It was exhilarating to be back in the Manu after six years. We had entered the Manu river early so we could be in front of the other boat (another company) that was also staying at the Hummingbird Lodge. This should give us better access to the wildlife as we went upstream.


We were soon signing in at the park headquarters before starting the long trip (six hours) up to Casa Machiguenca Lodge - the furthest point up the Manu River we are allowed . We were all vigilant and Leo kept the boat moving slowly negotiating the many sandbanks and submerged logs that littered the way.


We spotted many Macaws, Black & White Caimans (some swimming with the boat), Skimmers, Vultures, Turtles, Spider Monkeys, Squirrel Monkeys, Kingfishers, Herons and many other birdlife. However no Jaguars. On and on we went past the sandbars, experiencing a narrowing river and plenty of foliage.  


Magnificent trees towered over the brown soup like waters with the occasional flash of red flowers. We past a congested Parakeet clay lick, full of birds. It was quite a sight. In the late afternoon in what was the first truly hot day, we reached the Machiguenca Lodge and Dad felt it was too hot for him, so he remained in his room whilst we went over to the opposite bank for our jungle walk.


Here the trees were towering above us and the canopy seemingly miles up in the sky . Some of the trees had those amazing stumps with their webbed feet like features. Ryse was keen to point out the expensive trees, for which there is now a prison sentence for the illegal logging.


Up to the end we had strangely seen little life except a solitary trumpeter bird, but finally we came across a group of Woolley Monkeys. We circled around underneath them as they ran around the branches, clearly visible despite the distance. Suddenly one either stepped or moved a dead branch and it plunged to earth hitting me on the shoulder. Everyone showed a fair bit of concern and I was lucky as it was just a glancing blow. I was unhurt. This was lucky and more than could be said for my cut, sustained at Bonanza, which was getting more and more painful.


Back to the Lodge for another excellent supper thanks to Cesar and it was an early night . The following morning we had another very early alarm call and we left in the boat after breakfast in complete darkness. We landed a little way down stream and hiked a short way through the jungle to an Ox Bow lake called Cacha Salvador. Here we found a stable wooden raft and were paddled by Leo and Chino into the centre of the lake. It was very dark at dawn and the thick dark cloud cover signalled the arrival of rain, but before that (within minutes) Ryse had spotted the family of resident Giant Otters.


For the next two hours the Otters played around the boat, sometimes very close and fished for Piranha. They are the top predators in the rivers of the Amazon and were agile in water behaving like “dogs or wolves” whilst hunting, added Ryse. They are so much larger than other otters, and extremely noisy and talkative.


Many predator birds follow them up and down the Ox Bow picking up the scraps and these include both a rare Agami and Capped Heron, Ringed Kingfishers, cormorants, egrets and others . This was a much better experience (we were just luckier this time) than my experience some six years ago, the only downside being the terrible light. However we were also fortunate, for as we finished, the heavens opened and we got a real soaking. As soon as it rained the Otters left.


Back in the boat we started the long ride back towards the mouth of then Manu river (Bocu Manu). Cesar managed to feed us and cook for us as we went and we spotted other birds and animals including Brown Capuchins and Tamarind monkeys. However it was when we were trying to photograph an Osprey that my sister spotted a Jaguar. By the time she had alerted us to focus our attention on the opposite side of the river, the beast was already retreating back to the jungle, but I got a five or six second glimpse and fired off several photos. A glimpse is a glimpse of this fantastic animal and although it was nothing compared to my six or seven minute close audience with a Jaguar six years before, it was still memorable . There was a high level of excitement in the boat for the rest of the journey.


We exited the Manu and re-entered the Madre de Dios for our journey down to the Blanquillo Lodge. We arrived at Blanquillo Lodge as the sun was setting and it was a short walk over the riverbank to the guesthouse. Here we met several other groups and we were all housed in big rooms in a long block. That night we had some excellent dinner again courtesy of Cesar and an early bed.


