The Jungle!
Trip Start
Jun 27, 2004
1
9
57
Trip End
Sep 22, 2004
Amboro National Park,
Bolivia
Monday, July 5, 2004
It was a 2 hour drive on unpaved, potholed roads and the occasional river to negotiate. Still, the driver of the 4x4 was very good and we got to the start of our trek in safety.
Herman, our guide, turned out to be fantastic and our porters Javir and Marlene never once complained that we had packed too much! Marlene was dwarfed by Sue's rucksack and Herman called her a "mochilla con piernas", a bag with legs.
The trek into the jungle was far from easy and we had to change from boots to sandals at times to negotiate rivers
1 - Loading the Jeep
. This was when we realised what tremendous value the porters were!After a few hours we reached the site which was to become our home for the next 24 hours. It was by a rocky outcrop next to a contibutary river to the Macuņucu. Lunch was a superb veggie spag bol. Sue being veggie didn't spoil the quality of the food we were given at all.
After lunch we unpacked into our tents, put up by the porters whilst we ate, and then prepared for a trek deeper into the jungle. The hope was to see some animals and birds but they proved elusive. Nevertheless Herman took time to explain many of the plants and trees of the jungle along with (if we understood properly) various natural remedies they can be used for. I was particularly impressed by how he bent twigs and marked trees so we could retrace our steps back to camp.
During our dinner of vegetable stew-cum-soup darkness set in. It really was pitch black! Herman set his machete in the ground and placed a candle on it so we could eat.
Then, after a brief rest, it was time for our night hike. Again animals seemed elusive, but we did manage to spot a Paca (like a giant rat) scurrying alongside the riverbank. It was quite exhillarating to be out in the jungle in the dark, and we had incredible trust in Herman. By 1030 we were pleased to return to our tents and grab some sleep.
I didn't have the best night's sleep of my life
10 - Clearing Up
. Probably down to so many unusual noises in the trees. I got cold where I rolled off the sleeping mat onto the floor and was woken by a mozzie at 6.30 so I decided to get up.After breakfast we went on a trek to a waterfall and also for some swimming. The birds came out to see us and we saw quite a few and heard many more. I even got to swing on a tarzan rope, a natural parasite common on jungle trees and very strong. After a couple of hours hacking our way through the jungle (well, we walked whilst Herman hacked!) we reached a dark gorge containing a high waterfall. It was beautiful but the water was freezing.
Then we continued for about 40 minutes to a pool in the river. From the rocks it was about 15 feet to jump into the water. Sue went upstream to the edge whilst I waited for Herman and Javir to jump. After they had leapt in I had no choice. It was freezing but incredibly refreshing! We stayed there for a couple of hours then returned to camp.
After lunch we packed everything up and you would not believe we had ever been there but for the scorch marks on the rocks from our fire. Herman is so proud of his jungle and makes sure he looks after it. Trekking back to the rendez-vous with the jeep wasn't so bad and the drive back to Buena Vista was a good one. Lots more slipping, sliding and splashing through rivers and mud, but all too soon it was all over.
Feeling weary we decided to stay the night in Buena Vista where we met a couple from England travelling around South America as part of their world tour. It was good to share experiences and to forget about trying to understand everything in Spanish for a while!!
