Where the Andes meet the Amazon: Cloud Forest

For two months now, we've been living in the Sacred Valley, rambling in and learning about the Andes mountains. But just to the east of these grand mountains, there is a very different environment: la selva, the Amazon rainforest jungle. We contacted the Amazon Conservation Association (acca.org) in Cusco and arranged visits to two of their Biological Stations,  one in the Cloud Forest (Wayqecha) and the other in the Lowland Rainforest (Villa Carmen)...At both stations, we met biologists from Peru, Canada, USA, Belize who are here to study the plants and animals, with the goal of conservation. We did a lot of walking on the well-marked trails.  Here are a few photos from our visits. 

Wayquecha Biological Station: Cloud Forest

Only 4 hours by van from Cusco, Wayquecha Biological Station protects an amazing ecosystem of moss-covered native forest at the eastern edge of the Andes. The elevation is around 10,000 feet above sea level, producing a cool, moist climate.  We encountered many colorful birds, flowers, and insects here.

Looking northeast from the edge of the Andes towards the Amazon basin

The Cloud Forest captures one third of all the rainfall in the Amazon Basin

Exploring the Orchid Trail at Wayquecha Biological Station

Star-shaped fruit, abundant in the Cloud Forest

A very small but beautiful flower--less than one quarter inch in diameter

One of many types of beetles we found in the cloud forest

So many beautiful flowers here

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Villa Carmen Biological Station: Lowland Rainforest 
From Wayquecha, we took another 4-hour van ride, and what a ride it is! The windy unpaved road drops more than 8500 feet to the western edge of the Amazon Basin. If you don't get carsick from the hundreds of curves, or vertigo from looking down over precipitous, landslide-prone slopes, you can enjoy spectacular cloudforest transitioning to lowland rainforest. Villa Carmen is only 500 meters, or about 1600 feet elevation.

We stayed in the aptly named Bamboo Cabaña, very comfortable and well-screened.

The walkway to our cabaña

Will looking at insects with Sam, a British biologist living at the station while doing his research project on monkeys

Will petting the tortoises in their enclosure

Macaws like to hang around the kitchen

The jungle abounds in insects, like this 4-inch butterfly

This teeny-tiny wasp (one half inch long) liked the orange curtains in our cabaña

Look, but don't touch me!  Jungle caterpillars often have spikes for protection.

Boat trip upriver to jungle waterfalls

Bow man with bamboo pole for pushing off river bank

Jungle trail to waterfalls

Lower waterfall, which harbors a colony of cliff swallows

Will and Gary "Eduardo" at lower waterfall

Large tree covered with ferrns, climbing vines, ants, etc. ! ! !

Will swimming in the amazing waterfall pool

Visit to Dos Loritos Wildlife Rescue Center

After the boat trip, we returned to the Biological Station. One of the ACCA staff biologists, 

Cynthia, invited us on a bike ride to a nearby Wildlife Rescue Center.  So we can say we biked in the Amazon!

Bike ride through Pilcopata to the Wildlife Rescue Center

Will playing with Chato, a young, orphaned Capuchin monkey

Will holding "Mochila", a two-toed sloth