You guys want to go into the jungle and make some necklaces?

Everything runs on Bolivia time. We bought our tickets in Uyuni for Potosí and waited for the bus. One of the Australians we were with was shivering from whatever illness he had picked up on our desert trek so we took care of him at the hostel and bus stop while we waited to be picked up. An hour after the bus was supposed to arrive, it rolls up and the driver jumps out and runs to the other drivers. After much discussion, he runs back to us and without labeling our bags for our stop, tosses them in and gets the bus rolling. Not 100 ft. later, the bus pulls over and the driver runs out again. We learn that he does not have a license and the police have kicked him off the bus. Night falls and we are still waiting on the shut down bus on the side of the road, while the Argentinian tourist kids chant Vamos! Finally, the driver comes back with 4 other co drivers and we are off for a night time drive to Potosí.

Our goal in Potosí was to tour the mines and have a break on our way towards Sucre and La Paz. A hat tip to Mariel Bolhouse for suggesting the tour because it was quite eye opening. We jumped on a tour with the hopes of seeing the mines and setting off dynamite, but quickly found the tourist police had cracked down on the pyrotechnic side of things. The tour started in the miners market were we bought coca leaves and soda to give as gifts to the miners. We then got geared up with slacks and a headlamp and set off into the mine. It wasn't long before we were crouch walking through water in a tunnel that looked ready to collapse. Every so often our guide would yell back to us and we would press against the wall as a mining cart flew past. Walking further, we came to a room where two guys loaded rock into large bins that were hauled by winch to the surface. More people came in to offload ore and the work never seemed to end. It was amazing that they work like that day in and day out. Onward, and we came to a mining face where some of the guys were hacking at the rock with picks and shovels. Pulling some of the rocks out, you can see that they shimmer with silver. We took the time to talk to one of the miners who said he was 20 and had been working the mine for 5 years. Nobody wears respirators down there and he probably had 10 more years until his health failed and he would no longer be able to work.

At this point, I started to feel the altitude and sensory deprivation in the mine and started becoming disoriented. The next half hour in the mine was a fun time trying to keep track of the rest of the tour while hoping it ended soon. A fresh breeze running through the last tunnel was all I needed to know we were on our way out. All in all, the mine tour was an interesting look into some of the deplorable working conditions in these other parts of the world. The other people on the tour were a group of Argentian girls who were pretty struck by the environment the men in the mountain put up with.

Some of the miners carting on the tracks.

The group watching some of the miners deliver raw materials to the surface. It was hauled by winch through a hole in the ceiling and the basket was dropped back onto the miners when it was empty

We sported the gangster look to keep out the silica dust

Looking good Kyle

Miners made offerings of coca leaves and cigarettes here to keep them safe while working in the mines

Ryan and our guide through the mine

I can't speak for Ryan or Kyle, but I was glad to get out of the altitude of Potosí and into Sucre. Advertised as a college town, Sucre was full of the classic white houses with red roofs and had an awesome fruit market that we had not had in a while. I should also mentioned that we had access to the finest bathrooms of the week. Free of smelly water, complete with toilet seat, and hot water! The hostel in Potosí had somehow managed to have water that let off a noxious burning plastic smell. Not the best way to get the remains of the mines off of you. Sucre also featured a fantastic market with the best fruit, veggies, and meat that we had seen since Argentina.

The main square in Sucre

A view on one of the steep streets, looking back into the city.

The view from the mirador.

Fantastic market

On to La Paz for some big city living. We toured the town for a couple days and took in the sights. On one of our walks we passed the soccer stadium and noticed the front gate was unlocked. Walking by the sleeping security guard we made our way up the dark staircase and into the box seats to check out the field. Kyle was excited...

We also took the time in La Paz to take a tour of what is advertised as 'The World's Most Dangerous Road.' The Yungas road is cut into a steep mountainside and was run as the only 2 way route north. Many people fell to their deaths there as their busses or transport trucks fell over the edge while trying to make a pass. A mountainbike ride of the road sounded like a good way to get the adrenaline flowing so we geared up with a tour company and hitched a ride to the top of the snowy mountains. They took us on a 'warm up' ride that was more of a cool down ride as we all nearly had frostbite. We jumped in the vans again and drove to the road entrance where we started our decent on the road into the forest. Going so fast, the reality of a 100 ft. fall into the valley doesn't cross your mind. Instead we focused on the waterfalls cascading over the road and the fog rolling through the valleys below. It took us 3 hours to come to the end of the road and the fact that the company neglected to provide eye protection was evident by the red eyes and mud covered faces. We spent the rest of the day relaxing in the pool at a hotel at the end of the road, satisfied that we properly risked our lives.

