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DAY
01 CUSCO / TAMBO BLANQUILLO
Meeting at Cusco airport for flight to Boca Manu in small
aircraft - Transfer from Boca Manu airstrip by a motorized
canoe in the Madre de Dios River to Tambo Blanquillo lodge
to arrive after 2 2½ h - Lunch - A 10 minutes ride
downstream in a motorized canoe takes us to Cocha Camungo,
an oxbow lake formed after the meandering Madre de Dios River
changed its course several years ago. A trail starts on the
border of the riverbank and after 20 minutes walk it arrives
to the lake - In the way to the lake, we will encounter a
130 feet observation tower, by far the tallest and most spectacular
in the Manu area, next to a magnificent kapok tree. During
the climb it is possible to see squirrel monkeys, white-fronted
and brown capuchins and howler monkeys - If time permits,
we will continue to the Oxbow Lake, where a small catamaran
is boarded and passengers are encouraged to help with the
rowing to visit the lake opposite shore, where the horned
screamer called "Camungo" that gives its name to
this lake, is found - At 17:00 the return to Tambo Blanquillo
starts and arrival is expected at 17:30 - Dinner and overnight.
DAY 02
TAMBO BLANQUILLO
Early wake up (05:30)
to be transferred to our blind or catamaran on the Madre de
Dios River that serves as a floating observation platform
to watch the activities at the ccollpa Blanquillo (clay lick)
that is located on the riverbank about 10 minutes downstream
from the lodge - Breakfast will be served at the blind and
there is a toilette facility aboard if needed - A typical
day at the collpa (weather permitting) will start around 06:00
am when the first pairs of parrots
fly in to land in the treetops above the lick. They are followed
by hundreds who screech and squawk until the first ones (generally
blue-headed parrots) descend on to the clay. Around 08:00
the first of the larger macaws arrive in family groups and
perch in the treetops. The most common are red and greens,
the scarlet and the blue and yellow macaws. Macaws continue
to arrive throughout the morning. The exact arrival time of
each species may vary slightly, but the order seems surprisingly
fixed. Not until 10:30
am (by which time, between 40 and 200 macaws will have gathered)
do the birds begin their descent to the
clay. The birds apparently relaxed remain alert for eagles.
If one is spotted, between 50 and 100 macaws often of different
species, will circle and mob it, generally succeeding in chasing
it from the area. We will return to Tambo Blanquillo around
11:30 AM
- Lunch - A motorized canoe is boarded for a 40 minutes upstream
ride to Cocha Blanco, which is an oxbow lake (formerly a part
of the Madre de Dios River). After 10 minutes walk from the
riverbank, there is a small catamaran that is boarded and
passengers are encouraged to help with the rowing to visit
different parts of the lake. In this lake, hoatzins, wild
turkey and herons are easily seen also there is a family of
giant river otters, which frequently make appearances not
to far from the catamaran - Around 17:00,
the motorized canoe will be boarded for the return trip -
Dinner and overnight.
DAY 03
TAMBO BLANQUILLO
Continental breakfast - To forty-five minutes upstream ride
in a motorized canoe, takes us to the Maquisapa trail, which
starts with that name
due to an abundance of spider monkeys found in the first leg
of it. The trail goes through a palm (Mauritia) swamp forest,
not always flooded, which is a very important nester for parrots
like the red-bellied macaw and the chestnut-fronted macaw,
here the trail gets the name of Aguajal (swamp). Finally,
the trail goes through chestnut or Brazil nut forest, the
favorite fruits for macaws, and changes its name to Castañal
trail. The ecological diversity, due to the different types
of forest that this trail goes through in a relativity short
period of time, permits the observation of different bird
and monkey species and even ungulates like the tapir and peccaries.
Around 16:00 pm, we will board the canoe for the return trip
to Tambo Blanquillo. A picnic lunch will be provided - Dinner
and overnight.
DAY 04 TAMBO
BLANQUILLO
Continental breakfast - We start on the Shebonal trail that
takes us through a forest of palms very rare and unique, called
"Shebon" (Scheelea butyracea), which is very dense
and a natural refuge for animals. Deer, peccaries and wild
turkeys are usually encountered and quickly disappear in the
foliage. After a couple of hours, the north border of the
Cocha Blanco is reached and the catamaran of that lake can
be boarded for an inspection on that side, herons, hoatzins,
black caimans and river otters can be sighted. A picnic
lunch will be served and at 16:00 pm, the motorized canoe,
which is waiting for us on the south side of the lake, will
be boarded for the return trip - Dinner and overnight
DAY 05 TAMBO
BLANQUILLO / CUSCO
Early transfer (05:00 am) to Boca Manu airstrip via motorized
canoe. Snack breakfast will be served aboard.
Flight to Cusco in a small aircraft.
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