After returning from the mariposario, Boyfriend and I decided that we couldn’t see much more jungle from the city and decided that we should probably go to an eco-lodge. Eco-lodges all have
offices in the city, so just in time to be caught in the torrential downpour of the afternoon, we began our search. The first place that we went was a moto-taxi ride away and boasted water slides and paved jungle paths. Bzzzz! No way! Despite the ever lowering price, we were not looking for a cruise ship vacation.
offices in the city, so just in time to be caught in the torrential downpour of the afternoon, we began our search. The first place that we went was a moto-taxi ride away and boasted water slides and paved jungle paths. Bzzzz! No way! Despite the ever lowering price, we were not looking for a cruise ship vacation.I was a little bummed, thinking all of the eco-lodges would be this way, but Boyfriend talked me into going to another place that was close to our hostel. We were relieved upon entering both by the cool temperatures provided by the air conditioner and the sign on the door that said that the prices were non-negotiable. We booked a 2night 3 day trip to an awesome lodge 140 kilometers up the Amazon River by boat. We were fitted for rubber boots (boyfriend got a sweet hat too) by Mad Mick, an Englishman who ran a shop just upstairs from the lodge office, and made plans to meet the boat the next morning.
We had the small problem of having packed for mountain trekking instead of jungle adventuring. The only long pants and shirts we had were long underwear which are not conducive to hot, humid, jungle environments. We really needed long clothes to help keep bugs off, so we searched for the TopiTop only to discover it had already closed for the day. We continued to the nearest pharmacy and bought some bug spray with 7% DEET (the highest they had/not very strong). The next morning the van picked us up and, after a quick stop at the now open TopiTop where we purchased long pants and long sleeve shirts for both of us for 47 soles ($15) total, we were loaded onto a power boat and headed up the Amazon. 
We raced up the river past villages, jungle, abandoned ship yards, and one big looking city/town. I suppose I can’t complain because I am always barfing everywhere, but Boyfriend has a very small bladder. After an hour in the boat we had to stop and let him pee. It ended up being awesome because while we were waiting a pod of gray river dolphins swam by the boat. After Boyfriend re-boarded and we told him what he had missed, we continued another 2 hours up the river, and then, after waiting for a dog to swim across, up a side spit to our destination where we were greeted by lunch. 
The schedule for our eco-lodge adventure was as follows
Adventure, Eat, Nap, Adventure
Because Thanksgiving is an unusual time to travel to an eco-lodge in the middle of the Amazon, we were lucky enough to have a tour guide all to ourselves for the first day and a half, and then we were joined by a German couple who were very nice (and significantly cooler than the father son pair who had arrived with us the day before). It would take far too long to go 
into detail about everything that we did so I think a list of our activities is the best bet. We went on jungle hikes both on tierra firma, and in the swampier areas, went in canoes to look for birds and other early rising wildlife, fished for piranha, searched for pink and gray river dolphins, swam in the Amazon, and went on night excursions to search for cayman and other nocturnal animals. During these adventures we saw a sloth, marmosets, tarantulas, macaws, toucans, gray and pink dolphins, squirrel monkeys, all kinds of hawks, kingfishers, egrets, herons, and other bids that I was not familiar with, catfish, piranha, a cayman (luckily from very far away), dozens of different types of ants and their nests, a baby jaguar paw print in the mud, frogs, toads, and we swung from vines like Tarzan.
into detail about everything that we did so I think a list of our activities is the best bet. We went on jungle hikes both on tierra firma, and in the swampier areas, went in canoes to look for birds and other early rising wildlife, fished for piranha, searched for pink and gray river dolphins, swam in the Amazon, and went on night excursions to search for cayman and other nocturnal animals. During these adventures we saw a sloth, marmosets, tarantulas, macaws, toucans, gray and pink dolphins, squirrel monkeys, all kinds of hawks, kingfishers, egrets, herons, and other bids that I was not familiar with, catfish, piranha, a cayman (luckily from very far away), dozens of different types of ants and their nests, a baby jaguar paw print in the mud, frogs, toads, and we swung from vines like Tarzan.The cottages were raised high enough not to flood when the waters rose to the peak a few months down the road, and were made of blue screen pulled over a wooden fra
me and a thatch roof. The in room bathroom was made more private with wooden walls and a door. The common area, which included comfy chairs and the dining area, was constructed in the same manner. To get from hut to dining room there were elevated wooden paths (for when the river was high) and the same path led down to the boat dock. The food was delicious and water, coffee and tea were provided. It was perfect!
me and a thatch roof. The in room bathroom was made more private with wooden walls and a door. The common area, which included comfy chairs and the dining area, was constructed in the same manner. To get from hut to dining room there were elevated wooden paths (for when the river was high) and the same path led down to the boat dock. The food was delicious and water, coffee and tea were provided. It was perfect!
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