Our flight to Puerto Maldonado (Dec, 2001) was a bit of a culture shock, but it didn't prepare us for what was to follow. We were part of a totally different lifestyle, just what one hopes to see when traveling. There were a few reminders of our days in Port Moresby in the late sixties with open concrete drains and tropical street scenes. 

But we boarded a motorised dug-out canoe  and headed two hours upstream to our lodge, Posada Amazonas, on the Tambopata River.  This was a pleasant surprise, despite the lack of hot water and electricity. (There was a generator to power the blender in the bar!). We were housed in a room open to the elements, protected only by a mosquito net! This meant that we had late night visitors in the form of monkeys and bats. Lighting came from kerosene lamps and candles. The dining room produced plenty to eat including traditional fare.