Downtown La Paz

Bolivian soccer stadium

Freezing my hands off on the warm up to the dangerous road

We arrived in Rurrenabaque via TAM military transport. It was an interesting amalogation between the military and a civilian airline running short flights between towns. The plane was delayed an hour to get us to sit in a cafe and scam us into buying steak sandwiches. At least that is my theory. Walking around town talking to tour operators, we could not really decide what we wanted to do. An Australian had mentioned that the Pampas were flooded due to recent rains and there wasn't much in the way of wildlife right then so that left us with the Madidi rainforest. A German and a French couple approached us and asked if we wanted to join them in the rainforest to make necklaces. No. So we decided on Dolphin Tours and prepared to go into the rain forest the next day for 5 days of camping.

The next morning opened with a massive rainstorm and the owner of our hostel told us the river was very high and dangerous and that we should wait for the next day. We weren't about to be stopped by rain. Besides, we were going into the rain forest in the rainy season. So we bought some overpriced ponchos and jumped into the boat with our guides for a week in the jungle. We traveled for 3 hours upstream in a very wild river. The motor on the boat kept overheating and dying and the boat pilot looked concerned at a few rapids, but we finally made it to camp in the Madidi park.

Our first night was spent in a company cabin tended by a family. They spent a month at a time alone in the woods tending the camp as various companies use the site. We took a day hike to see the forest situation and found the creeks around camp flooded and impassable. Our guides hoped the river would be down by morning. We spent the afternoon spotting howler monkeys and trying jungle fruit which was quite good. Already our shoes were caked with mud and we were being followed by clouds of mosquitos.

On the second day, we found a tree had falled across the river near the camp and we were able to cross into the forest. We hiked for 6 hours up to a camp on the Rio Hondo. On the way we spotted wild pigs, an 8 inch tarantula, more monkeys, and coati near a small creek. The guide was pulling out plants for us to check out along the way. At one point, Kyle and I misunderstood the guide and ate a plant we weren't supposed to. Instantly tongues and throats went numb and we found it was supposed to be a medicine to treat machete cuts.

On the third day, we hiked to a camp on the Rio Tuichi to fish for piranha, although we did not catch any. We had packed in noodles for meals and they were a favorite of the local bugs. Our cook wasn't too fond of cleaning the food, so this was the day Ryan found a tarantula in his soup. It was also the day we discovered just how many things stung you in the jungle. Every ant caused your feet to burn, caterpillars on leaves caught you in the stomach and caused your chest to burn, mosquitos hit your neck, and more ants fell from the sky to get your neck. Eventually your body gives up the sensory part of its job and you are numb to everything. Returning to camp in the rain, we were glad to find that the river had not risen enough to wash everything away.

On the fourth day, we retraced our steps through the jungle and found our tracks covered up by those of several jaguar. Our guide began tracking them and soon we were met by a sound that could be likened to a deep note on a didgeridoo. Our guide indicated it was mating season for the jaguars and we had stumbled upon a mating area. The sound was the jaguars telling us we weren't necessarily welcome in the area. The guide and the cook looked a bit concerned and motioned that the jaguars were about 50 ft. off in the brush and that it wasn't safe to stay any longer, so we made our way out of there and back to the main camp.

The last day was spent waiting for the boat home that we thought we missed. We were supposed to wait on shore at 11 AM and that time came in went. Classic Bolivia. 4PM rolls around and everyone is a bit worried that we missed the boat. Finally we hear a motor on the river and our transport decides to show up. On the way home we stopped at a small mountain that was home to the parrots in the area. It was awesome to see pairs of them flying out of the cliffs.

All in all it was a good experience, certainly better than the guys' last trek into the jungle.

Things to know about Orlando

1. He is a chubby cook and that is a good thing
2. Ryan thinks he stole $40 off him while we were on a hike
3. He thinks the river water adds more taste to his food
   

Things to know about Jimmy (not his real name)

1. He is indiginous and his dad was killed by an anaconda
2. Jimmy doesn't like the main trail
3. Jimmy's hand signals for mating Jaguars and diarrhea are the same, so be careful
   

Capybara hanging out on the water's edge


8 Inch tarantula

There were hundreds of wild boar

Camping under tarps on the Rio Hondo

We ran out of water on the 3rd day and had to start dumping vine water into our bottles

The trees aren't small in this place. We had a few this size fall near us during our hikes making a sound like thunder through the jungle.

Vine swinging

The guide had me rub these leaves on my hands. After a few minutes he added some water and out came a dark purple dye that the natives use to color their clothes. I was rewarded with 3 days of purple hands.

Fishing on the Rio Hondo

The guide moving a snake he described as poisonous

Numerous jaguar tracks covering our old trail through the woods

Turtle in the forest. The guide claimed everything as good eating, but described the turtle as very good eating

Ants at work in the forest. All the ants sting, don't wear sandals in the forest.
Macaws made their homes in the cliff faces. They are monogamous and always flew in pairs when they left the cliffs. These birds may have the worst call in the forest. Not sure how evolution worked that out for them.


Parque Madidi and Rio Beni

The boats on the Rio Beni

It is anniversary festival time in Rurre