Rurrenabaque, the Pampas and the Jungle

Trip Start Aug 31, 2005
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Trip End Feb 16, 2006


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Flag of Bolivia  ,
Monday, September 19, 2005

From Le Paz we flew North for 1hr to Rurrenabaque, on a 20 seater plane (see photo), was actually ok but strange as flew out from a military airport. We arrived and it was boiling, the airport was tiny with a thatched roof, outside toilet and the bags were loaded onto a truck which was pushed to us and then we got our bags! We went pretty much straight to the Pampas which involved a 3hr jeep journey ( i felt v sick) along a dusty, bumpy road where stones kept smashing against the jeep, the windscreen was extremely cracked already! We then got onto a boat thing, again the sides barely came out of the water! We travelled up the river which was fab, saw loads of alligators very close to us and turtles. We also stopped under a tree full of monkeys (Katie, you would have loved this!), one pooed on Sim! Then we saw dolphins, very cool (the next day some people swam with the dolphins but i was very ill so could not, was very upset!).
01Our lovely plane
01Our lovely plane
 Home (see photo) was a small place up the river bank, a wooden structure with beds covered in mosquito nets (am covered in mosquito bites), also had a dining place and toilets (see photo)with a shower with a plastic cover for the door and people could see in over the top so showered in bikinis! We went up river abit and played footie against the locals which was quite cool and then went on a trip along the river in the dark to see the alligators, their eyes are cool in the night, they glow orange!
The next day we went for a walk to find anacondas, found one! Spent rest of the day chilling in hammock and being ill! The boys went fishing and caught fish for dinner!
Then we went back to Rurrenabaque for the night, boys got rather drunk! The next day we went for another interesting boat ride to the jungle, for 4hrs. Home was similar to the Pampas. Went for a walk in the jungle, we saw a snake and Moz one of the Oz lads asked if it was poisonous, the guide threw it at him, laughed and said yes! It was extremely hot and there were no showers so we went in filthy river )see photo)and i got caught in the current! That night we went for a walk in the dark along a cliff top, i felt slightly hysterical as we were very close to the cliff edge, and all i saw for my efforts was poisonous spiders which meant i spent the whole night in bed terrified, was very pleased when morning came. In the morning some of us went for another walk, again saw not alot but had to go under the bush on all 4s at one point and then cross a river and rocks by walking across a fallen tree, again i was quite scared as could have fallen in the river (and plunged to my death!) 02 Alligator
02 Alligator
 . I have to say the jungle experience was similar to the Inca Trail experience last year where i spent my time thinking if i ever decide to do something so bleeping stupid again someone please bleeping well stop me, why did i think i would enjoy somewhere that was boiling hot with no showers, full of creepy crawlies including poisonous snakes and having a toilet with no door at all!
Anyway finally left the jungle, the boat journey back resulted in us all getting wet from head to toe but luckily it was v hot. Back in Rurrenbaque we went out as was the last night with the boys, had a few cocktails. This morning had to wait in boiling heat (i was wearing jeans and long sleeved top!) for our plane as we were bumped off the plane we were meant to catch to let some others on it, we eventually caught one later on, a 12seater, i felt v sick, didn't help that we we sat right behind the pilots, there was no screen or curtain to separate us, and it was one of the pilots first flight!
Anyway we made it safe and sound back to Le Paz. Tomorrow we are off to Arica in Chile, my 3rd country in 3 weeks!
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