oh my god I think it's possible i've just stumbled across a tiny piece of paradise!

The moment i got off the plane and walked into the arms of ronaldo who was holding a sign with my name on it, i developed a huge grin that is still firmly fixed to my face as i try and type this under my mosquito net by flashlight cos the electricity goes off at 10pm!

It's now the next day and I'm lounging in a hammock under palm trees while I write as the no light thing last night was impossible!

Ronaldo sped me in his taxi through the streets of Puerto Maldonado. It's perfect. large open roads, and green. It's all green and beautiful. And not a wiff of urine in the air! People riding on motor bike taxis (I was told later) perched behind the driver wearing no helmet. The pillion passengers I saw were, small children laying across a father's lap, women in short skirts riding side saddle, I counted 4 people including the driver on one bike..a small child standing up in between the driver's legs, then mum carrying a baby in her lap behind him. If she was breast feeding I wouldn't have been surprised! Another passenger carrying a small table, Everyone's smiling. Or is that just my perception cos it's so beautiful?

He dropped me off at an open shop front type place. People with rucksacks like me and guides. I was introduced to Juan. My guide. The other tourists seemed to be with another guide. Everyone was talking Spanish. I had no idea what was going on. Then to my horror everyone started putting wellies on! Those who know me well will know why! Anyway after much embarrassment I finally walked proudly out with my grubby wellies on.

We got into a different taxi from the single motor bike one...think of one of these touristy bicycle pulling cart things that seat 2 people, then change the bicycle for a motor bike! Juan and I were driven through more beautiful streets to a huge river called Rio Madre De Dios (which eventually meets up with the famous Amazon river but we didn't get that far) where we met up with the 6 others I would be sharing my 2 day adventure with. We all got into a boat and put on the life jackets we were given then spent the next hour, maybe 2, driving, sailing? not sailing, there was no sail, slow motorboating? that'll do, up the river to Monkey Island. Sheer heaven! The wind in my hair and perfect scenery. The 6 others are all from Madrid I found out later, and all talked Spanish amongst themselves. Not one of them spoke to me the whole boat journey. So I got them back by photo bombing their selfie photo taken with their selfie stick! That'll teach them!

Monkey Island

We stopped at a sandy beach and jumped off the boat...this is the 1st time the wellies came in handy. OH MY GOD A GIANT LIZARD JUST WANDERED UNDER MY HAMMOCK WITHOUT A CARE IN THE WORLD!! ABOUT 10 INCHES LONG! THAT'S ALMOST AN ALLIGATOR!!

Anyway we all followed Juan and very quickly found ourselves immersed in tall undergrowth. THE AMAZON JUNGLE!!!! We followed him for aprox half an hour before getting to a clearing. He started whistling for the monkeys to come. They didn't. We wandered along another path, seeing many gorgeous butterflies and flowers and insects and trees but no monkeys. Just when we were about to give up and head back to the boat there he was! A gorgeous Squirrel Monkey high up in the trees watching us. After what seemed like another 2 hours of whistling and banana offering he came within 10 feet of us but was too scared to come closer. "put a banana on your selfie stick and reach up to it" I suggested to my fellow no manners tourist. He did. It worked. He got probably the best video of his whole trip and not one word of thanks was offered!

The Machiganka Tribe

Back to the boat. A short journey to where I thought our lodges were but we were told to leave our bags as we were seeing where some indigenous people from the Machiganka Tribe lived. We climbed up some dried clay steps to the top of a small cliff side. 2 beautiful children, a boy and a girl came and greeted us by shaking all our hands then showed off by climbing barefoot in the trees, and turning upside down. We walked another 100m or so where other local people gathered wearing old tattered traditional dress. About 6 in total....grandparents, mum and dad and the 2 gorgeous kids.

We were a small group of people, 8 in total and these people started performing for us. Grampa started with a welcome speech then with the red dye from a plant Juan had previously showed us, he proceeded to mark all our faces using a twig dipped into this dye. He then played a song with his handmade pan pipes made from reeds, then he played what looked like a miniature bow and arrow. Fascinating! Mum then held hands with the two kids and granny and they all sang us a song, then we were all told to get up and dance with them! In our wellies!! This "dancing" consisted of us all holding hands in a circle and running round in a circle while they all sang some more. The circle was then broken and, still holding hands we ran following dad, the leader, in a conga style snake round and round their land. After what seemed like 20 mins (but I'm sure it was probably only 5), we were shown some hand made toys...like spinning tops...which we were all encouraged to play with. After that it was an archery lesson! The whole thing was so random and unexpected. One of my fellow travelers suggested it was all put on for marketing and making money, and at the end of it all of course they tried to sell us their hand made jewelry but I felt so humbled and privileged to be in their company that I paid way too much for a bracelet as a huge thank you to them for their welcome. (this same guy suggested the tarantula we saw later had actually been placed on the tree!)

