15502ft. and down to the Amazon

We left our Cusco home for one last ride before we have to store our bikes. We decided to go check out the Jungles of Peru. Peru has intense Biodiversity. Dry Desert, Andes Mountains and Wild Jungles. The Jungle was the only level we had not explored. To get there we had two days of riding and it required riding up through the Andes at 15502ft! So beautiful, so cold and simply unforgettable. The bikes still run and start at this high altitude. Being this high  requires handstands in the highway to truly feel alive in the moment!

                                                                             The highway from Cusco to Puerto Maldonado is newly paved and the only road that goes into the jungle. Still there is not a lot of traffic on it (most people fly) so most of the villages along the way are small, beautiful and happy and surprised to see us..

Then all of a sudden we are out of the mountains and in the lush flat lands of the Jungle. With Monkeys and snakes, bugs and spiders. The Monkeys were harmless and mostly just curious and interested in us and the motorcycles. The monkeys were rescued and lived at the Anaconda Lodge where we stayed for a couple of days. There were about 7 different species of monkeys living there. Why they named it the Anaconda and not the Monkey lodge, I have no Idea? They liked to steal whatever they could but mostly gave everything back after they teased you and played with whatever they stole from you.

  From there we took a 7 hours boat ride up river to a private part of the jungle. Where we camped on the banks of the river and took long walks in the jungle where we saw all sorts of Jungle life. This is a private Macaw clay lick. The Macaws have to eat this clay this time of year to digest the un ripened fruit. But do not think that we just walked up and watched them. NO. We had to hide behind a wall of palms and wait for hours to see them. If a boat or a hawk or a monkey came by the Macaws would fly away and we had to wait for them to return.  At one moment there were about 40 Macaws that came. What beautiful and sensitive birds they are.

   This is a Saber Tree. The biggest and most sacred tree in the jungle. Holding so much life, energy and history. You can really feel the Jungle spirits in this tree. The jungle has so much life in it and that is what it is all about. Survival! Living! Staying Alive! Everything from trees that walk to find a little sun to trees that shed  skin every month so the vines do not straggle them. To all the animals that feed on each other  to all the bugs that fed on us. talk about bug bites!

The jungle is full of so much life and color. Butterflies, flowers,birds and sunsets. It was really beautiful and very amazing to experience. After spending that time there I think we have decided we really enjoy the mountains and are not jungle people. We were happy to have to ride back over the 5502ft Pass.