Jungle...Welcome to the jungle!

We reluctantly left the tranquility of Coroico and lugged our luggage into town to catch the bus to Rurrenabaque. We met two Spanish girls (Maryosa y Marta) who had a local contact there with some inside information on a really decent guide to take us into the heart of darkness. He didn't work for an agency so all the money would go directly to his indigenous village who had paid for his extra education in medicinal plants etc....

The journey itself was a gruelling 15 hrs around roads fit only for goats and we were reassured of our safety when we stopped after 5 mins for the driver to fix his bus by moving an inside wheel (2 on each side at the back) to the outside. It was not long after this whilst the entire bus was shaking and it rained baggage that we chose the green pill and drifted into a matrix of calm.

At 5 in the morning after what seemed like 20 mins we arrived in town and stumbled off into the inky blackness, some groggy negotiation later and we had a bed for the night in what turned out to be a very pleasant hotel with a hammock wheel in the courtyard (8 hammocks radiating out like spokes).

Nice relaxed town , the only people not on mopeds are the tourists.

nice tree in Rurrenabaque

indoor market

Later that day we headed straight for the local outdoor pool, which was large and refreshing, and stayed there for the duration drinking limonada mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm....

The next day we awoke to the sounds of a Cockerel with a cough, left most of our luggage at the hotel and headed for the shore where we met Flora who was to help translate as we only have a smattering of Spanish. We all clambered in to a very long boat and gently motored upstream humming The Flight of The Valkeryies. Great to be out on the water again... a relaxing 3 hours watching the jungle drift by.

We had lunch on the riverbank (a yummy chicken stew) cooked over a wood fire and carried on meandering upstream between steep cliffs with forests hanging onto the sides at ridiculously acute angles.

Visited a couple of Spartan villages on route to pick up supplies, they just had palm roof mud shelters with dirt floors and no furniture that we could see, harsh to live with so much dust. The token dog, pig and chicken (with unfeasibly long running legs) milling around.. here´s a toilet....

Our guide Valdemar decided it was time to set up camp and we beached the boat and watched him disappear into the jungle. He returned having found a suitable place (where he would only need to clear bamboo and not trees) and with Justin(boy Friday) and a couple of machetes set about creating an incredible campsite just within the interior. We helped clear the site using bamboo as brushes, and within 15mins we had a clear flat piece of land slightly higher than the beach but only a hop, trip and a jump away.

They constructed a roof from plastic and separate sleeping quarters for two´s with mossy nets tucked reassuringly under mattresses. I must admit I had my doubts when we arrived but it was peachy. Lying in bed looking straight out at the jungle was amazing. I think we had spaghetti bolognase for tea- always a safe option.

Valdemar told us tales about people on previous trips. He really opened up, perhaps because straight away we all pitched in which he said only 10% of people did. It would have been such a relentless job for them if we hadnt, driving the boat alone looked pretty tough- navigating the currents & shallow waters & avoiding floating shrubberies, setting up camp, cooking, leading a walk, the cycle continues.... it was nice to feel we´d lightened the load and they could enjoy it a bit more. Flora interpreted his stories but Valdemar would elaborate for 10 mins while the Spanish girls laughed and Flora would summarise in a sentence so we did feel we were missing out a little, but hey.... should ave learnt more Spanish.

Our guide lost his flip flops so Dave saved the day and gave him his, he was v chuffed as they were Havaianas (the gift moves on Sid).

Pancakes for breakfast. The river was really high, massive trees in flower floated by that yesterday had been rooted in the banks. Too dangerous to navigate by boat so off into the jungle for our first walk.

Paranoid about bugs I dressed up like a proper charlie (even with head net for a while), here's a picture of the intrepid explorer drinking from the only type of bamboo that is filled with water.



Our guide would stop and explain about the flora and fauna. Wether it be a contraception, snake bite antidote or a pipe made out of bamboo for mimicking the puma, everything had its use, really interesting.

this is apparently a cure for a lazy eye though he could have joking at this stage.

We came to a stream to cross with a branch for a bridge & a pole to balance which got stuck in the mud and made it more difficult. Anyway I got nearly to the other side and promptly fell in. It was actually really deep and my head went under, my bag, the works (did get out pretty sharpish though). My pride was more hurt than anything else as the one thing I normally have is balance. Here's a photo of before I fell in, Dave was kind enough not to take one of the aftermath, bless him. To be honest though the rest of the 3 hour walk was pleasant (apart from the squelching hiking boots) I was wet but cool.

here's a giant Saber, they use these for emergency signals, if you hit the trunk the sound travels for miles.



Dave's favourite fruit.

Butterflies & insects our only friends.. didn't see many animals, a few birds and a glimpses of wild pigs (boy do they stink & make unnervingly strange sounds) but it was lovely none the less.

Here's one of the big blue butterflies that were in abundance floating through the dappled leafy sun rays.

At dusk we went fishing and laughed at our guide failing at the task of catching fish with a bow and spear. While we tried to fish with a weighted line and meaty hooks. Then 2 fish committed suicide and jumped out of the water behind him, we shrieked ¨behind you!¨ and then Valdamar saved face and actually speared a third as the sun was setting over the water... all were much

We did a small night walk but because it was a full moon and so light all but bugs were in hiding, well they said you don't get to see many animals in the jungle.

We awoke to a pink sunrise sunrise the next day and the boys had already been fishing and caught a massive catfish. We watched it gutted on the beach and Valdamar wrapped it in palm leaves and gently smoked it over the fire while we pootled up the river to the second national park (Pilon Lajas) for a walk. Normally you only get to go round one park on these tours so it was a treat.

It was different, less dense with more views and undulations and a massive cliff face that red macaw parrots were nesting in high above. Lots more butterflies and a fresh water stream that we filled our water bottles in.

We came across a garlic tree (they do exist!) and rubbed the bark over our arms (as mozzies don't like it) and continued on our smelly way.

Back at camp we had a Delicious lunch and quickly packed up as Valdamar had noticed a hole that was the nest of a red bird sitting in the tree and was worried about a small hungry mouth within.

Before we left he magically produced ice and we had a well needed cool drink (it was very hot & humid in the day). Still not sure how he did this, we only had a polystyrene box and surely ice would not keep in this for 3 days?......

When we arrived back in Rurrenabaque I was so relieved to remove the white shirt I had buttoned up the whole time. It was filthy but amazingly I hadn't been bitten once so it was worth it. Fantastic to have a shower, the water ran brown.

Spent the next 3 days hanging out by the pool and reading. There were 2 parrots living in the grounds but they were a lot quieter than the previous featherd pool friends. One was licking water from the pool edge so dave swam over to give it a decent drink, here they are....

some pretty green striped lizards lived in the compost heap and we watched them running around.

Got drunk for the first time on our trip the next day. Went down to the river for lunch and just kept ordering another beer as it was so refreshing & easy to watch the riverside antics. Were still there at tea time when the spanish girls turned up, hic!........ heres the view.

The sky has become very hazy and we find out its due to forest burning in Brazil and Paraguay. This happens every year at this time, we dont know if this year its more extreme but it does seem severe for visability to be affected so much here. All flights in and out of Rurenabaque are cancelled for 10 days and sunsets and rises cease to exist- the sun just dissapears 5 degrees off the horizon. I have to say though we probably wouldnt have been able to stand the heat and stay here had this not been the case.... doesnt make it any less scary they are burning so much though. We suspect Bolivia is doing a fair bit also and blaming the other countries, have seen some evidence and heard tales to this affect.


more photos of the Jungle