Jungle Book

I was told to write less and put up more pictures. So that´s what I´m going to try and do.

Last week I skipped out on volunteering for 3 days to go into the Jungle with my friend Jane and her parents. There is a park nearby called Manu National Park and it´s in the Amazon Basin. It was so different from anything I have done since I have been traveling. We first went into the cloud forrest where the fauna is less green, the weather is chilly and there are no views... because of the clouds.

Then we got into the heart of the Jungle where it´s hot and muggy with lush green plants and trapical flowers and animals. We were so lucky because we got to see three different types of monkeys and tons of different types of birds. We hiked, boated, and looked for animals. We also got to go to a sustanable farm owned by a nearby lodge and I got to try a handful of new fruits. We went to bed when the sun went down and got up before the sunrise.

You´d think that the scariest part about the jungle would be encountering a snake or a puma, but in reality it´s the road into that is the scariest. It drops off into a cliff on one side and is never smooth. It is also only one lane and when you encounter a truck headed in the opposite direction you have to sometimes back around blind corners to make space to pass. But, I made it home safe and sound without any major accidents and only 2 bug bites! The biggest highlight for me was meeting Paulo- a red howler monkey that had been rescued from a house in Cusco and was now living as a pet in the Jungle. He was only 9 months old and very cuddly. I got to cuddle a monkey in the Jungle! I had a hard time leaving him behind and not sneaking him back to cusco with me.