Rurrenabaque, police and the pampas

Arriving in Rurrenabaque the people I met on the bus left already on a tour. I couldn´t, since my camera was lost. So I told them goodbye and went back to the bus station. there they phoned the bus driver and told me to come back two hours later. After two hours I found out that my camera was definitely gone, stolen. So I went to the police, waiting, waiting, waiting. There was a german (and no english) speaking italian guy that helped me out a bit with the language. After more then an hour they figured out they could not help me and I had to go to the police station in town.

Arriving in town I was told to come back two hours later, for a guy at the tourist police that spoke english. While waiting I arranged a tour and a copy of my original bill in my mailbox. Returning to the police station I found out that about the only english he spoke was yes and no. The police officer went with me to a canadian friend who helped me out. I had to come to the office again an hour and a half later.. A report by the Rurrenabaque police is first written down on paper. Next they type it over on a computer (the only one), which retrieves its power from a generator. Then they print it, twice, for which they naturally have exactly two pieces of paper and an official stamp. It is hard to give an impression, but it was quite an experience..

The next day, the pampas tour, 2 nights, 3 days. After a long trip we arrived at the river, got in a small boat, comparable to the ones I´ve travelled by a few years ago in Surinam. Along the river we saw loads of turtles, alligators, monkeys, different birds. A great trip of 3,5 hours to the house we stayed at. Once there the mosquito attack started..


The evening was relaxed, good food, a poor night of sleep due to the poor beds and................ Rain rain rain rain.... In the morning it was still raining, though it was dry by the time we left to search for anacondas... Due to the rain it was cold (approx 23 degrees) and the chance of seeing some anacondas was low.. Finaly we found just one (after doing some crocodile surfing, picture will follow).

There was one amazing thing during the tour. Pink dolphins, they were shy, but also great to experience. During a swim (yes, between piranha´s and crocs) they got as close as approx 2 meters. Amazing to experience, these unique creatures.

After fishing for piranha´s and being mosquito bait (especially one part of my back is like a red bumpy mosquito bite landscape) we returned to the casa for dinner and a jungle hike. Then a night of sleep, followed by a (LONG) rainy boat trip back.

Returning here in Rurrenabaque and being supposed to leave this morning at 8 am. Too bad air transport is not possible here when it rains, so I am kind of stranded at the moment in this village. In case there aren´t any flights tomorrow I will try to take a jeep back (uncomfy, 12 hours, expensive)... This is all for now...

ps 1, I'm probably going to fly to La Paz tomorrow

ps 2, yesterday treturning from the trip all of us were quite shocked to hear an Israeli tourist (backpacker) died here in Rurrenabaque that day on a trip. It was wet and slippery and he simply pushed to the edge too far....