A week in the Bolivian pampas and jungle at Rurrenabaque

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The day after enjoying the Gran Poder parade in La Paz was spent quietly - mainly watching the locals clean up the immense piles of rubbish from the day before and dismantling all the temporary stands lining the streets. We had been told that there was to be another transport strike the next day - not good news for us as we were to fly to Rurrenabaque, the small town which was the gateway to the Bolivian Amazonian basin. The planes are never included in transport strikes (the strikes were because the government was threatening to take all cars over 12 years off the road - most taxis and mini buses) but it meant that we wouldn’t be able to get to the airport. The airport is high above the city - at least a half hour drive away - and on the main access road to the city. We knew that it would be blockaded even with our privately hired driver so it was decided that we had to be at the airport by 6am next morning. Our flight wasn’t until 2pm in the afternoon! Thankfully late Sunday night we had a phone call to say that yet again the strike had been cancelled at the last minute so we didn’t have to get up in the dark and cold.
We were looking forward to some hot weather for the next week - La Paz was very cold, particularly after dark. My cough had thankfully all but gone (aren’t antibiotics great?) and another week at sea level be great. We arrived at the airport and boarded our flight - I knew that the plane was going to be small but….. it was tiny and we had to fly over the Andes range in it! We did arrive safely 40 minutes later - it was too close to the mountain range for comfort though. After we flew over the mountains virtually all we could see was a never ending sea of green from the jungle growth. The plane landed on a grass runway and the terminal was little more then a tin shed. We caught the bus into town - the roads we very roughly paved with river stones so was very bumpy. Rurrenabaque was a tiny town comprising of wide palm lined streets heading down to a wide river. It had a laid back vibe - there were a lot of hammocks - but before tourists starting arriving in the region 10 years earlier it would have been much sleepier I’m sure. There was the usual town square edged with a church - and our hotel was also on one side of it - next to the barracks for the Bolivian navy. It was very muggy! We spent the late afternoon wandering around buying a few snacks to take away with us and ate dinner in a lovely garden restaurant.
We were off to spend three days and two nights in the pampas next day. The pampas are the wetland savannah areas about four hours drive away from the town and the best place to see (hopefully) some wildlife. Next morning we were collected in a 4 wheel drive - there were two other people going with us - an English couple so language wasn’t going to be an issue - and our guide who also spoke good English. Our Spanish has not progressed very well at all (sorry Devin!). It was a very dusty drive, though the road had been recently graded and was not rough at all. The trip actually ended up only taking just over two hours - half the advertised time due to the current good condition of the road surface. We were very thankful that we had air conditioning and could close the windows - the dust was terrible - very fine powder and when another vehicle passed you couldn’t see anything at all. And it was the main route into Brazil so it was busy. When we booked the tour we took the advice of America Tours in La Paz and went with one of the higher priced companies, though we took the cheaper shared bathroom accommodation. The company we travelled with were Mashaquipe. We had read some terrible reports online about bad food and unethical practices so hoped with had made the right choice.
Certainly where the vehicle was concerned so far so good as other groups were driving past in jeeps with open windows and all the occupants had scarves wrapped around their faces trying to combat the dust. Our lodge was at the junction of three rivers, about ten kilometres from the tiny village of Santa Rosa, and it had recently been upgraded so every body had ensuite bathrooms. The rooms were basic but had very comfortable beds. No hot water and only a limited supply of electricity. All generators and only till 9pm in the evening. Lunch was prepared for us and the food was amazing - and continued to be for the rest of our time there. All freshly cooked and served buffet style - there was much more then we could eat. Breakfast every morning was juice, coffee, omelettes, toast, waffles, potato and cheese fried together, cereal, yoghurt and fresh fruit. Best breakfasts we had been offered for a long time. Upon our return to Rurrenabaque we found most of the cheaper tours had coffee and rolls for breakfasts and hamburgers for the rest of their meals. We were a bit surprised though at lunch time when all the other tour groups arrived and started unloading their jeeps outside our lodge. They boarded canoes and roared off down one of the rivers into denser jungle then where we were. Our lodge was basically on farm land and their lodges were all obviously a bit more ‘in the jungle’
However after the compulsory snooze in the hammocks we boarded the dug our long boat (canoe made from a tree trunk) and Robin, our guide, rowed us down stream on the Yacuma River - a different one from where the other groups had gone. He explained that by their lodge being at the junction of two rivers they use the parts of the rivers that the other tours rarely use so once midday has passed and the other groups are gone we get no passing boat traffic and it is much quieter than the other lodges which constantly have groups going up an down the river all day long. And it was very peaceful - we saw many water birds, a lot of pods of pink dolphins (we all got very excited about them as they were mainly what everybody wishes to see), dozens of alligators and rows of turtles sunning themselves on the banks. We also passed groups of local people lined up along the river bank piranha fishing. At one stage we looked down and spotted a huge tarantula swimming towards our canoe. Robin scooped it up with his oar - surprisingly it didn’t appear wet at all - to give us a closer view. It was the size of a saucer. Once he placed it back into the water it kept on swimming, thankfully this time away from us.
