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So there were.... and then the bus broke down. We were going up a hill, and ... "Bang! put put put ... nothing". This is a pic of everyone standing around. We stood around like this for six more hours until Kathleen and I finally paid 17 S/. to get on another bus.Here we are in Puerto Maldonado, the Jungle, Peru. It took us 33 hours to get from Cuzco where the air is cold and thin, to this place where we’re 200m above sea level and the humidity is at least 100 percent. The bus from Cuzco left at 3pm on Saturday and was supposed to take 27 hours. Mike had a comical lack of leg room. <br />

Jungle Safari

GringoAndGringa
2006-02-18 14:59:52

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and waterfalls, as well as over the occasional bridge. Good thing the tires were so big! Really, it was more of a stream than a road (Kind of like driving along Cowichan River). At about 12 we were going up a little hill when the transmission completely failed. We backed down the hill again, and into the stream we just crossed. Turns out the drive shaft had BROKEN IN HALF.

We were, of course, in the middle of the jungle and blocking the road. After a while a truck towed us up the hill to a better parking spot and someone went to the last town we passed for a new drive shaft.

They were pulling our bus up the hill attached only by a spindley little rope!It was hot and humid and we waited six hours, but no one came to fix the bus. Since it was getting dark, Mike and I, along with several other people, jumped on a passing bus, also going to Puerto Maldonado. We were so excited to get out of there, I forgot my boots and Mike forgot his cds. (We may get them back, I've been told to go to the bus office at 2pm). So we went the last six hours of our journey in the dark in a really impressive electrical storm and pouring rain. Mike had even less leg space in this bus.

We got to Puerto Maldonado at 11pm and took a taxi to the Hostal el Astro, recommended by the people at the research station we're going to. It felt pretty good to have a cold drippy shower and a horizontal place to sleep. And to not be pressed against sweaty strangers.

In the morning I went to try and track down our lost stuff, was not that successful, and went back to the hostal. I figured we’d have to wait another day to find a canoe up the river, since it was getting late, but then

a man came to see us who seems to be one of the people running to research station. They must have assumed, quite correctly, that we’re pretty clueless and come to pick us up -- quite alright with me. We then bought our national park passes, lunch, ice cream and plane tickets for the trip back to Cuzco. That’s right: plane tickets. No more busses, ever. Puerto Maldonado is really very big, and papaya juice is plentiful. There’s approximately one paved road, one ATM (thank goodness), lots of internet places, travel agencies, hostals, little restaurants and motorcycles (some of which are "taxis").

Ok, it’s off to the jungle for us! Thanks for all the comments, we really enjoy them!