COTSWOLD Travel
My amazing Amazon experience
The Amazon rainforest is one of the most bio-diverse regions in the world, sprawling across nine countries and rich with millions of species of tropical plants, animals and fauna.
Brendan McFadden travelled 52 miles north of Iquitos, the capital of the Peruvian Amazon, with tour company Otorongo Expeditions; to one of the hottest and most beautiful regions on earth.
AFTER flying into Iquitos, the largest city in the world not accessible by land and then spending two hours on a speed boat from Iquitos, we arrived at Otorongo’s lodge. The lodge is located off a small
Amazon tributary called Quebrada Oran and is the brainchild of husband and wife team, Anthony and Ivonne Giadinelli, who built it from the trees in the surrounding jungle in 2005, in an effort to develop the area through ecotourism. Surrounded by a beautiful exotic
garden and lush with palms, butterflies and songbirds, the rustic Otorongo lodge is located in a wonderfully tranquil setting. And so it began, for the next seven days
and six nights our every moment would be filled with adventure, awe and astonishment. After dropping our bags in our room
we were shown to the dining area. Here we enjoyed a buffet lunch made up of the typical delicious Peruvian cuisine and exotic local fruit available at the lodge, whilst chatting to other guests about what lay ahead.
Each room at Otorongo comes with its
own private bathroom. And although the facilities are basic, the lodge is merely where you eat and sleep, as most of the time is spent enjoying daily excursions, which start early at 8am. Some excursions saw us head out on
walks, allowing us to see a wondrous amount of bugs, insects and tarantulas. Others allowed us to enjoy enchanting boat trips around the Amazon and its tributaries, where we fished for piranhas and spotted countless amounts of tropical animals, such as grey dolphins, birds, monkeys and sloths. Such is Otorongo’s prime location deep in the jungle, we did not have to wander far from the lodge garden to see such wonders. On other outings we were able to visit
nearby villages, where we mingled with locals and bought charming hand-carved trinkets. Excursions at Otorongo are completely
customised for each guest, meaning we really had free reign to enjoy the magnificent terrain, which is made up of beaches, lakes, rivers, palm swamps and much more.
Our guide Wilver Anhuanari Chota
explained that by providing customised tours, guest who stay at Otorongo are able to take more from their experiences in the jungle. He said: “There are many lodges
around Iquitos but Otorongo is the only one that is completely customised for each guest. “At other companies they take large
groups out but that is no good as guests do not always get to do the activity they want to do. Otorongo gives each guest a choice to do whatever they want each day.” Wilver was born in a small rural village
on the banks of the Amazon not far from Iquitos and is part Cocama indian, an indigenous tribe which had populated Peru for thousands of years . He is highly skilled as a guide thanks to his extensive knowledge of the ecology of the area, acquired through his father and from several years in the Peruvian army. Above all he has a warm endearing personality and is always happy to help. In one of our many activities we set out with Wilver and boat driver Mikey on a
Pirahnai caught
Houses in San Gregorio 48 COTSWOLDESSENCE | March - 2014
www.cotswoldessence.co.uk
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