It was a lovely peaceful few hours - the only sounds the birds and the occasional slap of the oars. Another great meal that evening and an early night. Next day we were going up the river to spend the entire day on the water. Robin used the engine that day but at the slowest speed - he had amazing eye sight and constantly turned off the engine and drifted into towards the river banks to show us something. Dozens of alligators, heaps more dolphins - the adult ones are very pink (but too fast to photograph properly), macaws, many more turtles all piled together on logs enjoying the sun, squirrel monkeys (we spent ages under a tree watching their antics), howler monkeys and many capybaras - the worlds largest rodent which looked like a cross between a wombat and a guinea pig. Unfortunately every so often one of the other companies would roar past us at full throttle disturbing all the birds. They were the next intake of lodge guests - their tours spotting wildlife was actually their trip at full speed up the river to their lodges.
We spent half an hour fishing for piranha from the canoe - I got a fright when I actually caught on (the first person to). You drop your baited hook into the water and quickly pull it up - the piranha are very quick at grabbing the bait and unless you pull up very fast the hook doesn’t attach. They are quite small, shiny orange in colour and do have a mouth of tiny sharp teeth. We had lunch in a small riverside bar - Robin unpacked a large amount of food and promptly arranged to have our piranhas grilled for us to eat. After lunch we went walking in the nearby swamp looking for anacondas - we found a baby one - but the walk was very muddy and not particularly appealing so we headed back to the canoe and the sounds of the river. We arrived back at the lodge on dusk - a long hot day but one we enjoyed immensely. The next day was a walk through drier pampas area - it was very hot and dusty - no anacondas (we didn’t expect to see any as they are now almost impossible to find) At one stage we crossed a plank bridge and though Robin had warned us about the bee hive underneath we were swarmed by them. It gave us all a fright though the only person stung was Robin. That morning walk was a bit of a waste of time - we probably should have spent it reading in a hammock under a tree. Anyway a few hours later we made the dusty return trip to Rurrenabaque. We enjoyed our few days in the pampas we saw heaps of wildlife (more then we expected to), ate some great food and swapped plenty of stories with our travel companions.
That night though it started raining and by morning it was absolutely pouring. Not good news for us as we were due to the jungle resort of Chalalan, an eco lodge six hours by boat up the Rio Turre and in Madidi National Park. This area of Bolivia is considered one of the most ecologically sound areas of jungle in South America. It covers a huge area - from 6000 meter Andean mountains to the sea level rainforests. There are over 1000 recorded species of birds and it has more protected species of animals than any other park in the world. The populated area along the edge of the Rio Tulchi (where our lodge was situated) has been granted a special UNESCO designation allowing the indigenous inhabitants to utilize traditional forest resources, hence allowing them to live much as they have for hundreds of years. In fact when we were told the history of Chalalan Lodge after our arrival there the guide told us that they are certain there are still at least one tribe living in the area which has had no contact with the outside world. Chalalan is one of the more expensive lodges but it had fabulous reviews online (and we appreciated it’s history) so we had decided to splurge. The lodge is cited as a model for sustainable tourism in South America as in 1995 it was developed as a means of encouraging the young people of a small riverside community to stay living in the area and not to go to La Paz looking for employment. Today it is run by the sons and daughters of the original developers (the elders still work in the lodge maintaining the tracks and handling the longboats used to take guests to the resort) and has made enough profit to build and maintain a school and hospital in their village. All the villagers have an opportunity of working 3 month stints at the lodge regularly thus providing all the families with regular cash. The only people who have full time jobs are the young guides, all of who spoke perfect English and at least one other language.
Our guide arrived at the our hotel at 7.30am (our departure time) and told us that the weather made the trip upriver too dangerous and we would need to wait to see if the rain cleared. It didn’t, at least for the next hour, but then got slightly lighter. A decision was made to leave and two hours late we sloshed through the mud on the riverbank, boarded the boat, were draped in heavy plastic ponchos and set off. Thank heavens for the ponchos - they kept our clothes dry but our faces were drenched with the spray from the rain and the water as the boat sped upriver. It was also very cold - certainly not the humid jungle weather we were expecting. I was feeling very thankful that we had purchased $2 plastic bag raincoats the evening before as foolishly we had left our expensive Gore-Tex jackets in La Paz.
