Here's another great trip for skeptics and free thinkers to join. This trip is being organized and run by my friend and board member Dr. William McComas. Bill has been leading these trips for years and has been all over the world. He knows the science, he knows how to communicate the science, and best of all, he knows how to have a good time, and help you have a good time, while doing it.
Natural History and Culture in Peru, led by:
William F. McComas, Ph.D., USC Rossier School of Education
DAY 1, WEDNESDAY, JULY 11th, USA - Lima
We leave Los Angeles this evening on our American Airlines flight to Lima arriving in the evening. Founded by Pizarro in 1535, Lima was for centuries the political, commercial, and religious capital of Spanish South America. Today its colonial heart is surrounded by a bustling city of ten million people, many of them recently arrived from the highlands and trying to make their way in this New World. We'll be met at the airport on arrival in Lima this evening, and taken to our hotel for the night. Overnight at Posada del Inca/Lima. (D on the plane)
DAY 2, THURSDAY, JULY 12th Lima - Puerto Maldonado - Posada Amazonas
Our mid-morning flight takes us to Puerto Maldonado, a frontier town deep in the Amazon basin near the boarder with Boliva on the edge of the vast rain forest. Here we will board a motorized canoe for our journey up the Tambopata River. Our destination is Posada Amazonas, a new 23-room lodge created and owned in partnership with the local Eseejas community. This project is designed to introduce ecotourism to the community in a gradual manner compatible with the Eseejas lifestyle, while generating income for their economic benefit. The project includes design, construction, and operation of the lodge, training of community members for staff positions, design and implementation of natural and cultural itineraries utilizing the community's natural resources, and ongoing anthropological and economic evaluations to maximize positive impact on the community. Details of the project will be discussed over dinner. Box lunch aboard the boat and dinner at the lodge. (B, L, D)
DAY 3, FRIDAY, JULY 13th, Tambopata Research Center
This morning we will travel ever further into the jungle, leaving all traces of human habitation behind. An impenetrable wall of green lines the riverbank. Macaws fly overhead in raucous flocks of scarlet, blue, and gold. Herons fish in the shallows, while kingfishers dart above the surface of the water. With luck, we may catch sight of giant river otters playing in the water, or capybara scuffling up the banks.
This is the Tambopata-Candamo Reserved Zone, a pristine 3.7 million-acre preserve set in one of the richest ecological zones in the world. The TCRZ protects habitats ranging from the Andean highlands of the river's headwaters, through some of the last remaining tracts of intact cloud forest, to the lowland rain forests of the Amazon Basin. Over 1300 species of birds are found here, as well as 200 species of mammals and 1200 species of butterflies. This is the haunt of jaguar, ocelot, and tapir, of troops of tamarin, capuchin, and howler monkeys, of hoatzin and harpy eagles, and herds of snorting peccaries. The reserve is also the site of the largest mineral clay lick known to the world, where thousands of macaws and parrots flock each morning in flurries of scarlet and green to feed on a bank of mineral-rich orange clay rising 130 feet above the river. Tapir and capybara come to feed as well. National Geographic calls it "one of the world's most dazzling wildlife gatherings," with up to 15 different species of parrots and macaws, including the spectacular blue-and-gold macaw, which is not known to frequent clay licks at any other site.Our destination is the Tambopata Research Center (TRC), founded in 1989 as the headquarters of the Tambopata Macaw Project. Featured in the January 1994 National Geographic, the center was built to study and protect the clay lick nearby. Here Peruvian students and scientists join with indigenous residents in ongoing research projects on breeding populations of blue-and-gold, red-and-green, and scarlet macaws. Reproductive rates among wild macaws are naturally low, as the smallest chicks in the brood typically do not survive. This increases the vulnerability of the wild macaw populations. The goal of the center is to develop techniques to improve reproductivity in breeding populations, techniques that can then be used to help critically endangered macaw species elsewhere. These endeavors are supported in part by visitors such as ourselves, who come to the center to study and experience the magic of the jungle.
We will arrive at Tambopata Research Center in the late morning, in time for lunch and an orientation session. Our guides here are Peruvian biology students, who take time out from their research projects to share their expertise and experience with visitors. The guide staff is carefully selected to include specialists in all major areas of biological interest, from fish to birds, insects to botany. The program is designed to give participants a comprehensive introduction to the ecology of the area, as well as an appreciation of the role that well-planned and responsible tourism can play in the conservation and preservation of natural habitats.
