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Buenos chicos
Am in Copacabana last stop in Bolivia to do some cultural stuff, more of which later. However I am also back from Rurrenabaque with some stories to tell. They get more wild by the minute I have to say this may be the best yet, but feel a few reflections are needed first, if omly to raise the tension...
Bolivian people are really small. So why do they have so many full height basketball courts? Why do all Bolivian Jeep drivers insist on driving on the wrong side of the road? In both directions? Why do they try to sell me sun specs when I clearly wear normal specs? Answers on a postcard to....
Ahhh, Rurrenabaque. La Paz airport... There I forgot to put my wee penknife in my big rucksack (it is Bolivia- anything goes) so handed it in to the front desk. The same guy checked me on the plane and gave it back to me after the X ray machine.... The plane was specially for Bolivians. You had to duck to get to your seats, it only took 18 people in 2 rows with a narrow isle, and the landing meant trimming the tops of trees to have enough space to touch down.... In the airport there were only tourists for the flight and I ended up in a group including 2 Dan's from England (oddly the 2nd time I've been with 2 Dan's from England) who'd adopted Jules from Oz, and then there were Claudia and Anna (Dutch + English) I previously met. So we got accommodation togather and as we were in same tour group formed our own group. The company added Emma and Annabel too. And so a genuienely great group formed. As the oldest I was slagged off but fully accepted. It was a lovely experience. And then there were the other experiences....
First night we went to the Sunset Bar for a beer and, doh to see the sunset. This was nice. However the highlight was a very ricketty bridge with flags on. Most people didn't want to go on it as it moved an easy 50cm either way and the boards had gaps in them. Needless to say this was a laugh to me so I ran across. However on the way back I was laughing so much I forget to look at my feet and ended up one leg through the boards. I don't know who laughed more, me or eveyone else...
Day 2, after a night in the jungle sleeping to jungle noises. Now, I need to explain although I was in the Amazonian Jungle I was doing a pampas tour. This means 4 hours by the world's dustiest jeep (my lungs are still suffering from the mine so this makes things much worse ) and then 2 hours upstream in narrow power boats. I'll list the main animals I saw, all in great numbers bar the last 2. Alligators (up to 3m long), caiman (up to 5 m long)(these 2 collectively known as Badgers....), heron and various family members, kingfishers, other water birds, cormorants, eagles, buzzards, turtles (collectively known as an orgy of turtles which I'll show if I get photo's uploaded) wee yellow monkeys, red monkey and a sloth.....
One other creature we saw a lot of- pink dolphins. The world's biggest apprently. And we got to swim with them. Actually they never came close but they were around us and did play with the balls we threw in the water. Now, please remember something- this was in a river INFESTED with caiman, alligators and.............. pirahna. Oh yes, anything goes in Bolivia.
Now I'd hoped to see more land based animals. Instead we went hunting Anacondas. Yes, big snakes that strangle you to death. My safety net- a pair of wellies.... Oh yes, anything goes in Bolivia. At first I thought it a bit of a scam. Then a guide from another group caught one. Okay, we got our photo's with it and moved on, fanning across the pampas. The idea was find and catch you own anaconda. The first, just to give a wee bit of perspective, was 2 metres long...... In our group of 8 + guide, we then found and caught 2 more. Okay, lets be honest. I found and caught 2 more. What a buzz. The first was just under 2m long, feisty, very hard to pull through the reids as she (unsurprisingly) didn't want to be lifted and oggled by us. A battle won and there she was. Alan Anaconda Hunter . The second was bigger, 2m40, and much more feisty.... How much more? My trousers show the bite mark on my leg!!! Not sore but a bit of a shock..... Not as much as what happened immediately before the bite. As I figured out between head and tail and bent down to pick it up, the guide darted down and picked up the 1m60 cobra that happened to be immediately next to the head of the anaconda and thus beside me...... That was interesting. They say they have the antidote in camp for the cobra bite. Not needed thankfully.
And the next thing to do? What else but go fishing for pirahna of course.... Actually I didn't. The night before was 1 Dan's birthday. We went to a local bar to play the Bolivians at football and volley ball (I did the latter) and then after the meal (with cake) we played Ring of Fire. This is a drinking game. I got very drunk as I got the big forfeit (lack of drinking game practice I guess) and as it was horrid alocohol that was me drunk. However what it did was actually bring out a huge amount of pain and loss re Pauline- the opposite of my last blog I know but that's life I guess. I left the group and cried lots and felt such pain and sadness I couldn't be with people. Later as the alcohol continued to be there I was found in a bit of a state trying to return from the toilet in the dark across a ricketty parapet and helped emotionally as I was still very upset by 3 of my lovely group. I was so lucky, but still feel a bit sad 2 days later. The fishing was the morning after so I passed on this to let the emotions out. A better idea I think. I'd actually just rejoined the real world when the group came back and they gave me such a warm welcome I was in tears. I was simply accepted, whether happy or sad. It was simply unconditional from a varied group, all younger but simply accepting. I am so lucky for these moments, and it helps me on my personal emotional journey so much. I am very grateful.
I will also abstain from alcohol for some time....... So tomorrow cultural Inca visits then Cusco. I will write after this as there's do....
I hope you're all well.
Take care. Love
Alan xx
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