The Amazon
Since everything in Bolivia is cheap I thought I would splash out and fly up to Rurrenabaque which is in the Bolivian Amazon. Its only a 1 hour flight but a 17 hour bus journey….so I didn’t mind spending the extra cash. After mountain biking getting up at 5am to get to the airport for a 7am flight was not what I wanted to do. But I made it and after an amazing flight over mountains our tiny 12 seater plane landed on the grass runway in Rurre.
The weather there was definitely different. It was hot, super hot and super humid. Driving into the ´town´felt like I was in the Pacific somewhere with fruit on the side of the road, everyone on moterbikes. It was cool. I had booked in a tour in La Paz so after stocking up on brazil nuts, bananas and water our group of 7 loaded into the jeep and heading off to the Pampas. You can either do a jungle or a Pamapas tour. The jungle involves plants and trees and more trees where the Pampas is along this big river and you see lots more wildlife. Our group was really cool, 3 aussies, 2 south africans, an American and me. Having a good group always makes things heaps better.
The 3 hour jeep ride was crazy bumpy on the worst roads I’ve ever seen, and it was sooo hot! on the way into the Pampas we saw a sloth hanging out in a tree and an alligator which crossed the road right in front of us. We were all glad to get out of the jeep and on to the water. We went everywhere in these long wooden boats and the river is this crazy tangled mess of water, trees and about a million different ways to go, unsure as to how the guide know where he was going.
We were going on a 2 hour boat ride to the lodge where we would be staying for 2 nights. Through the river are heaps of pink dolphins, pretty crazy as they’re so big in a river and they’re actually kind of pink. Swimming in the river with dolphins (and possibly anacondas) was a great way to cool down after sitting in the sun all day. We also saw little monkeys in the trees and turtles along the bank. Lots of crazy birds everywhere and lots of plants and trees. The lodge was basic but nice. Right on the river on raised platforms and covered in mosquito netting. There was also a kind of bar next to the lodge where you could buy beer and watch the sunset. Very nice.
Once the sun sets the mosquitoes just attack in swarms, hundreds and thousands of them. We went out on the boat looking for alligators, we must have all looked awesome with everything tucked in, hats, scarves…anything trying to cover up so not to get bitten!
The whole time you just felt yuk, layers of sweat, sunblock, deet, then more layers. Swimming was good but the water was a weird kind of colour so didn’t really make you feel clean. Spent the night playing cards and eating food, and trying to hide from mosquitoes. The next day was anaconda hunting! sounds more exciting that it really was, because the wet season is just finishing there’s too much water but we still went, dressed in gumboots we waded of through the swamps poking the ground. Not sure if I actually wanted to see a giant snake and the fact that there potentially could b e anacondas we a bit freaky.
We had the choice to keep looking in water far past the top of our gumboots but we chose the soft option and headed back to camp for lunch and a seista. In the afternoon was a swim and then Piranha fishing! that was cool, they’re really small and wont eat a person in seconds but you feed them little bits of meat and they all attack it. We mostly fed them rather than caught them but a couple of the guys managed to catch 2 small ones.
Another evening watching the sunset and playing cards and wearing far too many clothes for that kind of heat. Style and the Pampas don’t go together. There are also these crazy monkeys called Howling monkeys which hang in the trees and make the weirdest noises, they sound like dying lions or something awful. Its totally bizarre. Also that night were 3 big chimans (like crocs) in the water under our lodge, kind of scar y going to the loo walking along these planks with giant crocs splashing around under you! We spent the next morning cruising round in the boat seeing heaps of dolphins then headed back for a long jeep ride home.
We all spent the night in a relaxed hotel with lots of hammocks. Had fantastic fresh fish for dinner and amazing oatmeal cookies of this American conspiracy theorist who lives there and sells baking everyday. great food, strange guy.
The flights out of Rurre are notoriously dodgy and already most people had been pushed back to later flights because of cancellation s the day before. Luckily I was on the first flight. Got there nice and early at 6.30am and didn’t end up leaving until 2pm. Its because of the weather and the planes are so small they can’t fly in clouds or rain. So half the other people ended up staying another night and I got back to La Paz around 3. Had dinner then jumped on a night bus (my favourite) down south to Potosi where I am off to see the mines tomorrow. So the Amazon was awesome, hot, covered in bites but glad I did it!
Tags: rurrenabaque, Amazon, blogsherpa, Bolivia, the-amazon
admin
Hey Arnike,
Sounds like you are enjoying yourself. Just checked your blog site for the first time in ages – I have so much reading to do to catch up on all your exciting adventures. Anywayz keep having awesome fun! Luv Kate
sup arnika i just read through yr amazon adventures omg that sounds bloody krazy u honstly wouldnt see me near shit like that, by the way u typed it. It sounds like yr enjoying it hard out, ok well attemp not 2 get consticted my a snake or sumthing peace! ~ do u have and msn acount? add me mines (swizzle8@hotmail.com)