The Bolivian Amazon - Rurrenabaque Pampas Tour

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Just before embarking on our amazon journey we received news that mum had completed her last chemo and had been given the all clear. With this wonderful news and so happy her struggle was finally over with, we were at last able to relax a little bit on our travels and more importantly have an amazing 2 week cruise to look forward to in June!!
We had a big drink for you mum (don't worry about that)!! Here's to family and good health.

We took a very nail biting taxi journey to the airport where Perdy was nearly crushed 4 times between the central reservation and a bus. But somehow, we made it without a scratch on us. Just when we thought that things couldn’t possibly get any worse and all our horror travel stories were behind us, we saw a picture of our plane.
And for probably the 4th time in the last week…. Yep you guessed it. Perdy cried! To be fair, so would anyone. We can’t quite decide if it was the most exciting plane journey or horrendous. It seated 18 people and you could see right through to the cockpit. The turbulence was terrible and it felt like being in a tin can being shaken from side to side. Every once in a while we tried to appreciate the spectacular view outside of mountains, jungle and the river, well until it started to look like we were heading straight for the mountains! The airport was a tiny little airfield, a big drop between 2 mountains, we could see the runway from the cockpit view, and just as we came in to land, the runway disappeared and we were about 50 meters off course. Somehow we made it and spun from side to side on the runway, feeling like we were never going to stop. This should be a fun 4 days, waiting for the return flight!

We arrived at a lovely little jungle town called Rurrenbuque where we spent the evening before our trip. If the plane wasn’t bad enough, to add insult to injury the 3 hour 4x4 trip to where we had to pick up our boat was bumpy to say the least. Luckily Tony had his tongue in his mouth at one point, otherwise he would have lost it! We'd met our companions who'd be joining us on the trip, 4 Germans and an American couple Rudi and Anna.

It was plain sailing on our canoe for the next 3 days after that though. We were greeted by our tour guide Louis and then took a 3 hour ride up river to our lodge. It was all pretty surreal from the off, being in the middle of the mighty Amazon jungle, with Louis pointing out different animals to us. We got to see the sheer size of the jungle from the plane. Literally all you could see were trees and networks of rivers all the way to the horizon. Tony had just finished a book about different exploration teams in the late 1800s daring to enter the amazon, trying to map out different parts of it as it was, at the time one of the only unchartered places left on earth. A good proportion (in their hundreds) never returned, succumbing to the diseases like yellow fever, going absolutely mad from certain skin borrowing parasites or just brutally murdered by the indigenous tribes which lived there at the time. So we could have nothing but respect for the place. And if it’s good enough for David Attenborough to spend so much time in, it’ll be good enough for us! Perdy has since been banned from reading the book until we're safely back in England! So obviously we were praying for a good guide who knew what he was doing. Louis didn't disappoint.

All of us were looking into the forest, trying to be the first ones to spot a monkey or big bird but Louis always beat us to it. We stopped at one point. While all of us were looking up at the trees wondering what Louis wanted us to find, we were amazed to hear the sound of a Pink Dolphin letting out a burst of air and water. Of course it was cameras at the ready, trying to determine when and where they would surface again. There we were sitting on a little canoe in the middle of the jungle, all alone trying to spot wild Dolphins. It was defiantly one of those take stock and realize where you are moments again. An hour and a half or so down the river; Louis suddenly swung a sharp right and crashed us straight into the bushes on the river bank. Great, nothing better than a bad river boat driver. Especially when the river’s full of crocodiles. We all looked round at Louis to see what was going on when all of a sudden these tiny monkeys started appearing. We were lucky enough to be at the front of the boat, so were only a couple of feet away from them. Well Tony was anyway. While Perdy was distracted by the wonders of nature, Louis was holding a banana above her head. Which one of the monkeys was happy to take….. from the top of her head. Queue the skwirming!

The lodge that we were staying at looked like something the Swiss Family Robinson had put together. It even had a tree swing hanging over the river! There was even a rumour that the place had its very own resident Camen Crocodiles.

After a quick bite to eat, we took ride down river to another hut, free standing over the river to watch the sunset. It had a lovely view over the flooded planes, with silhouetted trees and rocks. It was a shame that a bloody cloud decided to park itself in front of the descending sun. It was still a pretty nice view and very romantic.

