Rurrenabaque: The Pampas

If you want to go to the Amazon in Bolivia you go to Rurrenabaque. Either a half hour flight or an 18 hour bus on the 'Death Road' from La Paz (we flew!) ‘Rurre’ is the base for trips into ‘The Pampas’ – the Amazon Basin – and the Amazon Jungle itself (more on that to come later).

We went on a trip for 3 days and 2 nights and in that time saw lots of different animals. While the trees may be partially submerged there is still plenty of tree to play in so capuchin monkeys, squirrel monkeys and red and black howler monkeys were everywhere. The howler monkeys were particularly fun as they woke you up every morning with, surprisingly, their howling. There are also lots of birds and with some pretty damn cool Toucans being the highlight.

The water held two of the biggest treats though. Firstly, there are plenty of Caimans in the water and our camp was home to three of them. Although on first sight they looked like plastic models it soon became obvious (when they blinked!) that in fact they were the real thing. We pondered why they hung around the camp until the final morning when we watched the cook feed them. It may not have been the most responsible bit of tourism I’ve been a part of but it was fun to watch!

 Secondly, the Pampas is home to pink dolphins. While not the prettiest members of the dolphin family it was awesome to see them in the wild and you even got the chance to jump in the water and swim with them. They seemed to enjoy nibbling on your toes more than swimming with you (and preferred playing with our guide Oscar) but it was still very cool. And in case you were wondering, the caimans are scared of the dolphins so tend to steer clear!

Mc