Amazon

I arrived in Lima a day early and had no problems with customs. You have to press a button upon collecting your luggage.If the light goes Green you are cleared to go through. I know one guy had it go red and he was stuck in customs for 4 hrs. I guess they must monitor you on video.
Lima itself is a very large low rise and wide spread city. The trip from the airport to the hotel didn't particularly paint a great picture. On the second day I decided to do a city tour and a few museums. The Gold museum and catacombs under a church were the highlights but perhaps the only thing worth seeing in Lima.

That evening everyone arrived for the tour. I have 10 women and 3 other guys on my tour. There are six 18 yr olds from Australia, a few people in their 20's and a few older couples from Canada and the US. I would be the only person in their 30's.

To get to the Amazon involves a flight, a motorised boat up a river, a 40 min walk and then a canoe across a lake to the lodge. To be honest I was expecting a very basic setup but the accommodation was excellent. For some reason because of the numbers I get a room to myself throughout the tour which consists of a double bed and en suite. The couples have to make do with two single beds. Oh well...

The first day in the Amazon was stinking hot and the weather was great. Of course I had concerns about getting bitten by mosquito's but in the 3 days I only got one bite. Whilst at the lodge there are a few tour guides to take you on various trips. The first trip started in the evening with a walk near the lodge spotting various animals. It's amazing how alive the jungle is night with wildlife. We saw tarantulas on the trees literally about 20 feet from our rooms. Also we saw some very odd creatures with peanut shaped heads, a snake and bullfrog. The sound is amazing also.

The next day we were woken at 4.30am to go for a cruise on the lake and spotting various birds, monkeys and a giant otter family. We had good luck and I managed to get some good shots with my long zoom so it is worth the effort carrying it around. The day I spent just relaxing in a hammock in the lodge and I wished the tour had an extra few nights as the Amazon is well worth the experience. Our final night was spent on the lake again this time spotting Cayman (croc species) with our flash lights.

Now I've just arrived in the high altitude city of Cusco where I have a few days to acclimatize before setting off on the Inca trail.