Next up for the day was going on the lookout for some nocturnal wildlife. We’d found out as soon as the sun was going down that this is the time when the Jungle really comes to life. From insects to mammals to reptiles and amphibians. Being on the river, you can’t move or sit still without coming into contact with mosquitos, which is where a little food chain begins. The moths eat the mosquitos. The bats eat the moths and the fish eat the ones which fall into the water. Then the small alligators and crocodiles eat the fish. So being bloody millions of mosquitos we were hoping to get to see plenty of crocs, which as Louis told us probably wasn’t going to be the case as in the wet season , some of the wildlife, take advantage of the river overflowing into the jungle and swim inland to reproduce there.

The river even though it was moving no slower than in the daytime, seemed very still and eerie at nighttime. The full moon looking down at us and the jungle noise either side of us defiantly added to the effect. The best way to look for crocs at night is to have your flash light pointed at the water, waiting to catch that pair of eyes just hovering on top of the water, looking at you. It’s funny how your mind starts to play tricks on you in these situations. Every little log that floats past has you wondering what might be preying on you in the murky water and bracing yourself for that jaws moment. But at the same time you’re so desperate to get that once in a lifetime sight of these amazing creatures, the fear gets over run. After seeing a few turtles and fireflies we finally caught sight of an Alligator lurking in the bushes near the riverbank. Louis quickly steered us toward it and us being at the front of the boat, managed to get just a couple of feet away from it. It wasn’t the biggest in the world, maybe a youngster which wasn’t old enough to wonder into the woodland to reproduce yet. Louis had told us that the crocodiles grow up to 15 feet, so we weren’t sure if it was a good thing that they’d buggered off for this time of year. We were so happy to be lucky enough to get to see the one even if it was a 7 foot tiddler.

Up bright and early next day. And up next, we were off to carry our own boat and walk in cow shit. Oh and to also go looking for anacondas. Louis told us that they’d be a good chance of finding one as being the wet season and the river being swollen, you find lots of isolated little islands where animals (including herds of cows, and their shit ) spend most of their time.

We were each given a pair of wellies before we left, so at least we didn’t have to spend the night picking things off our walking shoes. But we were still a little disappointed with them after the story Louis had told us over dinner the night before in which about a year ago on the very same outing we were about to embark upon ourselves, a party of tourists including 3 guides were walking through a patch of swampland when the fourth woman in the line was attacked by an alligator which had been resting beneath the surface of the mud. Before anybody could react and help her, it firstly went for her knee, taking a huge chunk of skin from her. Then secondly went for the same knee but this time taking her entire kneecap. After doing all they could for her at the scene (in the middle of nowhere) the guides made a makeshift stretcher from clothes, got her to the boat and took her to the nearest hospital, 2 hours away. Waist high steel waders would have been more welcoming.

When we were about half way there, we all had to get out of the boat and push it through a part of the river which was too slow for it to pass through. It was good to get our hands dirty and actually help out, although I reckon we all wanted to get back into the boat asap as new kneecaps cost a bomb these days! Louis then showed the island that we were going to and it was just as he’d explained it A small patch of land about 100 meters by 100 meters with a herd of cows in the middle of it, surrounded by trees on the perimeter. It was a great feeling being somewhere like this. Somewhere where such an amazing animal like an anaconda could be living. Louis said that the most likely place to find a snake would up in the trees, so we wade thigh deep into the water to take a look. It was pretty intense stuff from the moment we got into the water after hearing the story last night. We were walking on lots of vegetation like roots and logs which when your mind starts to play tricks on you could easily feel like something sinister. It didn’t take Louis long before he spotted a snake in a tree. He said that it was a constrictor of some sort and was about 6 ft in length, but unfortunately wasn’t an anaconda. It was still great to see a snake out in the wild, so we took a few pics and carried on looking. After half an hour or so and finding no evidence of anaconda activity, we were getting afraid that maybe we were going to be unlucky today. But we were all still trying hard to find something and we were rewarded by getting to see a tarantula hidden in the crack in a tree, which Louis managed to persuade to come out and show himself. Its black and orange leg span must have been at least 25cm in length and its fangs could defiantly do some damage. It was another great experience for Tony at least as Perdy decided to stay well out of eyeshot!

We were resigned to the fact that we weren’t going to see the mighty anaconda but at least we’d seen some other great wildlife and the thrill of walking into the unknown was definitely an experience we’ll never forget. So we made our way back to the lodge for an afternoon of relaxing after lunch and a few goes on the tree swing before we were off out again for a spot of piranha fishing.

