I had decided two years before to spend my 50th birthday back in the Amazon at the Manu National Park. This jungle is such a unique and impressive place I was interested to experience it again and what better way to do that than with my father, sister and her family and my two good friends from Adelaide.


The Amazon is such an intimate experience . It can cause a real sense of wonder and it was this I was keen to re-experience and share. This was the driving force behind my decision to organise my 50th with my friends at Bonanza tours. Bonanza Tours is a family owned and managed company based in Cusco but originating from Manu. Ryse and his siblings have now built one of the most respected travel companies in the region and this would be my third trip with them. Each of them grew up in Manu and are passionate about the jungle’s preservation and showcasing it to visitors. I have remained friends with Ryse & Beth, Boriz, Lordes and William since I met them and looked forward to meeting their parents again. Each trip I have been with Bonanza has been special - but I was hoping this would be the ultimate.


I have also experienced the Amazon in Bolivia and Ecuador (where I worked) but nothing can compare to the experience that Manu in Peru can offer. It is very pristine. The wildlife is everywhere and whilst there are no guarantees of seeing anything, here is the best chance of seeing a Jaguar in South America (all the biologists I met in Ecuador told me) plus other animals . The only animal unfortunately not present in Manu is the Pink River Dolphin which I saw in Bolivia.


Manu National Park is two days travel from Cusco and the reserved zone is restricted to less than 15,000 visitors a year (e.g. for comparison the Galapagos gets 200,000 pa). Access is only by boat and the basic lodges that exist within the cultural zone are owned by the local tribes (the naked people - as they are locally known). Visitors in the reserve zone are also only allowed to access a few areas and the vast majority of the park is out of bounds. Whilst I understand the area is not completely free from illegal logging and hunting, Manu is one area where the situation is vastly better than anywhere else on this continent. For example, whilst working in Ecuador six years ago in the jungle near Tena, I was continually amazed at what little wildlife remained, especially birds (as a result of logging, mining and hunting). In Manu, one is surrounded by life in all its shapes and sizes.


Ryse arrived at 5.00am to collect us and we were soon driving through trafficless Cusco on our way to Manu. Just after dawn we started to climb the mountains on our way towards our breakfast stop at Paucartambo. Before we reached that town on the mountain sides we stopped at Ninamarca to see the strange round pre-Inca burial towers . We wandered through these impressive ruins backed by snow covered Andes in the back ground. Unfortunately Annie was still feeling the effects of the antibiotics and her parasite and this was due to continue over the next couple of days - as the drugs took effect.


We arrived in Paucartambo for breakfast during its market day. The village was bathed in sunlight and looked beautiful with the river snaking through the centre of town and with the towering mountains on either side. After breakfast Ryse took us through the village and it looked better than I remember it. The last time I was here, the town was rocking during its famous festival. Then I recall processions, men wearing masks and huge quantities of beer being consumed. Six years later the town had a new modern museum to commemorate the event and Ryse led us around.


It was a few hours further on before we reached the Tres Cruces and the entrance to Manu National park . This stop has a fabulous view over the cloud forest below and for the first time, I was able to enjoy this scene as it was not covered by mist. After a brief stop and a photo opportunity next to a statue of Sven Eriksen (yep?) we proceeded downhill into the cloud forest. One of the big changes in the last six years was the quality of the road here. It had been widened and improved (which was a relief) and was not hair raising like the experience in 2006. It certainly did get narrow and back to its original state the further we descended and we had one interesting passing manoeuvre, but other than that it was plane sailing. None of the truck wrecks of the previous descents showing where the unlucky ones had finished their drives were visible.


The birdlife was distinctive, varied and excellent. As soon as we entered the cloud forest, just next to the road were the White Throated Woodpeckers, Green Jays, Fly Catchers and the illusive Cock of the Rock were all clearly visible . I photographed away. We also spotted a group of Capuchins very close to the road and a rare Great Potoo. We stopped for lunch on the way down at the side of the road and enjoyed Cesar’s chicken salad before finally descending down to Bonanza’s private lodge called the Rainforest Lodge. This was home for the first night and consisted of six lodges on stilts surrounding a general eating area. It was very comfortable and we had an early dinner before retreating for the night.


The next morning it was great to wake up to jungle sounds. We left early and headed towards the port of Atalaya. On the way again we spotted more birds, Ortolans, Yellow and Blue Macaws plus another Potoo, this time the common Potoo. We also stopped to see a legal coca plantation. Eventually we arrived in Atalya where the rest of the crew was waiting and the boat was loaded and we all bought some last minute items. This turned out to be the boat’s first trip so Ryse asked me to be it’s “Godfather”. Here the duties appeared to include soaking the boat in beer and wishing it good luck plus promising “to buy the boat a new propeller if it breaks,”said Ryse. “Yikes!”  I did my best with the christening and covered most of the boat in froth and then we were off.


The river level was low in this dry season so it was not long before we were grounded and all of us (except Dad) were out pushing. This was painful for me in bare feet, but good fun. Soon off again the river was flowing quickly and the bird life (in this heavily populated end) not so prolific. Nevertheless we spotted a Ringed Kingfisher, Herons, Egrets and plenty of Cormorants. We also did spot a Capybara lazily sitting next to the riverbank, much to Larry & Janet’s delight.


