Day 257
Puerto Maldonado, Peru
We were awoken at 5am but our guide lightly knocking on our wall (there's no door, only cloths)...after a heavy, sound sleep...
And decided to give the cold shower a miss and having one last night!
We donned our muddy wellies for the last time..and met our guide in the lobby for our boat ride and last trek into the amazon jungle to see the toucans...
And even though we didn't see the toucans..we loved the walk. Just to be there, to smell the freshness and to really breathe...is such a privilege.
We breakfasted on our porrige, fruit, eggs and toast...before going back to our rooms and packing our gear for our minibus ride back to Cusco. It was a bit sad farewelling our friends..but also exciting to think we were off to Cusco, to acclimatise for our Machu Picchu trek.
The boat ride was uneventful....the bus ride was uneventful...checking in for our flight to Cusco was uneventful....going through customs and immigration was uneventful...
In fact it was quite pleasant! We sat in the airport with our Nashville friend (who'd met Johnny Cash and George Johnson!!!) and then boarded....while leaving them behind to board the next flight...
BUT. After going through the boarding at the designated boarding time...11.40am...then waiting for an hour with Barb and Trish....we decided things were getting a bit slow.
Then our guide Ronoldo..from the Lodge arrived to talk with us (being that he could speak English so well) and......told us...
The plane we were to catch..did not arrive from Cusco!
There was a strike on in Cusco!!!
So...we were ushered out of the boarding lounge..back onto the mini bus..with about 20 others that were in the same predicament..and sent to a local hotel, here in Puerto Maldonado!!!!
So...here we are.....staying here overnight, waiting for the strike to end! The hotel is quaint, still in the Amazon Jungle..and we can hear all the noises of the birds, frogs, monkeys.....its actually very peaceful and beautiful!
And..there's electricity, hot water and..internet!
We hope we do leave to Cusco tomorrow..because we want to acclimatise and we feel we need the three days to do this before the high altitudes of Machu Picchu...
So..we wait. And we will see!