Tony - I’ve been feeling a bit guilty over the last couple of weeks. In the part of the blog where we mentioned the bus ride from La Serena to San Pedro and the locals who basically just starred at us throughout the entire journey. I’d like to redeem at least two of those locals who took it upon themselves to help Perdy; who while getting out of her seat to get off the bus, she slipped on a banana skin and because of the rucksack on her back she wedged herself between the seats, face down, thus leaving her arse in the air and chin smashing to the ground. If it wasn’t for these helpful fellows she may still be there now. Thanks guys.
Perdy – I would just like to add that it was in fact Tony’s banana skin that he had left there and he’d already vacated the bus so he is totally to blame!

After a hefty lunch, we made our way up river again to the fishing spot. We got to see some more wildlife. Lots of Howler monkeys which we loved. In the morning they sound like they’ve just been woke up too early. Lots of growling and yawning. Some more Pink dolphins decided to join us and we got to see a sloth; apparently the laziest animal in the world. He was asleep in the trees unsurprisingly.

The piranha fishing was pretty cool, apart from Tony not actually catching anything and Perdy just catching a Sardine. We were given a line, hook and some diced raw pork, what else! All we had to do was throw in the hook and they’d be a mass off bubbles, blood and carnage!

Ok it wasn’t quite as dramatic as that but the fish were defiantly going mad for the meat. And it wasn’t long before one of the Germans caught one and not long after that before Louis caught another. Then all of a sudden Perdy got a bite and pulled out what looked like a Piranha, screamed like a girl and nearly hit Tony in the face with it. After the panic, in a tiny boat, in piranha infested waters we were told it was just a sardine so back in the water it went. By the end Louis had caught another and a couple of the group caught a few more. Tony had realized years ago that he was never going to be the next captain Birdseye so only spent half an hour sulking about not catching anything.

The sun was on its way to meet the horizon and introduce us to the last night of our trip. But not before we got to see some more wildlife on the way back to the lodge. Obviously there were more monkeys, but higher up in the trees we caught sight of a couple of Macaw Parrots. It’s amazing how the birds and mammals in the wild tend to inhabit their own parts of the jungle. And the same seems to apply to the river too. It’s apparently relatively safe to jump into a part which is known to have dolphins in the area. But you wouldn’t think about dipping your little toe in to a part known for its Crocodile or Piranha. I suppose every species of animal is confined to its own habitat by its dietary needs.
When we were nearly back at the lodge, taking in the beautiful amazon sunset we spotted something over by the river bank which really stood out from its surroundings. There was something quite big and white, floating just beneath the surface of the water. When Louis got us close enough, we could see that it was a Capybara. A Capybara is the biggest rodent in the world; can grow up to 4 and a half feet in length and weigh up to 10 stone. They pretty much look like giant Guinea pigs. What could have happened for something this big to be dead in the water? You guessed it. Floating right beside the doomed rodent was an Alligator which had just made the kill. It was just like something you’d see on a wildlife program. And here we were just feet away. After a few careful pics we let the Alligator get on with his dinner and head back for ours.

The sun was setting perfectly on us; it had been a great day on the river. Of course it was another early rise for us the next morning, so after dinner Tony just had enough time to test his camera skills and try to shoot some bats that do the rounds on the river every night to catch moths. Those were fine; it was the ones sleeping above our bed that made us feel slightly uneasy.

After solving the mystery of the weird noises and what had used Tony’s mosquito net as a toilet the night before, we had a better sleep. Still not the best though as being in the jungle the heat and humidity makes it almost impossible to get to sleep, let alone stay asleep. Oh well it’s all part of it I suppose and sitting on our arses on a boat isn’t exactly hod carrying is it. Whilst messing about with the camera the day before, the zoom lens picked up these tiny bats which were living in just about every crevice the lodge could provide. Maybe that’s why we were told to sleep on our backs.

Today was the last day of the trip but was also the day I think everyone was looking forward to most. Not just because we couldn’t take anymore mosquito bites. We were off to go swim with the Pink Dolphins. The area that we went to was a swollen part of the river which meant that because of the very low current it was a perfect place for both the Dolphins and us to swim in. When we first arrived Tony jumped straight in at the first sight of them. Still being technically in the river, it was impossible to see more than an inch into the water. Back came the vulnerable jaws felling again. All you can do is wait until you see one come to the surface to work out which direction it was moving or brush past your leg.

