Swimming with pink dolphins (oh and piranha and caiman)


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South America » Bolivia » Beni Department » Madidi
May 15th 2007
Published: May 15th 2007
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Rurrenbaque by airRurrenbaque by airRurrenbaque by air

Amazonas' equivalent of an Airbus which made for a bumpy ride on the way home giving all 19 passengers sweaty hands, racing hearts and high blood pressure!
The flight to Rurrenbaque was already one of the highlights of this little trip. The 19 seater plane took off into clear blue skies and spent the next 50 minutes crossing, just over, the top of the Andes and down into the jungle of the Madidi National Park. As we saw our landing strip, we realised why flights could often be delayed by rain... only in South America can the runway be little more than a football field.

We did 2 tours, one in the Pampas (grasslands) and one in the jungle. Its much easier to see wildlife in the first as you'll see from the pictures. The jungle is interesting as you get to understand how the ecosystems work and just hearing all the wildlife that is around you, even if you cant see it much, is really cool.

There were 9 of us on the Pampas tour which involved - spotting monkeys (Brown Cappuchin, Red & Black Howlers and Squirrel Monkeys), swimming with pink dolphins (actually more like dolphins swimming with us as they are definitely the ones with the upper hand), catching piranha, looking for Caimans at night and generally just having a lot of
RurrenbaqueRurrenbaqueRurrenbaque

The town set into the jungle
hammock time. Perhaps fortunately we didnt find any Anaconda as the waters were pretty high.

On the jungle tour, it was just the two of us at the lodge so we really felt like royalty. There was one strange moment though, when Rich spotted a massive spider in the window of our bedroom. Rich also having a ceiling limit on the size of spider he will deal with, quickly informed the guide that it needed to removed before I saw it. What followed was like some comedy sketch as the guide tried to bat it with a shoe and chase it out of the room. We were expecting some manly act where he just picked it up in his hands and set it back into the trees where it belonged...

Anyway enough chat on this blog, the pictures do all the talking we think...



Additional photos below
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Pampas Tour - RurrenbaquePampas Tour - Rurrenbaque
Pampas Tour - Rurrenbaque

After 3 hours in our 4x4 we arrived to our lodge by boat
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Pampas Tour - Rurrenbaque

Our beautiful lodge, our home for the next 3 days, along with a milliom mosquitos and some rats, bats and spiders!
Pampas Tour - RurrenbaquePampas Tour - Rurrenbaque
Pampas Tour - Rurrenbaque

An arty shot to show the high waters at the end of the rainy season
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Pampas Tour - Rurrenbaque

Lazy days, cruising the rivers, animal spotting
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Pampas Tour - Rurrenbaque

A local piranha fishing. The swollen cheek is another local activity, chewing a handful of cocoa leaves, apparently to help with altitude sickness. As the base ingredient of Cocaine there may be other benefits though we couldn't be sure!
Pampas Tour - RurrenbaquePampas Tour - Rurrenbaque
Pampas Tour - Rurrenbaque

Dinner for the whole family
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Pampas Tour - Rurrenbaque

Richie very happy with his contribution to this evening's dinner (a red piranha - the most aggressive type)
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Pampas Tour - Rurrenbaque

As we look for Anaconda we find a nosey Caiman instead, apparently they are not big enough to eat us
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Pampas Tour - Rurrenbaque

A capybara, the worlds largest rodent, Catrin thinks much cuter than rats.
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Pampas Tour - Rurrenbaque

The crazy hairstyles of the Hoatzin bird. They are so noisy.
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Pampas Tour - Rurrenbaque

The Jabiru, at almost 6ft tall they look like they belong in another century.
Pampas Tour - RurrenbaquePampas Tour - Rurrenbaque
Pampas Tour - Rurrenbaque

A couple of curious squirrel monkeys. Apparently they only get this close due to the less reputable agencies feeding them, not good!
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Pampas Tour - Rurrenbaque

another nosy friend...
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Pampas Tour - Rurrenbaque

a big heron, we think?????? corrections accepted.
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Pampas Tour - Rurrenbaque

A little lizard, look harder, he is there.
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Pampas Tour - Rurrenbaque

The sunsets in the Pampas.
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Jungle - Rurrenbaque

Our jungle lodge. Only the two of us (there is room for 20), the guide, the cook, the waiter, and the boat driver. No fighting at hammock time...
Jungle - RurrenbaqueJungle - Rurrenbaque
Jungle - Rurrenbaque

The river Beni that cuts through the Madidi National Park


2nd June 2007

Hair Cut 100
Well thought it was about time I made a comment. Richie, so glad you have finally decided to cut your hair short. Looks good. Photos are looking amazing and yes we are both very jealous. Keep the entries coming.
2nd June 2007

Wow
Apologies if you just got nonsense in my last message, I got distracted part way through. Good job I didn't do that mountain biking. Anway, loved the pampas and jungle blogs. I know what you mean about not seeing any animals in the jungle, you just hear the life going on around you. We felt the same in Oz. I can't believe that you have the energy to still be a wine critic though. What is the best wine to have with piranha.

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