Monthly Archives: October 2019

Back to Iquitos and the Amazon Rainforest – Part 1

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Early tomorrow morning I’m catching an early morning flight back to the Peruvian jungle city of Iquitos located deep in the Amazon rainforest. This was where my love affair with the jungle began nearly 15 years ago and where I always feel at home.

I have been trying to blog once or twice a week, but I think for this one week trip I’ll try to blog every day to share all the different things I’ll be cramming into my time in Iquitos.


A lot will depend on the usual internet speed in Iquitos and the surrounding area. Being so remote and isolated, internet access is as slow as I’ve experienced in decades.

An upgrade several years ago was supposed to help things, but I think the explosion of internet use has only created huge bottlenecks on the amount of data traffic than can pass. Internet speeds were considerably faster just a few years ago than they are now.

Why This Trip to the Jungle?

Besides seeing all my many friends there, The main reason for this trip revolves around filming in and around the city and the rainforest.

I’ll be working on a project for a short outdoor film competition. The theme for the contest is “Family” and I’m hoping to put together something really unique. While I have a feeling there will be a lot of films about animal families, I want to show the effects of modernity (climate change, logging, gold mining, and incursions of the outside world) on families living in the Amazon rainforest.



Of course, I have until the end of November to submit my film, so it could certainly change depending on how filming goes. I don’t have the months that big time documentary filmmakers have. Patience and time is usually the key to getting interesting footage, but I’m going to count on my knowledge of the area and the jungle to help.

And, on top of all of that, I simply love the jungle. The mysterious rainforest has captivated my imagination since I was a child watching National Geographic documentaries. Now I get to explore the jungle on my own.

And it never disappoints.

What I’ll be Doing and Where I’ll be Going

I hate to admit this, but, like almost all my trips, I’ll be flying by the seat of my pants on this trip, too. Still, I have some ideas of places I may visit.

I’ll likely spend a couple of days traveling down the Amazon River to the Colombia/Brazil border. I’ve never been more than about 60 km down river (and even less up river) so I’m sure there’s a lot to see. I’ll especially be looking for evidence of logging along the river.

I know of one place where there is a huge cut through the jungle so that power lines from Iquitos can go to a small refinery a short distance away that will be a priority. It’s also an area where I can easily access part of the rainforest deeper in the jungle.

I’ll also spend a day or two traveling up river to the small town of Tamshiyacu where some large illegal logging operations recently closed down by the Peruvian government.



There is only one road leading out of Iquitos that goes about 60 miles to another small town. The road to Nauta opened up a few years ago to cut down many hours of the long trip down the river. There are quite a few places along the road to hop out and head off into the jungle. (Once in that area I was able to film a river otter in a place where locals told me they didn’t exist!)

I may also head up river several hours to the rarely visited community of Genaro Herrera that will give me access to even deeper, more remote areas of the rainforest.




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Hidden Ancient Jacuzzi at Cusco’s Sacsayhuaman Ruins

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While wandering around the ancient Inca citadel of Sacsayhuaman perched on the mountain high above Cusco this afternoon, I happened to look over and see what looked like a stone-lined circular depression in a remote corner of the site hidden behind a huge rock.

I’d never even heard of such a place and, though I’d been near a number of times, I had never bother to check behind the large, carved stones that hid a very unique site behind.

What a remarkably private spot to build a bath/pool in a remote section of the famous Sacsayhuaman.


Okay, maybe I exaggerated in calling it a jacuzzi. Alright, I admit I made that part up. Sue me.

But, if there were water jets poking out of the surrounding stone walls, it would have been right at home next to the pool at your local Holiday Inn right down to the stone steps leading into the pool itself.

Notice the steps in the upper portion of the pool leading down inside.


This wonderful little area obviously was of considerable importance based on the bath itself in a secluded spot and the intricate water channel that brought water, but it’s true purpose is likely unknown.



I did a good bit of research among published scholarly papers and articles, but couldn’t find any information about this place.

I’ve never seen anything quite like it in my explorations or my readings. I wouldn’t even be sure it is a bath or pool except for the steps leading down into it. It certainly seems like a spot deliberately chosen for seclusion.


