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POSTCARDS FROM PERU—MADRE DE DIOS

from What's Up Yukon August 23, 2023

from What's Up Yukon August 23, 2023, page 22

Slowdown. Forme.

Sierra acts as the spine of Peru and is dominated by the Andes Mountains. And to the east lies La Selva (the jungle), which makes up more than half of the country. Madre de Dios is one of the regions (departments) of Peru that is composed almost entirely of rainforest. It shares its name with the Madre de Dios River, whose water ultimately ﬂows into the Amazon River. The region’s capital, Puerto Maldonado, is located less than 500 km from Cusco.

A few years ago, during the hot and dry days of an Andean August, I took a trip from the brown hills of Cusco to the lush green of the Amazon

I’d never been to the Peruvian rainforest before, and a handful of days in Puerto Maldonado was a wonderful introduction to this unfamiliar and fascinating world.

Peru is about eight times smaller than Canada (and smaller than the state of Alaska), but it holds an incredibly rich diversity of climates and cultures. It’s home to three very distinct biomes. La Costa is located in the western part of the country and borders the Paciﬁc Ocean. La

The journey from Cusco begins with an obligatory stop in a small town called Oropesa. The town is famous for its large, round and slightly sweet bread (pan chuta) that is sold in the many bakeries that line the main road. After continuing on and passing through the town of Urcos, the road forks. If you continue straight on, you’ll eventually arrive in Puno; and a few hours later, in Bolivia. If you make a left turn, however, you’ll ﬁnd yourself on the Interoceanic Highway, which leads to the rainforest and continues all the way to Brazil. As the curving road winds its way up the mountainside, you can catch a glimpse of a pyramidal snow-capped mountain called Salkantay, on the left (towards the northwest). At the top of the pass (Abra Cuyuni: 4,185 m) a spectacular view of Apu Ausangate awaits to the right. The road continues on through small Andean communities, past Mahuayani (the place where the annual pilgrimage to Qoyllur Rit’i begins) and over another pass (Abra Pirhuayani: 4,725 m), after which you eventually begin to descend down into the Amazon basin. The topography and vegetation start to change, and the air blowing in through the open car window turns hot and humid.

In the midst of the densegreen tropical forest, one comes to a bridge that crosses the Río Inambari. It is here where the regions of Cusco, Puno and Madre de Dios come together. The geography gradually ﬂattens and one enters La Selva baja (the low jungle). Evidence of gold mining and its effects on the environment can be seen along the road. The cultivation of Brazil nuts (castaña amazonica), coffee, cacao, palm oil, sugarcane and cotton, as well as logging and ecotourism, are some of the other main parts of the local economy. Historically, the area (and its Indigenous population) was exploited for its natural rubber trees, which were tapped to extract latex (caucho) up until the early 20th century.

Arriving in Puerto Maldonado, you’re welcomed by motos speeding past you in the streets and by signs advertising all sorts of refreshing drinks and tasty ice creams made with local fruits like copoazú, camu camu, cocona and maracuya. Visitors stroll through the main plaza and down to Plaza Grau, where you can just make out the conﬂuence of the Madre de Dios and Tambopata rivers off to the right. To the left is the Puente Continental, the large orange bridge that spans the width of the Madre de Dios River. From here it’s only a little more than 200 km to Brazil.

Puerto Maldonado, which also has an airport that receives flights from Lima and Cusco, is the gateway to the Tambopata National Reserve. The reserve was created in the year 2,000 and is one of the most biodiverse places in the world. It’s home to jaguars, pumas, Peruvian spider monkeys, peccaries, capybaras (the largest living rodents in the world), tapirs, sloths, anteaters, armadillos, more than 600 species by the office to speak with an advisor to help you prepare an application. Apply by September 15 for funding requests between $20,000 and $75,000. of birds (including the harpy eagle and various kinds of macaws, the latter of which can be seen feeding in large groups on mineral deposits on local clay cliffs), over 1,000 species of butterflies and countless different types of flora. The Madre de Dios region is also, and has always been, home to many Indigenous Peoples, among them the Ese Ejja, the Harakbut, the Matsigenka, the Yine, the Amahuaca, the Shipibo and the Kichwa Runa. The rubber boom and years of missionary contact have taken their toll on these communities, but they are working hard to save and revitalize their languages and their traditions. They are an irreplaceable part of this corner of the world and play an integral role in understanding why it’s so important to preserve and protect the Amazon and other areas like it.

Among the many recreational activities available in the area, such as kayaking, birdwatching and ziplining, a day trip to Lago Sandoval is one of the most popular. This oxbow lake lies in the most accessible part of the Tambopata National Reserve and offers a beautiful taste of the Amazon. The rainforest canopy towers over visitors as they make their way through a rich and verdant world. The lake is home to black caimans and giant river otters, as well as to many other incredible species of ﬂora and fauna. Hiking back to the Madre de Dios River, to catch a boat back to the city, is a great way to work up an appetite. A large plate of juane de gallina (rice, chicken, black olives and a hardboiled egg wrapped and steamed in a bijao leaf) or one of the many delicious dishes made with local ﬁsh, such as patarashca or timbuche, are a perfect end to the day. The humidity and heat linger in the air, long after the sun has set, and it’s hard to imagine that Cusco and the snow-covered peaks of the Andes are only a day’s drive away.

If you ever ﬁnd yourself in Cusco and are looking for an experience a little away from the typical tourist path, consider taking a trip to Puerto Maldonado to immerse yourself in a different part of this incredibly varied country. Indulge in ﬂavourful foods at the market and local restaurants, learn about the immense biodiversity of the Amazon rainforest and partake in a variety of exciting activities. Madre de Dios has a little bit of everything, and for a Yukoner, not even the mosquitos and bugs in the rainforest can ruin the fun. ■

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