The next morning we were up at 4.15am for the final visit, and this was the one I had been waiting for. The Blanquillo Clay Lick is famous all over the continent as it attracts hordes of Red and Green Macaws in the morning to sample its minerals. No one quite knows how this spectacular event happens, but it does and everyday at about 10.00am Before that time, the lick is also visited by many Amazonian Parakeets and Parrotlets . This clay lick is situated on private property which is owned and managed by the same man who operates the Blanquillo Lodge and this is what all the groups had arrived to experience. We were up early, so we could arrive in good time and reserve a good place on the viewing platform. It was a short boat ride from the lodge down river and then a short walk through the jungle before we came across the large clay lick and the accompanying viewing platform.


The clay lick in this case was a small escarpment in the jungle certainly about ten times the size of the lick at Bonanza. The wooden viewing platform stretched along almost the entire length at about 30m distance and was camouflaged. Even at 5.45am there were plenty of Parakeets arriving and congregating around the shrubs and trees that lined the escarpment and as we munched on another delicious Cesar breakfast (he had to push that to the platform in a wheelbarrow through the jungle) they started descending onto the clay for their morning lick.


Soon the area at the left of the escarpment was covered in green Amazonian Parakeet and Blue Headed Parrots. The loud squabbles shattered the tranquil dawn and the scrummage that developed on the clay was astounding. Suddenly without warning, a breaking branch or equally strange noise would scatter the thousands of Parakeets and the air was filled with exploding green flashes and even more cacophonous noise. This was the photograph I wanted and I spent ages trying to anticipate the next major scare. In all there were about four of these scares, before the Parakeets started disappearing and the Green and Red Macaws started to arrive.


At first a few stray couples would arrive and sit on the tree tops seemingly spectators to the rabble of Parakeets below. But as more and more turned up and the Parakeets started to depart, the bright red and greens started to dominate the escarpment. As they became more numerous their loud almost painful screeches started to dominate the airwaves. Again suddenly as they numbered several hundred, they all appeared to descend onto the claylick and a similar experience started to take place, except with these graceful, brightly coloured gigantic parrots.


It did not take long for a similar noise to frighten the assembled hordes and this time the red army took to the sky with frantic and shrill screeching. It was all amazing and just as memorable as I had hoped. The scene with the multitude of Red and Green Macaws circling the clay lick was quite simply awesome. My camera was worked overtime. However all too soon it was time to go.


We packed everything back into the boat and continued on the Madre de Dios downstream to the mining town of Boca Colorado. On the way, Leo’s attention was distracted and we hit a submerged tree with a loud bang. The boats timbers bulged under the force of the collision but remained intact. A real tribute to the stability of these vessels and we enjoyed a laugh about it. Soon we passed several people mining for gold on the pebble banks of the river and eventually arrived at the dusty, boom mining town of Boca Colorado. Here we left the boat and said goodbye to Leo, Cesar and Chino before being collected by Ryse’s older brother in two 4x4’s and driven to the main city of the region Puerto Maldonado. This was a good few hours in car,minibus and ferry but we arrived at the lodge just before sunset. It was owned by a German man and his Thai wife and that night we had a good Thai meal. The lodge had several monkeys in its grounds including a Red Howler which was really a pet and some Saddle backed Tamarind Monkeys. Also just before bed the Thai wife spotted a rare white tree ant eater in the trees above the restaurant.


The next morning Ryse showed us the local market and the city before we headed off to the airport and caught the plane back to Cusco. All in all it was an outstanding 50th and a very memorable trip.


The next morning Larry and Janet left to return to Australia and later on Will, Bryony and Annie also left for the UK. That night Dad and I took Ryse, Lordes, Cesar and Joe (their son) to the Green Point Vegan restaurant for my birthday meal, which was great. The restaurant produced a delicious tiramisu for my birthday cake. Now I had time to get my cut seen too and it was infected the doctor said, and he put me on a course of anti biotics. After a couple of days relaxation when we changed accommodation we ended up saying goodbye to everyone at Bonanza tours and flying back to Lima, to catch our next plan to Guayaquil, Ecuador.