After lunch we will hike the Bamboo Trail, famous for the abundance of rare birds that live exclusively in this habitat and are endemic to southern Peru. It is also the home of the frequently found howler and dusky-headed titi monkeys. The overlooks at the end of the trail are good places to observe canopy birds such as tanagers, jacamars, elaenias, guans, and oropendolas.
We will return to the lodge for dinner, followed by a slide-show presentation on the research projects at the Tambopata Research Center. We'll end the day with a night walk on the beach to look for caiman -- relatives of alligators -- and gaze at the stars.
We will spend three nights at the research center, in comfortable accommodations built of local materials. The lodge is comprised of four interconnected structures, roofed with thatch and set on stilts in a clearing near the river. The open dining and lounge areas are in one wing. In another wing, each of the eleven double rooms offers an open view to the forest, and is furnished with comfortable beds, mosquito netting, and a kerosene lantern. Shared bath facilities include six flush toilets and eight showers. Daily entertainment is provided by the chicos, young macaws who were reared at the center after they were rescued from nests where they would have lost out to their bigger siblings. They have been returned to the wild, but are still frequent (and very outgoing) visitors to the lodge. (B, L, D)
DAYS 4 & 5, SATURDAY/SUNDAY, JULY 14 - 15th, Tambopata Research Center
At dawn we will cross the river to experience the world's largest macaw clay lick, where hundreds of parrots and macaws of up to 15 species congregate daily. The January 1994 National Geographic article begins with a description of the daily spectacle at the clay lick:
When the morning sun clears the Amazon tree line in southeastern Peru and strikes a gray-pink clay bank on the upper Tambopata River, one of the world's most dazzling wildlife gatherings is nearing its riotous peak. The steep bank has become a pulsing, 130-foot-high palette of red, blue, yellow and green as more than a thousand parrots squabble over choice perches to grab a beakful of clay, a vital but mysterious part of their diet. More than a dozen parrot species will visit the clay lick throughout the day, but this midmorning crush belongs to the giants of the parrot world, the macaws. You can expect to see ten to twelve of the following members of the parrot family: red-and-green, blue-and-gold, scarlet, red-bellied, chestnut-fronted, and blue-headed macaws; mealy and yellow-crowned Amazons; blue-headed, orange-cheeked and white-bellied parrots; dusky-headed, white-eyed, cobalt-winged, and tui parakeets; and dusky-billed parrotlets. This show will continue until the macaws sense danger, usually in the form of an eagle, and depart simultaneously in an explosion of sound and color. Around mid-morning, when the most intense activity is over for the day, we will return to TRC for breakfast.
After breakfast we will hike the Ocelot Trail to explore the ancient rain forest. At this time of day mammals and birds are not as active as in the early morning, so we will concentrate on the forest itself and discuss general rain forest ecology. This jungle, estimated to be 200 to 300 years old, is some of the most beautiful rain forest in the world, with huge old ceiba trees and strangler figs hung with lianas and bromeliads. It is home to several mammals that we sometimes see, including saddleback tamarins, squirrel and brown capuchin monkeys, and collared peccary. This trail is also the one which most often reveals ocelot, puma, and jaguar tracks, although the large cats themselves are extremely difficult to spot.
