Last night out with my Peruvian crew
In La Paz I again said good-bye to more travel compatriates, as Val and Dympna headed off to volunteer at a wildlife refuge near Cochabamba. Nat, who originally planned to head down to the Salar decided that a trip to the jungle seemed more apealing. So Nat and I booked a airline ticket to Rurrenabaque. Yes, it IS possible to take the bus there the trip is apparently horrendous and 16 times longer than the plan ride. And, although we didn't have the pleasure, appearently, Amaszonas airlines also employs dragons!!
Space or Regular Dragon... you decide!
The view from above
Concrete landing stips are for wussies!
Arriving in Rurren, we went about planning out adventures. First we went to book our nature and wildlife tour. We decided upon a agency recommended in the Guide Book as very environmentally conscious with a more remote camp than the competition. So off we went with two fellow travellers into the steamy, dangerous jungle.
Well, not really the jungle, the pampas. I could have gone to the jungle but since the jungle is so very... ummm... jungley, it is next to impossible to see any animals because of all the junglosity. The pampas, however, are open flood plains with much fewer trees and thus animals are much easier to spot.
Jeeps and boats
After a three hour jeep ride to the river, the six of us, Nat, Danielle (retired social worker?), Walter (retired theoretical physicist), Hector (the guide), Maria (the cook), and I, got into a canoe for a five hour trip to the encampment. Not even thirty minutes into the trip I had seen numerous alligators and caimens, turtles lined up and logs sunning themselves, and pink river dolphins. At one point, after hearing something, Hector pulled the boat along the river bank by a group of dense bushing. After letting out a few called that sounded like kisses the bushes spang forth with activity. No less then 20 squirrel monkeys appeared along the river bank and jumped onto out boat.
Boats are the new barrels... Lord Baboon commands it.
Five hours later we arrived at what would be our home for the next two nights. While I expected that we would be staying in an encampment surrounded by raw nature at its naturey naturosity, we actally stayed on a cattle ranch shared by mutliple local families. So all in all, the extra money I payed seemed kinda pointless. While there were no loud camps nearby to scare off the animals, there were barbed wire fences surrounding the entire ranch. This, I believe, lead to a very boring nature walk the following morning. Especially since the Walter and Danielle opted out of taking horses... old coots! The most impressive time was the time spent on the water. All in all I saw hundreds of alligators and camians (of all various sizes), turtles, toads, frogs, birds of all type (including parrots, hawks, eagles, vultures, etc. ), capybaras (the world's largest rodent), squirrel monkeys, howler monkeys (wish I had a tape recorder... just freaky), a capuccino monkey, and others I'm sure I am fogetting. I also fished parrahnas (sp?). All in all it was enjoyable... I'm just not sure if the cheaper "party camps" would have been just as good.
I am so hardcore
Sunrise on the ranch... damn roosters!!
Helping out the local wildlife
Nesting storks... or herons or some big bird
Returning to Rurren
Well now I believe I will be heading off to Potosi within a few days. First I want to do some shopping and tackle the death rode (EXTREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEME!!!!!).
My $4 dollar shave and haircut
Until next time, same blog time, same blog channel........
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