Bolivia...suite

Rurrenabaque

The Pampas

The travel agencies show pictures of animals to attract the tourist. They say nothing about the 4 hour drive no dirt road in a minibus with no suspension...

I was happy that we got to our destination with only a flat tire and a sore behind.

The next segment of our trip was a 5 hour boat ride to our Pampas facilities. On the way we saw lots of crocodiles, birds, pink dolphins, capivara (biggest in the rodent family).

During the first night we experience a thunder storm « Pampas style ». The noise made by the rain on the tin roof was amazing and when I thought the storm was at its maximum... the noise doubled. At some point during the night everyone was awake and Katherine and I spend a good time feeling with all our senses this weather event.

The rain keep us inside the next day witch gave us the opportunity to get to know the other travellers and play some cards.. I think that we spent more time and had more fun discussing the rules then playing.Wearing rain boots the next day we looked for snakes in the Pampas which is like a swamp. We saw a cobra right after it had lunch meaning that he was very calm and easy to handle ;-).


The Jungle

For us it was like a camping trip involving a lot of trekking and getting information on the use of different vegetation for the local communities. Our Spanish speaking guide Juan was very sympatic and patient. Taking is time to explain and answering all our questions. We learned more Spanish in 5 days then in the last month. Their was also a cook named Walter with us, he made great meals using a cooking fire every time, even in the middle of the jungle (cerva in Spanish) during a 6 hour trek.

Closer to nature with the sounds of rivers, bugs, birds, monkeys, frogs and much more... Spending 5 days in the jungle with only the basics (food and shelter) put a different perspective on what is really needed.

During the cloudless nights, the full or almost full moon was lighting the cerva in a very dreamy way.

We visited Walter’s community at the end of our trip for a short 30 min. Our guide explained how the school was organised and we learned about one of the song they teach.

The same day we finish the jungle tour we flew back to La Paz and then took a buss to Uyuni.


In Uyuni we took a tour of the Salt flats, thought tour to take with crazy 5am wake up and rough road but is was all worth it... The landscape of the Salar of Uyuni is like another planet. We saw petrified coral with 1200 years old cactus on the same island...


80 new pics are available @

http://picasaweb.google.com/bruno.avard/Bolivia

We are in Chili now in the very laid back town of San Pedro de Atacama, next horseback riding

Love from Chili

Bruno