Bolivia - Pampas

From the jungle we were shuttled straight to the Pampas part of Rurrenabaque. This is like a giant river and swamp system. Luckily for us the two girls who had been on the two day jungle tour were on our two day pampas tour so we had some friends, which is always more entertaining.

After the jungle the pampas are soooooo cruisy. Pretty much sit on a boat and watch the wildlife slide by. This included caimans, capybara, anacondas, pink dolphins, monkeys and loads of different birds.

We had another great place to stay and more good food. Happily there were also not as many mosquitos.  Goodness all around.

So we had two relaxing boat rides on the river looking at wildlife, a spot of Pirahna fishing (I caught none and Bruce caught more than none but we do not speak of it), some Anaconda hunting and swimming with the pink dolphins. This is actually a big lie. You get into the same river at the same place as the pink dolphins but there are actually more Caimans there. Technically swimming with Caimans. We all hopped in and shrieked and splashed so much that we probably scared everything away anyway. The shrieking was due partly to the presence of Caimans but also the bottom is all slimy and weedy and gross - NO ONE likes touching the bottom!!! Yuk!!

Looking for Anacondas was fun. Sloshing through the swamp looking for snakes again reminded me of Star Wars. You know the bit when they are stuck in the rubbish compacter with the snake thing? Yeah? Well it is like that but smells like cows.

We both had a really awesome time in both the jungle and pampas and were so happy with the company we went with. Great guides, great food and the lodges felt like the flashest place I had ever been even though we were in the middle of nowhere and they were not that flash (what is it with white linen making a place feel flasher than it is??)

We had one more night in Rurrenabaque before we flew out and had to head back to Peru for our trek.

Oh. My.Goodness. I nearly forgot to tell you about the best thing in Rurrenabaque. There is a french bakery where you can have breakfast. It does actual proper omelettes and the hot pan au chocolat, while not perfect, are probably the best you have eaten after constant bread and jam and fried potatoes. Absolute bliss and sickness inducing fullness because had to eat EVERYTHING in the bakery. And now time to go back to Peru.

Anaconda under the dining room at the lodge

Caiman looking shifty

Turtle

Another shifty Caiman

Swimming with the pink dolphins (insert Caimans)

Bruce, Louise and Emily trying to figure out if dolphins of Caimans in the water

Capybara

Anaconda hunting attire

´We are going on an Anaconda hunt....´

White gumboots are for butchers and also Anaconda hunters



Bruce and Lousie squelch through the swamp