Dates
October 8, 2011 – October 15, 2011
Brian Speer, DVM, DABVP, DECAMS and Carol Walton, DVM
36 hours of veterinary CE (RACE approval pending)
Please note that final payment is due May 20th.
 
Itinerary
 
Day 1 – Saturday, October 8th
Fly to Lima, Peru.
Check into the Costa Del Sol Airport Hotel.
 
Day 2 - Sunday, October 9th 
A View from the Canopy Tower
Early flight to the small jungle town of Puerto Maldonado in southeastern Peru. After a short visit to the lodge headquarters in town where you can store luggage if needed, we will be transferred to the Tambopata River for a 45 minute trip upriver in a covered, motorized canoe to the Posada Amazonas Lodge. We will have a boxed lunch on the canoe while enjoying the jungle scenery! After checking into our rooms, we will embark on a forest walk to the 120 foot high canopy tower, where parrots, macaws and other wildlife can be spotted. After dinner, Dr. Carol Walton will present her first lecture on Rainforest Ecology.
 
Day 3 - Monday, October 10th
Tres Chimbadas Lake and Travel Upriver to the Tambopata Research Center
After an early breakfast, we will depart Posadas Amazonas Lodge and travel by motorized canoe for 30 minutes, followed by a 45 minute hike to Tres Chimbadas Lake. Paddling around this beautiful oxbow lake in a stable, comfortable catamaran will enable us to search for lake specialties such as the endangered giant otter, caiman, and two very strange birds, the Hoatzin and Horned Screamer!

Upon leaving the lake, our journey continues upriver for 6½ hours to the Tambopata Research Center (TRC). Along the way, we hope to see many species of wildlife, such as capybaras, the largest rodent in the world, Orinoco geese and macaws. After an orientation talk and checking into our rooms, we will take a short hike in the rainforest (time permitting) to look for creatures such as Dusky Titi monkeys and Howler monkeys. Following dinner, the CE lecture series  continues.
 
Day 4 through 7 - Tuesday to Friday, October 11th - 14th
Tambopata Research Center
Before dawn each morning at TRC, our group will depart for a short trip to the Macaw clay lick, located on the bank of the Tambopata River not far from the lodge. On most clear mornings of the year, dozens of large macaws and hundreds of parrots congregate on this site in a raucous and colorful display that inspired a National Geographic cover story. From a distance of about 150 feet from the clay lick, we’ll be able to observe the incredible scene as macaws and parrots descend to ingest the clay. Species such as Green-winged, Scarlet, Blue and Yellow, Red-bellied and Chestnut-fronted macaws along with several species of smaller parrots all gather at the clay lick just after dawn - it is a spectacle ofnature that is truly unforgettable!

The remainder of each day will be spent doing various activities such as interpretive forest walks, lectures, birdwatching, learning about medicinal plants and enjoying the lodge and its natural surroundings. There are several different habitats we will explore and learn about, such as the upland forest (terra firme), palm swamp (where we’ll see nests of the macaws), the floodplain forest, and riverine habitat. There is an elevated boardwalk in the palm swamp with a scaffolding tower which will allow for eye level observation of the macaws as they enter and leave their nests. Night hikes will also be offered to those wishing to look for frogs, snakes, insects and other nocturnal creatures. The days will pass quickly as we immerse ourselves in learning about the ecology of the tropical rainforest, with an emphasis on the macaw conservation project that is being conducted at TRC. There will be ample opportunity for photography throughout the trip. 

Day 7 - Friday, October 14th
Travel Downriver to Refugio Amazonas Lodge
After our morning visit to the macaw clay lick, we will depart TRC for a 3½ hour boat trip downriver to Refugio Amazonas Lodge where we’ll spend our final night in the rainforest. Our afternoon arrival time will allow for a walk to the canopy tower followed by our final farewell dinner in the resort-like dining room of the lodge.  

Day 8 - Saturday, October 15th
Puerto Maldonado to Lima
It is a 2 hour journey downriver this morning to Puerto Maldonado where we will collect any stored luggage and catch our flight back to Lima. Those people opting to go on a 4 day Machu Picchu extension will deplane in Cuzco**.

Upon arriving in Lima, those who have a late flight home will go on a 4 hour city tour, including a visit to the Gold Museum. Depart Lima for flights home this night, arriving the next day.
 
**A four day optional extension to Cuzco and Machu Picchu can be added to this itinerary by request. The cost will depend on the number of participants.
 
• Cost
Starting at $3,675 per person, double occupancy.