We were awake at 4:30 am this morning to go to see a bird called Cock of the Rock. Each morning and afternoon these birds gather in a section of the forest near our lodge for about an hour, then disperse for the day, until their afternoon gathering. We spent an hour at this place looking with great diligence for a glimpse of the bright red male birds.

Following a quick breakfast we were back into the buses and another 3 hours descending further into the jungle lowlands. Yesterdays pattern continued; the further we went the wetter everything got and the worse the road got. Finally we reached Atalaya which for us was the end of the road and the start of boat leg of our journey. Just before Atalaya we noted that we were now down out of the mountains. We had a short wait in Atalaya for the previous tour group to return with the boat; we swapped with them. They got the bus to return to Cusco and we got the boat. In addition to us and our luggage the boat had to be loaded with all the food and other items we would need for the coming 7 days.

From Atalaya we had ahead of us a 5 hour journey in a wooden, dug out canoe, type boat; but powered by an outboard motor. About an hour down stream we stopped at a small village to get fuel for the boat. This village is apparently the real end of the road, which is why it is the local fuel stop. Fuel is brought in by trucks in 55 gallon drums, and dispensed to customers like us from those drums using an old fashioned siphon hose. Yes, they did start the flow of fuel by sucking on the tube - yuck.

Mid way through the boat ride we stopped at Pantiacolla Lodge for lunch, we will spend two nights there on our return journey.

The 5 hours on the river was pleasant, cool, no insects, occasional dwellings and groups of people, and dense green in every direction. The river itself (the Alta Madre De Dios) was muddy and swift. The guide said it was also cold because it is glacial in origin; but it did not feel cold to someone now from Washington.

Tonight's lodge also has a central dining hall and cabins, all with palm leaf roofs, just a little down river from the junction of the Alta Madre De Dios and Manu rivers, and the village of Boca Manu. .