After a late lunch at the lodge, we will take a short boat ride to a little creek, where we will paddle small canoes into the forest. The creek is so narrow it is almost like walking a natural trail, except our canoes won't make a sound. As dusk settles in, if we get lucky, we may surprise a tapir, whose tracks are all over the creek's sandy beaches. After dinner we will embark on a fascinating frog walk. (B, L, D)
DAY 6, MONDAY, JULY 16th, TRC - Posada Amazonas
We will wake up at dawn for another visit to the clay lick, then return to the lodge for breakfast. After breakfast we will visit a small, drying oxbow lake, where we will spend the morning on a platform in the middle of the pond observing some of its bird life. We may see hoatzin, duck, ibis, woodpeckers, chachalaca, parakeets, oropendolas, and numerous flycatcher species. After lunch we will set out on our three-hour journey back to Posada Amazonas, where we should arrive in the late afternoon. We will spend our last night in the rain forest here, listening to the sounds of the jungle. (B, L, D)
DAY 7, TUESDAY, JULY 17th, Puerto Maldonado - Cusco
We'll continue down the Tambopata River, gradually easing back into civilization. At Puerto Maldonado we will board our brief flight to Cusco. Here we'll embark on a journey back in time, following a road through the Sacred Valley of the Inca, with breathtaking views around every bend. We have carefully timed our visit to coincide with market day in the village of Pisac. Here Indian women sit on straw mats, surrounded by piles of blue and yellow potatoes, red and green chiles, mysterious herbs and spices. You can bargain for weavings, blankets, sweaters, and jewelry. From there you'll continue through farming terraces to Ollentaytambo, a lovely little village laid out along the banks of the Urubamba. Wander the narrow cobblestone streets of the village for a glimpse of everyday life in the Andes, then climb the steep stone steps to one of the most elegant and magnificent remains of the Inca dynasty. Although probably a temple rather than a fortress, it was here that the Inca made their last stand against the Spanish before retreating into the jungle. Huge terraces lead up to the site, which is crowned by seven massive monoliths of pink granite traced with mysterious carvings. The Temple of the Sun here lies unfinished, in testament to the last glorious days of the Inca. We'll spend the night at the Posada del Inca/Yucay, a beautiful old hacienda in the little village of Yucay, just outside of Urubamba. Dinner on our one tonight. (B, L)
DAY 8 & 9, WEDNESDAY/THURSDAY, JULY 18 - 19th, Ollentaytambo - Machu Picchu
This morning we'll board a train that follows the valley, along the rushing river strewn with polished stones, to Machu Picchu. Hidden deep in the misty cloud forests high above the Urubamba, this is one of the most mysterious and compelling places on earth. Its origins and purpose are lost in time. For centuries its very existence was lost as well, as the encroaching jungle covered it in silence. The Spaniards knew nothing of it, nor, it seems, did the descendants of the Inca. Since its discovery in 1911 by Yale archaeologist Hiram Bingham, the stones of Machu Picchu have remained silent, revealing little of their past. To this day, no one is certain why Machu Picchu came to be, or why it ceased to be. No one knows for whom it was built, or what went on within its walls. All that remains are the silent stones, and their tantalizing clues - a beautifully sculptured stone that might have been used to trace the path of the sun, massive rocks carved to follow the outlines of the peaks rising behind them, paving stones worked with hollow depressions that might have mirrored the stars.
We'll have a guided tour of the ruins this afternoon to see some of its wonders and learn some of the theories that have been put forth to explain this enigma before we continue our own. We'll spend the next two nights at the Machu Picchu Sanctuary Hotel. This premiere location at the top of the hill next to the ruins themselves will give us our best opportunity to visit these enigmatic monuments. (B, L, D)
DAY 10, FRIDAY, JULY 20th, Machu Picchu - Ollentayatambo
We'll be at the ruins early this morning, to catch the first light on the stones. Follow ancient pathways through the ruins, study the shapes and textures of the rock, climb a nearby peak for a bird's-eye view, trace the Inca Trail to the Portal of the Sun, photograph the changing patterns of light and shadow, maybe come up with your own explanation of it all. Later this afternoon, we'll take the train back to Ollentayatambo. We will have a late dinner and overnight at the Posada del Inca Hotel, Yucay (B,D)
DAY 11, SATURDAY, JULY 21st, The Sacred Valley
Today we continue our journey back in time, as we set out into the Sacred Valley of the Inca. We'll follow a road that winds up and down, in and out around the mountains, with breathtaking views around every bend. The village of Chincheros combines Inca ruins with an Andean Indian village, a colonial country church and wonderful mountain views. We'll also make a stop at the salt pans of Salinas, where, for centuries, spring water has been fed into terraced pools to be dried into salt. The entire hillside sparkles like a multi-faceted jewel, as the sun reflects off the water and salt crystals that cover everything in sight. We will take time to stop by the villages of Mara and Moray. Later this afternoon we'll continue on to the Posada del Inca in Cuzco. Dinner on our own tonight (B, L)
DAY 12 & 13, SUNDAY/MONDAY, JULY 22 - 23rd, Cusco
This morning we'll begin our exploration of the city and its paradoxes, with a visit to the most important place of worship in the Inca empire, the Temple of the Sun. Once the most magnificent complex in Cusco, its courtyard was filled with life-sized gold and silver statues of llamas, trees, flowers, and butterflies, while within, the mummified bodies of Inca leaders held court on golden thrones. Today, overlaid with a thin European veneer, it has become the Church of Santo Domingo.