Back to the boat and we're all given a wrapped up and tied vine leaf full of chicken and rice with an optional sprinkling of salsa in a separate bag. And water. Fantastic! I love it! This is all so out of this world! Now off in the motor boat to another part of the jungle. I'm so glad I peed at the airport. I thought we'd be taken straight to our lodge to settle in but this wasn't to happen until 8pm. My flight landed at 1045am! We followed Juan through another part of undergrowth a short distance before coming to a couple of large canoe type boats. We all piled in and Juan paddled us though a very narrow river where we saw all kinds of birds. The sounds were incredible. I wished my companions would all shut up so I could just listen. The narrow river...I say river but it was static really, no white water...just so you get the picture...soon opened up into the most beautiful lake.

Lake Sandoval

OH MY GOD A HUGE WHITE BUTTERFLY JUST LANDED ON MY NOSE....READ SOME OF WHAT I'M WRITING, THEN FLEW OFF AGAIN!

We crossed the lake, again seeing some amazing weird looking birds...Horned Screamers, Coco Herons, Hoatzins...these looked like huge chickens perched in impossibly thin branches.., Tiger Herons, loads of Cormarons and Giant Cowbirds and listening to all the noises they made. Just as we were leaving the lake, 2 turtles basking in the sunshine saw us and dived into the water. Wow! Then we got out and walked more. This is when we were shown a small (5" diameter) hole. Everyone was pointing and looking and talking Spanish. Juan has been a bit rubbish translating throughout this experience so far, only doing so when he remembers or when I ask. Anyway I peer into the hole a bit too close and see not one but TWO HUGE MASSIVE TARANTULAS!!! I wasn't expecting THAT! Then we saw a termite nest bigger than me, butterflies in abundance and ants an inch long! I have to say at this point I have never produced as much sweat as I have during all this walking through the jungle. You know it's hot when the sweat is beading up and dripping off the BACK of your hands!

Finally to our huts

Exhausted by now, we get back into the canoe and cross the lake again. Day is gradually turning to night so I get some mosquito repellent on (and by the smell of it, also man repellent) and we head over to our lodges in the middle of Tambopata reserve. It is pitch dark when we moor the canoe for the night. More animals have been seen, along with a tiny crocodile (camen?), and the amount of mosquitos on the lake is ...fascinating!

We're told we have time to clean up before dinner in an hour. I am given my own room. Much to my delight as I was expecting to share and I was wondering how to get round the fact i have no jammies and only sleep in my vest and knickers!. The room is very basic. A hut really. The walls are net covered with material for curtains. But seems clean enough and the bed has a mosquito net over it. I am desperate for a shower. I share a cold (but it's so hot that's no problem) hand held shower with a dead spider and put on my only other clean clothes. I will need to but back on my disgusting sweaty ones tomorrow as we're up at 430am and they won't have time to dry!

Dinner is meat (Juan says monkey meat but he is smiling) rice and sweet potato. I eat that then go straight to bed as the others are starting to piss me off talking amongst themselves. They are probably talking about the day and I can't join in. Juan is trying to talk to me but mostly he is chatting me up...thanks but no thanks Juan.

2nd day

The next morning at 5am I wake to find I have been eaten alive by mosquitoes! 32 bites I count! I clearly left it way too late to don the man repellent! Small price to pay. We get in the canoe, cross the lake and walk to a clearing where we're rewarded with the gorgeous sight and sound of millions (ok maybe not millions) of parrots screeching and flying around over our heads. They are feeding on the inside of dead palm trees as the minerals help their digestive system. There are blue and yellow macaws, red bellied and white bellied macaws, mealy parrots and blue headed parrots. Impressed?

Back for breakfast (fried banana and scrambled egg with cauliflower, and bread) then to chill for the 1st time. That's when I wrote most of this, in the hammock. I'm now on the long but surprisingly comfortable bus journey home....oops, I mean back to smelly Cusco.

So after chilling we went for a walk round the lodges. More monkeys (Brown Capuchin) right on our doorstep! We heard what sounded like a howling wind and was told it was their mating call! The sounds everywhere were just incredible. We were shown fish who's main diet was sticks. Yes sticks! Small pieces of broken twigs were thrown in and sure enough, they all devoured them like piranhas! Trees that grow long stems but no trunk. They move half a meter per year! Termite mounds 6 feet tall and ants 2 inches long!

After my initial comments about my fellow travelers by the way, one by one throughout all the walking each day, they all spoke to me, in English, and by the end of my trip I actually liked them all!. Although I'm not taking back what I said about them lol!

Our night time trek allowed us to see a 3m long camen (the same family as a crocodile but not one) . We were on the lake and it just appeared. Poking its eyes out the water. Beautiful. My picture doesn't do it justice, instead mine looks like a possible sighting of the Loch Ness Monster! Then we saw a scorpion and another tarantula on separate trees.

Home time

Bed then another early start to get to my bus 3 hours away (2 of which were walking). I said goodbye to everyone and was guided back through the narrow river, back across the lake, back to the massive river with the motorboat, back to the motorbike taxi, back to the agency where I dropped my wellies off, then I was taken to the bus station. All over! Wow! What a mental experience!

One sentence about the 10 hour bus journey: loads to see, back to back films, snacks, stops and 180 degree reclining seat. All for $20. Over and out till Machu Pichhu on Fri! xxx