Welcome to the jungle!

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Bolivia is definitely the biggest culture change, which we particularly noticed on our bus journey to La Paz for our flight to Rurrenabaque. We learnt the coaches do not have toilets and rest stops didn't either. Poor Jane was stared at as she tried to couch behind a wall, clearly we're an attraction.

Although there was a 5 hour bus delay due to barricades we made it to La Paz the next day for our flight. The plane was a little 18 seater, you could see the two pilots (I'm sure I learnt how to fly one now!) and it was too small to stand in. It was an experience as we flew alongside mountain tops and landed on a strip surrounded by the jungle.    

We were unable to get onto a jungle tour straight away so booked ourselves into a half day trip zip-lining in the jungle. We took a boat down the river Beni into the jungle area, walked for an hour and half uphill until we reached the top where the wires began. With a helmet, harness and hand stopper to brake with we were ready. We went down 1500m over 8 platforms and loved every minute. 

We booked onto a 2night, 3day jungle tour the next day. We were on a boat for 3 hours before we reached Madidi nature reserve, part of the Amazon jungle. We went on several walks including one at night to view the wildlife and trees/plants. We saw spiders, butterflies, bugs, birds, jungle pigs. We heard (but didn't see) the holler monkeys. 

We spent one afternoon making jewellery from different nuts we found in the jungle. On our last walk it was just the 3 of us and the guide so he found us a long tree vine worthy of a Tarzan swing. After a lot of 'wwweeeeeeee' shouts and pushing each other back and forth, Jane showed us how to do a move called the straddle. It's where you are upside down with legs over your head in straddle position. Fun was had by all! 

We returned back to Rurrenabaque and enjoyed a day by a swimming pool to recover from the less comfortable aspects of the jungle. 

Flight back to La Paz to meet up with Lucille and enjoy few days in the capital. 


Sent from my iPod

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