from the muddy cliff. Although we were at least fifty yards across the river from them, and couldn’t see details, their bright colors and loud cries were a joy to see and experience.
In the evenings, I asked Grimaldo, our chef, if I could watch him work. He was thrilled. I loved watching him work at lightening speed to prepare half a dozen dishes just for Moses, Jessica and I. We enjoyed trying to speak each other’s language or making small connections and understandings over the names of food. He cooked over two small eyes with gas we had brought with us, and spent a lot of time looking for items he needed in one of the many bags or boxes. Our first night there, another couple was staying at the treehouse as well. But they also had their own personal chef. The kitchen was also where all who worked there gathered in the evening, sometimes sneaking small treats, but also watching in fascination at the speedy knife skills. They helped to clean up and sometimes chipped in. I even got to snap some beans, scramble some eggs and separate large peas from their pod and outer skins. Grimaldo not only prepared an overwhelming amount of food three times a day, but he was also an artist. At every meal, he created a work of art (or two or three) from some fruit in no time at all. There were swans, turtles, humming birds, owls and he even, after hearing of Jess’s adventures, cackled when he made a small mouse.
On the first afternoon, Moses asked if we wanted to swim in the river. As you can imagine, we were a little hesitant. Plus, after the rains, the river was mud red. But, on the second afternoon, after being reassured, we decided we’d give it a try. He said the alligators and piranhas were only in still water, and as the current was fairly swift, we felt comfortable. He said there were only some catfish, not to worry. The water was fairly clear and shallow, so we decided to try. (Side note, the next day he pointed out a large dead fish on the side of the river that was very similar to a sting ray. He said, oh, yeah, these are in the water, too.)
When we gave the word, it was like the whole staff jumped up. Five of the six people who were working there (the two of us being the only guests) ran out with bathing suits on and grabbed a tube. We jumped in the boat to go up river a bit, and at one shallow point, all the boys jumped out and practically carried us over, despite our assurances that we could walk. We stopped at a deep section of the river to swim and play for a while, and the water was truly refreshing, especially due to the heat, bug spray and sweat. The boys, for here I can call them nothing else, had so much fun and we seemed to take on our usual role of teacher/chaperone. They had contests for who could stand on their tube the longest, threw mud at each other and asked us to count as they challenged each other to stay under water for the longest amount of time.
We were about ready to tube down when a person showed up. I realize a person showing up is not an odd occurrence, but I can’t reiterate how far away we were from people. We had traveled at least an hour by water without seeing a home or a lodge anywhere. So, a person wandering up, while not frightening was surprising to say the least. Then, Moses said, “Do you want to go to his house and try a drink?” I know this will be shocking, but Jess and I said no. Without a moment’s pause, all the boys took off running about a quarter mile away, leaving Jess and I in the river, alone for about a half hour. They did return, but there was sometime in between where we felt we had been abandoned in the jungle. I must say that while each and every one of our guides has been kind, knowledgeable and returned us all in one piece, there has been a difference than in what we expect to get in the States. But then again, as Americans, we are spoiled rotten and probably have become accustomed to expecting too much. So, perhaps what we’ve experienced has just been a good reminder of that.
Anyway, after our adventures, we sat in the tube and the current quickly carried us away. There were some small rapids that felt a bit more like a log ride and there was the shallow spot where even the tubes got stuck on the rocks, but it was a thrill. A truly pleasant way to travel, and such fun memories of our time in the jungle.
After having a fun afternoon with the boys, I watched Grimaldo cook again. As always, what I watched him prepare was more than what Jess and I could ever hope to eat. I asked Moses if we could all eat together. There were some odd looks, as for whatever reason, this did not seem customary, but the eight of us did sit down to enjoy the meal together. Yes, eight. Jess and I were the only guests. The table was rather quiet, as there were not just two languages spoken here, but three. Many of the locals, those who live in small communities within the park speak the native tongue of Quechua. But the smiles, warm feelings and empty plates abounded. Should we have done this earlier on our trip? Had I not asked the right questions earlier? (We had asked Grimaldo to join us each time and our chauffeur when he was with us even though there were always just three place settings for Jess, Moses and myself.) I don’t know, but should you ever be in a similar situation, push for the inclusion and camaraderie.
After dinner, Moses, Grimaldo, one of the Treehouse hosts, Jess and I opened a bottle of wine and we taught them a game that goes well beyond language barriers. Spoons takes so little thought and even so little explanation, that we were all quickly laughing. It took a minute for them to get the high pace of the game, but once they did, they didn’t hold back. Somehow, Grimaldo always ended up with a handful of cards, and Moses often had four of a kind, but rarely a spoon. But we could all enjoy the hilarity of the simple game.
After watching the parrots feed on the clay licks the next morning, we boarded our small boat down river to meet up with the larger boat that would take us up the next river. The stickman was vital as we traveled up shallow waters. Then, we were back in the van for much of the day on the curvy, bumpy, one way roads.
I’m not sure what to do now without a crowd of people taking care of me and preparing my meals for me. I guess I’ll have to try my hand at a lottery ticket when I get home. For now, though, I’m full of happy memories of our time in the Treehouse in Manu!
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