The Jungle - Manu National Park
Somewhat spontaneoulsy I found myself on a 5day jungle trip with 5 ozzies and a danish guy deep into the jungle. We were an 8hr boat ride away from the nearest road and surrounded by giant spiders, snakes, millions of mosquitos and a myriad of unknown to me insects – not good if you get bitten by the wrong set of teeth! Still – whats life for if not for risking??!!

The drive and boat ride to our base camp was spectacular, taking us past an Incan funery site and huge mountains completely covered in lush green rainforest until we reached the end of the road and travelled downstream by boat. For 5days we were were on alert to see whatever weird and woderful things we could and the list below is only scratching the surface – definitely check out the pictures if you have time!!

- We picked and ate a plant which caused your mouth to go numb – ideal for toothache!
- On a night walk we saw: ants carrying leaves for a new house, a Turantula bigger than my hand, a poisonous snake, a spider catch a moth as it flew past, 24hr ants named so because you have pain for 24hrs after you are bitten (they were an inch long!), a posing tree frog and hundreds of other weird little fellas.
- Whilst on the river: toucans, woodpeckers, storks, macaws licking clay for minerals, caymans, parrots and loads of other birds.
- On a short walk: A 500yr old tree 15ft in diameter, a sleeping owl, bats and jaguar tracks - shame we missed this big cat!
- At breakfast on a lake we saw cappuccino and squirrel monkeys jumping between trees, otters fishing and we drew tattoos with invisible ink from a jungle fruit.
- Fishing for Piranhas – I managed to catch a sardine through the side which I used as bait for a Piranha only for it to be lost to one of the little f**kers moments later! I had my revenge though when we fried them up later for dinner!

Jungle DONE!!