Thursday 24/05
Vlog by Isabelle: see below.
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By me:
Wake up at 4:50am.
We take a boat (5’) to Collpa Colorado, the famous salt lick nearby that attracts 4 to 10 species of parrot and macaw on most mornings; it’s the place where researchers go every day. We have great light but the birds choose another spot this morning. It’s annoying since their spot is behind trees and in the shadow. There are many macaws, parrots and parakeets (most of them hidden) and the noise is great.
Back in the lodge for the breakfast, at 7:30am.
Then we chill a bit until 9:30am when we have another walk. Jules stays at the lodge; he prefers to rest.
We see a spider monkey, a Southern tamandua (anteater), in a tree (!), and a toucan. And also many leaf-ants.
The walk lasts 2h30, until noon.
We rest (I fall asleep) until lunch, at 1pm.
From 2 to 4pm we rest again. I take the opportunity to do a massage.
At 4pm, we leave for another walk (the last one already).
We see 2 caimans in a pond. Christian fishes and catches super rapidly sardines and tigerfishes (although fishing is forbidden in this pond). Jukes wants to try and gets a nice fish too. We sacrifice one tigerfish to see how fast the caiman can eat it. It’s entertaining.
Back in the hotel, I take a bath outside. Jules joins me (and even Isabelle later on).
After dinner, we attend the lecture about the research projects on the macaws. A scientist provides us with a look at the biology of the macaws, their feeding habits, the theories for clay lick us, their breeding and feeding ecology, population fluctuations and the threats to their conservation.
We are in bed by 9:15pm. We have to wake up very early again tomorrow morning; we are going back to Cuzco and need to catch the plane at 12:40pm in Puerto Maldonado. Moreover I insisted to stop on the way at Collpa Chuncho, to have another chance to see the macaws.