Despite the rain we really enjoyed the trip up river. We travelled up the Beni River first , passing through the Bala Gorge and then turned into the Tuichi River. As it was dry season the rivers were very low and the boat drivers skill was impressive - he knew the river really well and constantly was crossing from bank to bank finding the deeper water channels. Many times his helper pulled the boat through the water with long sticks and a couple of times he actually pushed us through. The rain stopped after about 3 hours though it was far from sunny. Late in the afternoon we arrived at Chalalan, though the lodge was still a couple of kilometres from the rivers edge. The buildings are set on the very pretty Chalalan Lake, surrounded by thick forest. It was only a small resort, (28 people) totally built in the traditional style with thatched roofs. The rooms were lovely - we had a big airy room - no window glass, only mosquito netting, with a lovely bathroom (cold water only) lined with river stones. The furnishings were very modern, but had all been handmade by the villagers. Lovely cedar floors throughout of which they were very proud - no shoes allowed inside! This lodge is situated further up the river (at least 3 hours further) from Rurrenabaque than any of the other jungle lodges - the village where all the workers live is another 3 hours up river. After dinner (it got dark very early) we went for a night work through the dripping forest. We saw caiman (similar to alligators), lots of spiders and frogs mating happily together next to the caimans in the river. Also more nasty spiders including another large tarantula. It was very dark as the sky was still very overcast - we saw no stars the entire time we were there which was rather sad as they would have been stunning - and as there was no generator - only candles and very low wattage solar powered lights everybody had an early night.
Next morning we had a lovely long walk along the well maintained trails around the lodge. Our young guide was wonderful, very knowledgeable and enthusiastic. He showed us some really interesting things - the nasty fire ant which is becoming a problem in Australia, lots of monkeys (squirrel and capuchin), heaps of other insects and birds, and some amazing trees - one which follows the sun through the canopy by growing another root support in front and killing off the one behind. It can move quite long distances over a twelve month period. We saw wonderful fungi in vibrant colours - I’m fascinated by the patterns, shapes and colours of Fungi. We were trendily attired in our plastic bags because though it wasn’t raining heavily it was very moist. After our return to the lodge it really started to rain heavily so I spent the afternoon cuddled up under a blanket reading whilst Jerry watched all the other young male tourists play soccer with the male staff. I arrived at the end and they were all totally covered in mud!
It started raining heavily again that evening so the boat ride out onto the lake was cancelled. We had a great evening though as all the staff got together with the guests and we danced traditional dancers to music played by a group of male staff. Cocoa leaf chewing (Yuk!) and an alcoholic drink made from warm milk and a jungle liquor rounded off a fun night. It had got very cold though and I doubt anybody faced the cold showers. The staff told us that an unseasonable weather change had come through and would remain for the next few days bringing more rain and very cold weather. That night the temperature dropped to 8* - with no windows the room was cold….. Thankfully it had been cold when we left La Paz so we did have some winter woollies with us - we had left most of our luggage in storage in La Paz. It certainly wasn’t the weather we expected to get in the jungle and very surprising after the intense humid heat a couple of days before.
Next day the weather was no better but we put on all our warm clothes and our plastic ponchos and headed off for another long walk Again very informative - but we were all a little damp and cold upon our return.
That afternoon we were entertained by the antics of dozens of monkeys as they used the trees around the lodge as a pathway around the lake. They were funny to watch and very quick as they swung from tree to tree. I retired to my blanket and book whilst Jerry spent some time carving a ring, which he proudly wears, from a native seed. Late afternoon we braved the cold damp and took a canoe across the lake to climb the only hill in the area. It would have had a fantastic view of the sun setting if it hadn’t been misty. It was very eerie in the centre of the lake - surrounded by mist and bird sounds. That night some of the group ventured out for a night canoe ride - we didn’t as it was too cold and too black! A big fire was lit and everybody sat around talking and playing music. Jerry thoroughly enjoyed himself. We really loved the lodge - it was very peaceful, pretty and would have been stunning in sunny weather. The concept and success of the venture is a real credit to the villagers - one which caused a lot of tension between their village and others in the early years - but their example is now being copied by many other communities in the region with varying degrees of success. We felt that the food let them down a little - it was fine and they were a long way upriver to bring supplies (much of it was grown by them I think) but we had been really spoiled for choice and quantity during the pampas trip. At Chalalan the servings were small and food fairly basic. The service, rooms and location though were fantastic - as were the guides.
Next morning we woke to more nasty weather and were told that our flights from Rurrenabaque that afternoon had been cancelled. Some of the guests chose to stay an extra night at the lodge but we decided to go back to Rurre. This time it took only 4 hours as we were going down stream - a very cold trip back though. We enjoyed the hot showers at our hotel upon our return. The airline company told us we were booked on an early morning flight to La Paz next day. The day after (when all the guests who had chosen to stay on at the lodge were due to fly) the flights were all cancelled again due to another wave of bad weather. It took a couple more days before they were able to leave Rurre. We had planned to spend another evening in La Paz (our flight hadn’t been due to arrive back until 5pm) but as we arrived in the city a day later then expected we caught a taxi bus to our hotel from the airport, collected our luggage and headed straight to the bus terminal. We hoped to catch a bus to take us across the high Altiplano to Oruro.

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Photos

That mountain was very close...
I got a real fright when I looked out the window and saw it!

A group of capybaras on the river bank
They were large!