Amazonas jungle

After 3 days in the jungle I am back online. On Saturday I flew to the little jungle town of Rurrenabaque, more than 3500 meters lower in the Amazon basin. After a 3 hour boat trip down the Beni river and a 40 min walk through the jungle we arrived at the Serene eco reserve. There is no electricity and fresh water and other supplies have to be brought by boat from Rurrenabaque. It was a wonderful experience. Very hot (up to 38 degrees) and humid and zillions of insects but the cabins were very comfortable and the food very good. Our guide Orlando was born in a small village 2 hours further down the river and showed us many plants of the jungle and how they are used by the indigenous people. There weren't many flowers though as most plants flower in May after the rainy season.

The river was low and we had to climb makeshift stairs in the mud to get ashore. In the rainy season it can be 10 meters higher and it's shape constantly change because the waters eats away the shores and takes many trees with it. 

We didn't see a jaguar but lots of birds, monkeys and the tapir that rummages around the main house of the reserve. The air is always filled with the noise of crickets, all sorts of humming insects and the call of the howling monkeys which sounds like a distant airplane flying over. Nevertheless I found it tranquil because there a no man-made noises. We also went Piranha fishing (they actually taste very good but consist mainly of head and bones :-) and went out on the lake in the dark admiring the stunning night sky.

Today I will fly back to El Alto and catch a bus to Copacabana at Lake Titicaca. From there I will make my way to Peru.

Unfortunately the boat I was booked for to the Galapagos islands is in repair. I will go on another boat but they will have to change my flight schedule to the Galapagos and I hope that there will be no problems with that.