We enjoyed lunch and then stopped the boat at the side of the river to visit Aquas Calientes, some hot springs which were nice and refreshing. Back in the boat we carried on down the river towards Bonanza’s property past lots of other private properties and lodges. This area is referred to as the buffer zone and borders on Manu National Park just beyond the property. The individuals who own land in the buffer zone have generally exploited it and are not from the area, but there are still pockets of locals and we passed them as we sailed down.


Bonanza lodge was much as I remember it. A new ablutions block and many of the trees had gown substantially, but it was generally the same, and we quickly unpacked. I soon met up with Ryse’s parents who remembered me. What makes this property so special is Ryse’s parents dedication to maintaining the nature and the environment when many up river have destroyed theirs. As bonanza backs on to Manu many animals venture over into Bonanza and amazing encounters can be had.


After a brief relaxation, we prepared to go for a night walk and started trying on some rubber boots. We also managed to spot a pair of yellow and green macaws in the lodge. The amount of wildlife zipping in and out of the lodge is great. I also sotted an Agouti wandering between the bungalows.


The night walks are a highlight of any Bonanza trip, mostly because the family know where everything hides at night so uncovering these nocturnal being is pretty easy. This night though at first we surprisingly saw nothing. Whilst the noises in the jungle are overwhelming nothing appeared to be moving. This finally changed on one of the big trees in the property which revealed some of the rather ugly and speedy Scorpion Spiders in a variety of sizes from orange size to dinner plate (including legs) size. We also uncovered a jungle mouse, several frogs, large crickets and beautifully coloured geckos. The star however of this night walk was the first Tarantula. It was genuinely huge and only initially visible to me through Larry’s camera LCD display as I was at the rear of the line behind Ryse. It was standing on its legs in the middle of the pathway and was magnificent. It even managed to make sister tremble and utter “that cannot be real!”  Off course it quickly retreated into its burrow when we all tried to approach it and no amount of waiting to coax it out.


Soon Ryse led us into an area where his parents used to live. Here the Tarantulas were everywhere especially the Peruvian Pink Footed one. Unlike the first one they were far less bothered by our presence and were smaller. We also came across a dangerous Coral Snake and Will had a close encounter with a cockroach which was at least twice the size of those in the UK. An excellent trip.


The next morning we had a somewhat leisurely lie in and then started on a walk into Bonanza, unfortunately without Annie as she was still feeling the parasite. Bryony stayed with her in the lodge were they were entertained by Squirrel monkeys. This time we were a little unlucky, but did see a large group of Yellow Squirrel Monkeys, several times, once quite close. Within the group were a couple of freeloading Capuchins. We also came a large nest of army ants with their trains of soldiers stretching across the juggle floor.


By now everyone was getting a feel for this unique environment and with the help of Ryse’s guidance they were starting to appreciate the life and the complexity this part of the Amazon holds. Back at the lodge we found the Annie had improved and in the late afternoon we left for the Claylick Observation Platform. When I was staying with the family some six years ago, this was what we were meant to build, but the weather was so bad in three weeks I was there, we only managed one days work. Now six years later it was complete and hidden by the sprawling jungle foliage. The clay lick was very much as I remember it and the Hauamani’s had put mattresses up on the platform with mosquito nets to enable night time viewing. It was a little wobbly with a ladder that was a real challenge but we all got up.


During the night we were put in groups and asked to keep watch. Mine was with Dad (somewhat useless at staying awake even in the day) from 2-5am. Initially it was quiet but after 10.00pm the action started first with Tapirs and then the Deer. These were my first TapirsTapirs (the largest jungle mammals) and I was surprised at their size. They would wander into the sludge so you could hear them from the platform and then we would switch on a powerful torch to spotlight them. The deers were obviously less impressive. We ended up spotting four Tapirs and two deers.


The highlight was however on my watch, with Dad snoring next to me. I thought I heard movement at 2.30am and when I spotlighted the animal, I discovered a cat with pointed ears. “Puma” I said trying not to alert the spotlighted cat and Ryse awoke and immediately confirmed it. He called out to the others and some managed to glimpse the Puma as it left the clay lick. I was elated, a Puma was the animal I most wanted to see and I saw it three times in those moments and at the beginning quite clearly. Unfortunately some of the others were not so fortunate in their glimpses.


In the morning we retuned to Bonanza, had a big breakfast and rested before packing up and heading off from Bonanza Lodge to Bocu Manu and the mouth of the Manu River. However on the way to the boat I slipped and badly cut my leg just below the knee. I thought little of it at that moment, having spent the past twenty four hours patching up my father’s cuts with my sister. However over the course of the next few days it was to get infected.


Back on the boat we continued to travel down river, past many tarpaulin tents and local people and finally to Bocu Manu. We sailed past that town which seemed to be slipping into the Madre de Dios River building by building, before arriving at the Hummingbird Lodge. Exhausted after the previous nights activities, we were pleased to arrive and spotted a few hummingbirds before sunset. We also ventured out on another night walk with Ryse but it was not half as interesting as the one in Bonanza. After dinner we all went to sleep.


The next morning we were up before dawn and in the boat early after breakfast and we entered the Manu River.