Maybe it was a place where the Inca Emperor was ritually cleaned before ceremonial events in Sacsayhuaman. Or maybe it was a secluded place where he could go and relax away from the hectic life of the leader of the greatest pre-Colombian civilization. Perhaps it was even a little hideaway for he and the queen or one of his concubines…

Today’s little discovery was just one more in the long list of really cool places that are basically unknown to not only tourists, but many locals, too. I’m always amazed at the incredible places I find when I get “off the beaten track”.




Please feel free to leave a comment below. I love to hear what people think! If you like this, you can share this page with the links below or even subscribe so that you’ll be notified when I post again. (I don’t sell anything here, so you don’t have to worry about that.)

Giant River Otters at Lago Sandoval

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I’ve been lucky enough to have spent a lot of time exploring the Amazon rainforest. I’ve seen an awful lot of incredible animals in the wild including some rarely seen ones. Yet I’m still awestruck every time I get to watch the family of giant river otters in Peru’s Lago Sandoval.

Yesterday I made my 9th trip this year to Sandoval a few miles south of Puerto Maldonado just off the Rio Madre de Dios. (Lago Sandoval is actually a lake left when the river changed course years ago.) I love going here because every time the experience is different.

Of course, there are always lots of other animals to see at Lago Sandoval. Monkeys are a huge favorite — capuchins, spider monkeys, and red howlers. Since it’s not a park or a zoo, whether you get to see any depends on the animals themselves.


[You can check out my previous post with some fantastic pictures in this post: Lago Sandoval (Puerto Maldonado) is Wondrous!]

This time was special because for the first time I was able to watch the resident family of giant otters out of the water for a change.

Usually the otters are seen swimming across the lake hunting for nice meals of piranhas, but this time I was able to see them not only on land, but from only a short distance away.

Nothing like a tasty piranha for lunch to brighten an otter’s day!

These beautiful creatures are extremely social and their vocalizations can be heard from far away. They are constantly on the lookout for predatory black caiman that also reside in the lake. (I’ve seen one huge beast there that is close to 5 meters in length.)


We literally were just a few minutes from leaving the lake when we spotted the local family of otters swimming just a few hundred meters away. Needless to say, we turned the canoe in their direction and began paddling in their direction. (Reserve rules don’t allow us to get too close, but I think we stretched the rules as much as possible to approach within a short distance.)

At first we followed them as they were swimming near the shore feasting on fish, but soon they moved closer to the end of a long peninsula and surprisingly crawled out to dine some more and spend a little time out of the water.

I’ve seen then many times, but this was the first time I’d ever seen the giant otters on land. They were obviously quite aware of our presence, but didn’t seem to care.

Sadly, if ever there was a time to have brought my video camera, that was it, yet I left mine at home! Of well, guess I’ll have to go back again soon!


What the day did convince me was that I really need to upgrade my camera and long lenses if I’m going to be a serious wildlife photographer. I already have a plan for that, too!

Unfortunately for me, visiting Lago Sandoval requires a guide. I booked the day with a company near the Plaza de Armas, but as often happens, they put me in with a group organized by Tambopata Wild. I have to say that Tambopata Wild did an excellent job and the guide was spectacular. He apologized for not speaking great English, but it really wasn’t bad and he was extremely friendly and knowledgeable. I’ll book directly with them on my next trip.

Generally guides have allowed me to do pretty much whatever I want and be way from the group as much as possible. That has allowed me to do find animals away from the usually loud groups of tourists. Thankfully, I am usually allowed to sit in the front of the canoe, too, because I’m pretty good at spotting wildlife.




Hint: If you want to see more animals, go slow and quiet in the jungle. When the ground is dry, I stay off the boardwalk which now goes the entire trail. I can move much easier and in relative silence that way.

I can’t recommend enough visiting Lago Sandoval if you are in Puerto Maldonado. The cost is 100 soles (about $30 USD) and well worth it. I know I’ll be back again soon.



Please feel free to leave a comment below. I love to hear what people think! If you like this, you can share this page with the links below or even subscribe so that you’ll be notified when I post again. (I don’t sell anything here, so you don’t have to worry about that.)