Giant Ferns in Amboró National Park

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I spent the weekend on Samaipata which is the start of the Amazonia region. It is lower altitude from La Paz and very lush. I stayed at a small hotel that has a huge garden to supply their restaurant.

The first day I toured the garden, the small town and walked to a winery since there were no taxis. I didn’t realize it would be straight up hill. Even out of La Paz I was still climbing!

The next day I took a hike in the Amboró National Park to see the giant ferns. The park is located in a unique geographical position where three different ecosystem converge: the Amazon, the north of the Chaco and the Andes. Amboró Park contains more than 800 species of birds, more than the US and Canada combined. There are also jaguars, pumas or spectacled bears, and many other animals living here.

The ferns grow in the Yunga Cloud Forest section of the park. They only grow 4 millimeters a year so these large ferns are estimated to be 1000 to 1500 years old. This makes them the oldest living plants on earth. They can reach over 15 meters high (50 ft) and are believed to have been a food source for dinosaurs.

The ferns do not have trunks like a tree. Their base is made of rhizome that looks likes fine pieces of hair. As the guide pulled some off the tree we both said it looked like they had cut some of my hair off and it was almost the same color haha.

The views over the Amazonia area was ‘amazing’ and very unique.

I was also able to try some traditional food that is a speciality of this area. This food was the most similar to what we would call Mexican food that I have had here. I also tried some new fruit in the markets along the way to Samaipata such as Achachairu that I think I ate my weight in.

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