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The town of Boca Manu
is anothe hour-and-a-half downstream from Diamante, and it is where the
Río Manú meets the Alto Madre de Dios to become simply the
Madre de Dios. The Madre de Dios is wider and calmer than the Alto. The
river near Boca Manú is littered with large tree trunks that are
washed down river following the landslides of the rainy season. The townspeople
practice a unique form of eco-forestry by harvesting only trees that have
already been felled. They harvest cedar, mahogany, and two other hardwoods.
From the cedar they build all of the large canoes that are used by all
of the tour operators that bring tourists into the reserves. To operate
legally, each operator must own his own vehicles and boats. In the town,
we stocked up on treats before completing the remaining two hours to the
wildlife center. Manu is the largest town in these parts,and it even has
a well groomed soccer field that is ringed with flowers.
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I don't know what the
yellow flowers are, but the red ones are Cresta de Gallo (roosters comb).
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When we arrived at the
lodge we found the dock guarded by this family of turtles.
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Karen headed straight
for the bar. Actually the Bar was pretty nice, with furniture made from
mahogany harvested in Boca Manú. Both the Bar and the dining room
had floors made from thick cedar planks. The meals here were fantastic.
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