Sacha Lodge, Montezuma and Cuzco

Firstly our apologies for boring you so much with the blog , we decided early on to also make it a travel diary.

We will try a new format with a short general interest para or two and the
The more detailed diary.

Since Quito; Into the Amazon, Sacha lodge, Geoff vs Montezuma and Cuzco

A reasonably relaxed trip down from Quito to Francisco de Orellana, better known as Coca, only a half hour flight in a turbo prop. A unique flight in that once you take off it all a descent of about 9000 ft. into the Napo Valley. Then a 100 minute motorized canoe trip down stream to a landing for Sacha Lodge. Interesting trip, the boat was about 40m long, 1.2m wide and propelled by two big outboards, it really flew. The river is up to 1 k wide but very shallow and falls about an inch a mile all the way to the Amazon and then to the sea, many sand bars to negotiate. Considerable evidence of the oil boom along the banks.

Walked about a k to a lake and then were paddled across to the lodge. Two and a half full on days with early morning and night time walks and excursions into the jungle (tropical rain forest).

One the first night I had an encounter with Montezuma and he won decisively. I therefore sat about the first days program but made up for it on the second day.

Michele may add detail later, however in summary we saw many different birds, monkeys, lizards caiman (crocs to you), agouti.

Back to Quito the same way and then on to Lima for the night. You have to be patient, and we spent about 5 hours at airports. Mitch and I cracked it lucky with the Lima hotel and got to see a folk floor show.

Thursday morning plane to Cuzco, Lima traffic no better than a week ago. At one stage we counted 13 mini buses in a block and then a taxi. Utter chaos would be a gentle description for the Lan check-in arrangements at Lima, again patience required.

Cuzco is really lovely particularly the old town and our Hotel is in that quarter.

Michele is in her element, we met two couples at Sacha who will be traveling with us and within an hour one of the ladies had ordered a bottle of bubby and invited Michele to share it with her!

Have basically teamed up with this four. Met the rest of the group tonight and I think the famous six will stick together. Mitch and I are about in the middle of the group age wise, or at least would like to believe so. About 25% of the group are women traveling in pairs, have concluded a gent 65 to 75 would have a smorgasbord, where is Brian Hay when needed!!

The rugby a bugger, was on tele (one of 100 channels at the hotel) but we got the times wrong and missed it but good to see the Kiwis chocked again (although I missed the last 15m).

Having a ball and not missing you!!!!

Off to Machu Picchu in the morning.

PS Having a seniors moment a day it seems, but nothing as bold as the passport episode. Michele just keeps shrugging and moving on.

May add detail if I wake up early.

Geoff