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worst road before improvements began, and while there are now fewer potholes, roadworks are still causing two- or three-hour delays. The journey currently takes 17 to 20 hours, sometimes more in the wet season. When complete, this road will form part of the Interoceanic Hwy. Completion is still some time off but several brave bus companies already ply the route, including Expreso Los Chankas (83-72-2441, S50), and leave around 1:30pm from offices on Tambopata, 12 blocks north of the town center. It’s an incredibly scenic journey and the adventurous, airplane loathing or budget minded might wish to give it a go even now. When paved, the route should take under eight hours.

GETTING AROUND

Mototaxis take two or three passengers (and light luggage) to the airport for S5 to S7, depending on your powers of negotiation. Short rides around town cost S2 or less. There are also mototaxi Honda 90s that will take one passenger around town for about S1.

You can rent motorcycles if you want to see some of the surrounding countryside; go in pairs in case of breakdowns or accident. There are several motorcycle-rental places, mainly on Prada between Velarde and Puno. They charge about S7 per hour and have mainly small, 100cc bikes. Driving one is fun but crazed local drivers and awful road conditions can make this option intimidating. Bargain for all-day discounts.

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AROUND PUERTO MALDONADO

Río Madre de Dios

This important river flows eastwards past Puerto Maldonado, heading into Bolivia and Brazil, and the Amazon proper. In the wet season it is brown colored, flows swiftly and looks very impressive, carrying huge logs and other jungle flotsam and jetsam downstream. The main reason people come here is to stay for a few days in one of several jungle lodges, all of which are to be found between one and two hours upstream from Puerto Maldonado itself.

Additionally, travelers can partake in fishing and nature trips, and visit beaches and indigenous communities. Some excursions involve camping or staying in simple thatched shelters. Lodges often provide rubber boots for the muddy jungle paths. (For advice on kit to bring with you, Click here).

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BORDER CROSSING: BOLIVIA VIA PUERTO MALDONADO

There are two ways of reaching Bolivia from the Puerto Maldonado area. One is to go to Brasiléia in Brazil (see opposite) and cross the Río Acre by ferry or bridge to Cobija in Bolivia, where there are hotels, banks, an airstrip with erratically scheduled flights further into Bolivia, and a gravel road to the city of Riberalta (12 hours in the dry season).

Alternatively, hire a boat at Puerto Maldonado’s Madre de Dios dock to take you to the Peru–Bolivia border at Puerto Pardo. A few minutes from Puerto Pardo by boat is Puerto Heath, a military camp on the Bolivian side. The trip takes half a day and costs about US$100 (but is negotiable) – the boat will carry several people. With time and luck, you may also be able to find a cargo boat that’s going there anyway and will take passengers more cheaply.

It’s possible to continue down the river on the Bolivian side, but this can take days (even weeks) to arrange and isn’t cheap. Travel in a group to share costs, and avoid the dry months of July to September, when the river is too low. From Puerto Heath, continue down the Río Madre de Dios as far as Riberalta (at the confluence of the Madre de Dios and Beni, far into northern Bolivia), where road and air connections can be made. Basic food and shelter (bring a hammock) can be found en route. When river levels allow, a cargo and passenger boat runs from Puerto Maldonado to Riberalta and back about twice a month, but this trip is rarely done by foreigners. From Puerto Heath, a dirt road goes to Chivé (1½ hours by bus), from where you can continue to Cobija (six hours).

Get your Peruvian exit stamp in Puerto Maldonado. Bolivian entry stamps can be gotten in Puerto Heath or Cobija. Visas are not available, however, so get one ahead of time in Lima or your home country if you need it. Formalities are