Profile
Blog
Photos
Videos
Sweaty and steamy; hot and humid; languid and laidback. That is what Rurrenabaque is. It is also a charming little town with slashes of old spansih colonialism still evident here and there. The here and there generally being the large church hall on the main plaza. Rurre is laid back; so much so that the full name is only really used by those new to town and who haven't yet worked out that getting into a sweat about anything (literally in this place) is just not going to happen. You get the feeling that if YOU had emergency, it would get dealt with..... eventually.
Because the Beni River forms the boundary between one province and another, the town on the other side of the very wide river is called something else altogether (and we still don't know what that name is. Maybe San something?!) and is only a short boat ride away. But, for us, it could have been on another planet.
But common to both towns, on both sides of the river, is that at the end of the road, just up there, the road suddenly stops and the jungle begins. Not that worn out pathetic fringe, as there is nothing pathetic about the Amazon whatsoever, but the green mass waiting to invade. You sense that the jungle is just waiting for its time before it "storms" into town, down the streets like a maddening crowd and eventually eradicate every trace of these invaders. All it requires is time.
Even when you close your eyes and ignore the drip of sweat between your shoulder blades, you can feel the jungle just.....there. It is an awesome presence that you cannot ignore. The air is thick with the rich earth fragrance that emanates from the Emerald Forest all around; especially after the daily rain shower that takes a little edge off the heat and humidity. You either love it. Or you hate it. But whatever you do, you cannot ignore it.
We came across a story of a woman who recounted her journey from La Paz to Rurre by road and boat and the adventures she had in her eight day trip and what the town looked like when she arrived in 1975. Then, she said, it was a tiny little place; just some thatch roofed huts and a small community and one or two small buildings that doubled up as restos and hotels for explorers like her. What took us the better part of three days to do; she did in eight very hard and exhausting days. But she recounts her story reflecting on the past from her second visit 25 years later and how much has changed in that time. Some for the good and some for the bad.
And you could argue it either way. Simplistically put, the town has grown out of the increase in tourism traffic, although it has always been an important riverside stop and a provincial admin centre of sorts. Either from those coming down the river, as we had; or from those that wanted to spend a few days in the pampas getting to observe the wildlife that the area is rightly famous for. The town serves as the jump-off point for those tourists to get into the pampas, the jungle or fly or drive to La Paz, far away.
The upswing of having increased tourism in your area is that the economy grows and services are provided and the economy grows and services are provided and the economy grows........So there is an emphasis on incentives. It is a win-win for all concerned. More people, local and tourist, are drawn to the area.
One of the reasons that Madidi National Park(www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madidi_National_Park) was established was due to massive pressure from around the world as the area was earmarked for dam construction and development by the national government with no thought to what destruction that would have wreaked on the unique eco-systems there or the extinction of numerous species that are only found here. The days of the 50's and 60's big dam construction projects are long gone and with them that a dam with solve every development challenge that a country has. But if tourists had not been aware of the tremendous value that Madidi NP has for mankind, then the pressure brought to bear would, in all likelihood, come to naught. Needless to say, those that bore the pressure also pointed out that tourism is a big earner with many spin-off effects. Think that through and you will realise that it leads to stable governments and happy politicians who like to stay in power and look good.
Be that as it may, the town is very quaint and filled with very friendly and relaxed people. Watching the town stir and its citizens move one place to another from under the eaves with a cup of coffee, you noticed that everybody was in no rush, everybody had a smile or was laughing. If they were not, you sensed a happy countenance within.
We came across a middle aged North American man who was running a German bakery here. When we asked where he came from (Canadians loathe being called Americans), he told us that he was born in America, but he did not claim it for himself. Which was interesting in that as the South American nations move towards democratically elected leftist socialist governments, there seems to be an undercurrent of resentment in certain quarters about American influence here.
From what we gathered, coca has always been a staple cash crop for many in Bolivia (indeed most of the suitable areas for its growth) as there is a legitimate need for the raw product in the manufacture of various licensed medicines around the world. However, the massive demand from, particularly the American, recreational drug market ensured that the Americans tried to ensure that South American governments belonged in the pockets of the Americans so that they could try and get a grip on the problem, at the source.
But these days, South Americans are pointing out that the Americans need to sort themselves out at home and that any meddling in their affairs would not be tolerated. Since we had been in South America, we had noticed on more than one occasion that some very senior American diplomats had been expelled for that very reason in a variety of countries on the continent. Since we had been in Bolivia, the President had ratified the new constitution and previously disadvantaged and marginalised ethnic groups were given a far better deal that under any previous right wing government. Power to the people! Right before our eyes!
History in the making certainly and since most of Rurre is of those ethnic groups anywhere, it might take a little longer for things to change here. But they won't sweat about that here!
- comments