We'll visit Sacsayhuaman, a vast Inca fortress on the outskirts of Cusco. Once home to as many as 5000 Inca warriors, it was most likely an important religious site as well. The massive stones of its walls, some weighing as much as 300 tons, are intricately shaped and fitted together in an impressive display of ingenuity and engineering. We've timed our visit for late afternoon, when the sun best catches the shapes and shadows of the stone. We'll also visit nearby Qenqo, the "labyrinth," a ceremonial site carved out of solid limestone, with winding tunnels leading to an underground altar.
Pikillacta and Rumicolca ruins are south of Cuzco. Pikillacta means "the place of the flea" and was built around 1100 AD by the Wari culture. It is a large city of crumbling, two-story buildings, all with entrances strategically located on the upper floor. There has been some new excavation research and some burials found. Close by is Rumicolca with cruder Wari stonework that contrast to with the local Inca blocks. You will see local Indians hard at work making tiles for the mud of nearby lakes. Andahuaylillas is a pretty Andean village famous for its beautiful decorated church, comparable to the best in Cuzco. The church dates from the 17th century. There are reportedly many gold and silver treasures locked in the church , and villagers take turns guarding it 24 hours a day. This evening we'll celebrate at a farewell dinner, and recount all we've done and seen in this fascinating country. Overnights at the Cusco Posada del Inca. (B, L) We will have our farewell dinner here in Cusco on Monday night.
DAY 14, TUESDAY, JULY 24nd, Cusco - Lima -USA
Today will be a busy day as we make our way back to the USA. In the morning we'll fly from Cusco back to Lima where we will be picked up at the airport and have a sightseeing tour of the city and enjoy a light lunch together. Late in the afternoon we will check into day rooms at the hotel where you will be free to relax, get ready for our flight back to the USA and eat dinner on your own. We will be picked up again about 9PM for the transfer to the airport and our flights home. (B, L)
DAY 15, MONDAY, JULY 25rd, Lima - USA
Today we will arrive back in the USA via either Miami or Dallas Fort Worth.
NOTE: The hotels listed are those now scheduled, but they are not guaranteed. However, we do guarantee to use hotels of a similar or superior quality.
COSTS
--The cost is $3995 (10 or more persons)
--The cost is $4145 (with fewer than 10 persons)
--ALL TIPS ARE INCLUDED!
Included
--All meals as indicated
--One bottled water per pax per day included for most of the trip
--English speaking guides, all accommodations, all transfers, entrances fees, train tickets.
--ALL gratuities for staff, guides, drivers and baggage handling, --Internal Peru air fare
Not included
--International Air (Approximately $695 r/t from LAX)
--Departure Taxes, $25 from Peru and $7-11 Internal airport taxes
--Items of a personal nature
--Beverages including alcoholic beverages and sodas
1. I just found out today that the Monday Politically Incorrect show will actually air on Friday, December 22 (since it is their Xmas show I suppose they want it close to the day).
2. The guest whose name I so badly butchered is Aaron Neville, as in the Neville Brothers. Thanks to reader Derek Bauer for the correction and for passing along this additional information:
"In his first gospel album, veteran crooner Aaron Neville breathes a seldom-heard lyrical transparency into Christian music with "Devotion" (Tell-It Records-EMI Gospel, 12 songs, 48 minutes). One of the living legends in pop and rhythm-and-blues music, Neville's evocative, floating voice, so unmistakable on Top-40 tunes he's done in recent years, crosses over to reveal his gospel roots. Among the many highlights on this set is "Jesus Is a Friend of Mine," in which the 59-year-old New Orleans native provides a no-holds-barred version of his life story. "Singing You a Prayer" features brother Ivan Neville, while "There Is Still a Dream" showcases the voice of Christian singer Rachel Lampa. The group Avalon joins Neville on "By Heart, By Soul." The centerpiece of the album is Neville's tender rendition of "Jesus Loves Me," a song from his childhood. Plenty of other gospel and spiritual standards, as well, giving this project a distinctive flavor."