It was so quiet apart from the Dolphins surfacing every couple of minutes to blow water. But they seemed to be getting further and further away. It wasn’t looking like they wanted to play today so Louis told us to jump back into the boat so we could try another spot so off we went again. A bit further down river we spotted some more of them, so it was back in again. This time they made a point of showing us that they weren’t interested by resurfacing about 100m away from us. Now we’re not the sort of people to interfere with the wonders of nature. You’ve got to feel privileged to even get to see these amazing creatures in their natural habitat; but Tony couldn’t help but start to take it all a bit personally. It was the sort of feeling you’d get if nobody turned up for your birthday party. Then somebody else, on another boat going past told us how he’d just had a few dolphins swimming with him and how great it was to be so close to them. Great so not only have they not come to our party, they’ve gone to somebody else’s down the road! Even Louis was looking a bit worried for us and lost for a reason why we wasn’t having any luck.

Eventually he turned back to our original spot where we were the first time and there they were; 6 of them were surfacing quite often this time, so Tony jumped in nice and easy this time and Louis took the boat away.

’ Not long after I got in I spotted a single Dolphin about 30m away not only surfacing but heading straight for me. It went back into the water again and that’s when the nerves came. I knew that it was coming for me but I was wishing I could tell exactly where it was. Then all of a sudden I felt the soft leathery skin of a Pink dolphin brush past my left leg and could tell straight away just how powerful it was. The boat came back round to let everyone else in the water, and I shouted to Perdy to get some pics. I know it’s a selfish thing to say but I was wishing that it was just me and Perdy there at that point to have a moment like this just to ourselves just for a while. Just before everyone got in with me I accidently kicked one of the Dolphins while I was treading water. So it returned the favor by playfully biting me on the big toe; what an experience! I was sort of hoping that the nip had left a little scar to show the grandkids but their teeth are small and rounded so didn’t do much damage’.

‘My experience was slightly different, yes I got in the water, yes I managed to be brushed by them and touch them as they swam pass, but I couldn’t really relax the whole time I was in there. I couldn’t help but worry about just how on earth I was going to get back in the boat and what if i needed to get back in, in a hurry. My cast had only been off a couple of days so there was no chance I was pulling myself back in. I was just praying it wouldn’t be a scene from Jaws 3 where they try desperately to pull me back into the boat, only with a crocodile after me and not a shark. Well if that had happen, guaranteed my arse would have been taken clean off. It was a horrific ordeal getting me back in the boat and thankful that no one had there camera out to film it for once. Once back in the safety of the boat, I could then reflect on what a special experience that had been; swimming with pink dolphins in the amazon. Not many people can say that.’

We don’t know what it is about dolphins. But when their around you in such potentially dangerous waters you feel totally safe. And if there was anything sinister lurking in the water around, you get the feeling that they’d help you out if you was in trouble. We might be wrong but that’s growing up in the 80’s and watching flipper for you.

The 2 hour ride back to the jeep was nice and gave us plenty more opportunities for wildlife snaps. It also gave us time to look back and reflect on the once in a lifetime experiences we’d had over the last 3 days. They represent the very reason why we’ve worked so hard to save, travel for hours on end on buses, stay in some grotty hostels and walk the sometimes dangerous streets that South America has to offer, but we'd also found out that South America has these wonderful jungle experiences whether in the daytime where you get to witness thease beautiful creatures, live and wild. Or at night when your laying safe inside your mosquito net listening to the hunter and hunted fighting to survive in the unforgiving amazon. We wouldn’t have it any other way.

It’s a good job that we took the opportunity to reflect when we did because there was no room what so ever for sentiment in the jeep/washing machine. Just room to lose the feeling in our arses; mind our heads on the ceiling and hold on for dear life, the tranquil life on the river was well and truly over. Especially when we found ourselves helping the drive change the wheel after a puncture. OH NO and we still had that pringles tube of a plane to get on yet!!

Unfortunately, the worst part about the jungle was the millions of mosquitos, potentially with malaria. So even with all our DEET, we were ripped to shreds. Perdy had so many over her legs that when Tony was rubbing the tiger balm in, he lost count at 100. These were giant bites also, ones that would last for at least 10 days with constant itching. It was hell. Can’t wait for our 4 day Amazon Boat trip through Brazil.

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