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The Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge, located at 5000-feet elevation in the
Kosņipata Valley, 165 kilometers by road from Cusco, and situated within
the 10 000 acre cloud forest reserve of the conservation group Selva
Sur, has 14 double-occupancy rooms, hot showers, flush toilets and a
rustic dining room.
And just a 7-minute walk from the lodge is the world's largest, most
accessible and tamest known group of displaying Andean Cocks-of-the-Rock.
In just 8 hours by bus from Cusco, it is possible to relax in the rustic
comfort of the Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge, from which you can explore the
valley and the narrow, switchback road that the world's leading bird
tour company has called "the best road in the world".
Day 1 : CUSCO / CLOUD FOREST
After an early breakfast, we will pick you up by bus from your hotel and
set off for the Manu cloud forest. We will pass over two Andean chains
of almost 13,100 feet elevation through a steppe-like landscape, or
Puna. On the way, we will pass stone Chullpas, or burial chambers, of
the Pre-Inca Lupaca people and will hope to catch site of some of the
bird species of the high Andes, including the Giant Hummingbird and
Mountain Caracara. After a delicious boxed lunch at Ajanaco which, if
clear, affords views over the cloud forest and the vast sprawling
expanse of the lowland rain forest, the road suddenly descends down the
eastern slope of the Andes. We will plunge downwards, past remnant
patches of elfin forest, through swirling mist and clouds, to emerge in
a forest of stunted, evergreen trees, festooned with mosses, lichens,
bromeliads and other epiphytes. Nestled in this forest within a 2-minute
walk of the road, and within earshot of a rushing mountain stream, lies
the Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge. If there is time available, we will have a
chance to briefly begin our exploration of the surrounding forest before
dinner. (Box lunch, D)
Day 2 : CLOUD FOREST
Rising before dawn, we will visit the traditional display ground of the
Andean Cock-of-the-Rock, which has become famous among scientists,
tourists and the international press, as there is no other spot in the
world where so many of these spectacular blazing red birds can be seen
so easily. From our point of observation, which is within 30-feet of the
narrow switchback road that runs through the center of the reserve, we
will watch as between 6-20 or more male birds interact at a traditional
mating ground, 15-feet in front of the point of observation. We will
watch as these outrageous birds strut, curve their wings and dip their
crested heads in the hope of attracting a mate. Please note that the
very best months for viewing Cocks-of-the-Rock are in September, October
and November, although the males display every month of the year.
Returning for breakfast, the rest of the day will be spent exploring the
forest overhanging the single lane road near the lodge, or some of the
miles of trails that wind through the valley, to see high elevation
cloud forest birds, such as the Golden-headed Trogon, as well as
numerous, brightly-colored tanagers and hummingbirds. If you are very
lucky you might see a troop of muscular-limbed Woolly Monkeys or Brown
Capuchin Monkeys, which regularly forage through the reserve, or perhaps
even a Spectacled Bear. Bears are present, but they are shy and hard to
see. This mysterious cloud forest harbors species of flora and fauna new
to science.
Indeed, in 1995 two Peruvian biology students, sponsored by Selva Sur,
carried out basic survey work on orchids, reptiles and amphibians. They
recorded two entirely new (previously undescribed) species of orchids,
and four new species of reptiles and amphibians for Peru. After an
exhilarating exploration of the road and trails, bathe in the cool,
clear waters of the San Pedro stream as it flows from the virgin forests
of the surrounding mountains toward the rushing Kosņipata River.(B, L,
D)
Day 3 : CLOUD FOREST / CUSCO
We will rise again before dawn for another chance to see the displaying
Cocks-of-the-Rock. We will return to the lodge for breakfast and then board
the bus for the return journey to Cusco, arriving in the early evening for
dinner. (B)
END OF OUR SERVICE |
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Map
Cock_of_the_Rock Lodge
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