Somewhere over the rainforest

LAKE SANDOVAL, Peru - Gold miners dump mercury into the Madre de Dios River five kilometers from some of the most intensely protected rainforests in Peru.

The area, which is home to hundreds of thousands of species including the Giant River Otter, the caiman and several species of monkeys, is one of the most biologically diverse areas of the world.

“If you come back in 10 years,” our guide said, “everything will look completely different.”

A transoceanic highway is in the works that will enable faster tourist travel.  

According to studies, such as one by the Building Informed Civic Engagement for
Conservation in the Andes-Amazon, the project will cause all sorts of problems – deforestation, destruction of protected areas, more exploitation by gold miners and increased production of coca, the plant from which we derive chocolate and cocaine.

But for now the gold miners on the river are merely an uneasy reminder of troubles before one enters into some of the most breathtaking natural wonders in the world.

“Everything you see on the Discovery Channel, or in National Geographic, it really is here,” promised our guide.

We slept with mosquito nets, a caiman (a sort of giant alligator) swims near our boat and we check our beds for tarantulas (only one).

There is no electricity, and we help row our own canoe through the Sandoval Lake and the tiny jungle canals.

The party city of Cusco is a stark contrast to the jungle culture where people mostly rise and fall with the sun. Staying up until 9 p.m. feels decadent, and staying up until 10 p.m. is indecent.

At night you can see the Milky Way and lots of species of insects, as well as the caimans. It’s nearly impossible to believe the grime spewing from the gold mining boat on the nearby river.

The things to do are endless. We take a hike through shaky bridges that run through the canopy. We take a swim in the lake that could have been cut short by vampire fish or stingrays. No one can swim after nightfall because of the caimans.

As we depart, passing by the gold boats, the reserve seems to get smaller and smaller; the noisy city moves closer every year; and the new highway will make the complete transition from tiny port to tourist metropolis.