South America: Into the Bolivian Amazon

I stepped off the plane and felt the thick jungle air fill my lungs. The mugginess felt good after many cold days in the frigid Bolivian alto plano. I was amazed at how much my world could change with a 35 minute flight from La Paz (12,000 feet) to Rurrenabaque (sea level). Immidiately after stepping outside we were bombarded by locals offering accomadation, rides into town, and restaurants. After bargaining between the bus, a motorcycle, and a private jeep as a means of transportation into town, we settled on moto transport for less than 50 cents. I hopped on the back and felt a moment of panick as we took off in a motorcycle gang of about 15. It would have been very easy to rob me for all I was worth, but the closest thing to a knockout punch I received was the wind whipping my face as we sped down the cobbled street.

Rurrenabaque is a popular tourist hub for either the thick jungle of Madidi National Park or the Pampas (savannah) region. My Canadian friend and I decided on the Pampas tour because it was possible to see more in less days. The three day tour ended up being amazing and included floating the Tuichi river in a canoe, searching the vast savannah plains for Anocandas (we found one!), eating incredible buffet style food, swimming with pink river dolphins and aligators nearby, Piranha fishing, and viewing an abundance of wildlife. I usually steer clear of organized tours, but this specific one exceeded my admittedly low expectations.

When we arrived back in Rurrenabaque the plan was to spend one night and catch a flight out the next day. However, when I awoke at 4:30am to the sound of monsoon type rain rattling the tin roof, I had doubts that there would be any flights. My suspicion was confirmed when the rain pressed on until about 11am. Plan B: A 17 hour bus on winding dirt roads! I wasnt thrilled, but had no other options... I was running short on money and wanted to get back to La Paz sooner rather than later. The bus swayed and bumped in route to La Paz and all was uneventful until about 11pm when, all of a sudden, we stopped. I looked outside and could see nothing but dark skies and wondered why we had stopped. After a few minutes half the people on the bus got off, while the other half stayed wondering what was going on. The engine rumbled and the bus lunged forward, tilted right, tilted a bit more, and suddenly I realized I was sitting in a death trap. We had slid slightly off the road and were stuck in the muddy embankment. As the driver tried to force the bus forward we had slid further onto the brink of an even worse outcome. Luckily, I realized this and scurried off the bus before we ended up sideways in the ditch. Needless to say, after a half hour or so of the crew unsuccessfully attempting to free the bus from cluches of Pacha Mama (Mother Earth), a passing truck was able to tug us out damage free. Just another normal night en route to La Paz.

We arrived the next morning and were greeted once more by the freezing cold of La Paz. I had to search for warmer weather. Next stop, Sucre, for some R&R, volunteering, Spanish classes, and, I hoped, sunshine and warmth...