March 21, Rurrenabaque,Bolivia

Out early to see sunrise. Very nice and quiet... except for the howler monkeys that started early and kept on howling! Back for breakfast and then to go paranha fishing..... STopped in a few places but nothing, oh well the pink dolphins were around and it was interesting watching them play in the water. Apparently that when the dolphins were around, there are no paranhas or alligators!

Which is good to know considering many went swimming with the dolphins yesterday! I did not go... as this is the Amazon basin I was worried about the little fish that swims up the urine stream!


March 20, Pampas del Yacuma, Amazon Basin

Boated around in morning seeing lots of birds... paradise bird, macaws, tucans and also pink dolphins everywhere. There are also cayman and alligators everywhere! They hang around the lodge... as all the left overs get thrown in the water....they eat well...

March 19, Pampas del Yacuma, Amazon Basin

Up early and off to catch van to Amazon. But we never left until about 10.30 as we waited at the airport! Stopped for lunch in a little place and then onto the boats. Long dug out canoe type boats with 15 hp motors. Actually saw pink dolphins as soon as we left the river bank. 1 1/2 hours of traveling what seemed like circles on the river and through bushes and grasses. Amazing.

Water was very low in places the motor actually flipped out of the water. And yet they say the water is high.......not much dry land showing.

Arrived at the lodge....on stilts over the water and we are in 8 bed dorms... not what anyone expected. Millions of mosquitoes and very hot and humid... sweat with out doing anything! Dropped luggage and off to watch the sunset.

Very nice and just happened to be in a bar, on stilts as well. All of this is out in the middle of nowhere Pampas del Yacuma.


March 18, Rurrenabaque, Bolivia

Flight from Santa Cruz to La Paz and then to Rurrenabaque. Amazing flight to La Paz as we flew in very close to the snow covered mountains.

La Paz is just under 4000 metres so the tops of the mountains are not that much higher. It looked like you could almost touch them! The flight to Rurrenabaque was fun as it was in a 20 seater plane that had to be 50 years old. The runway is a single stripe that is cut out of the jungle with a very small 2 or 3 room airport! Very interesting!

Walked around town a bit and had dinner.

March 17, Santa Cruz, Bolivia

Wandered around the area a bit. The area the hotel is in is very well off and very nice.


March 16, Santa Cruz, Bolivia

Headed off today to Guembe Park. This is a mixed place with butterfly house, bird area and several swimming pools and even a mini golf area. Fairly expensive at 150 bolivianos ($30).

A great place, a sanctuary that is just out of the city and very nice. Spent some time wandering around and then the afternoon lounging by the pool, of course the pool had a waterfall. Lots of birds. Nice to see tucans and big parrots up close as well as several butterflies.

Unfortunately it was not the season for the big blue morph butterflies... but that is ok, as we saw some when doing the Death Road Bike ride.