One thing I never thought I would do was visit the Amazon. It always sounded big and scary and I was not sure what you do there. However, I found out that if you want to go to the Amazon the best way is through Bolivia. It is a lot cheaper then the other countries (Brazil) and offers a few different trip itineraries. I thought okay I am here, this will be a cool thing to add to the bucketlist and check off.

Once we decided to go on this trip (myself and two Italian friends) we had to figure out how to get from La Paz to the edge of the Amazon. We looked up flights and they were out of our price range so we decided on a bus. The thing about this bus ride is that it travels along one of the most dangerous roads in the world … The death road (google it for more information). The bus we were told can take anywhere between 12 hours to 24 hours depending on weather and the driver. We decided to leave at 3pm becasue we wanted to get the ride done and if it was going to take a long time we needed to start. I won’t go into detail of the bus ride itself becasue I am going to post another blog about the buses I have taken, and all the crazy adventures that they entail. So after a short 12 hour bus ride we arrived in the town Rurrenbaque at 3am. Not an ideal time to arrive in a small town in the Amazon, as nothing is open and it is not the safest.

We decided not to stay at the bus terminal but head into town to our hostel which said reception was open 24/7. We got in a tuktuk and headed into town, we arrived at our hostel and it was not open, no one in sight, so our tuktuk driver took us to one he knew was open. We got to the hostel and there were no rooms available but the owner said we could pay 5 dollars to sleep on the hammocks in the back. This was the safest and best option so we slept in hammocks until around 9 am and then headed back to our orignal hostel and checked in.

We booked a tour right in town as we heard this was the best option and we decided on going with the one that was a little more expensive then the others but was rated number one and had insurance and all the little things you would want.

Our tour was three days and two nights, I had zero expectations going into this adventure but it was an adventure of a lifetime. You begin the day by driving in a SUV along this completely dusty road. Six people squished in the back two rows, not the most comfortable. On the drive we saw two sloths, an armadillo and cabybaras. It was so cool because you can tell this place isn’t ruined by humans and to see animals in the wild is amazing. After the two and half hour dirve we arrived in a village where we stopped for lunch. We then drove ten minutes to the river.

At this point there are no more roads, the only way into the forest and around the forest was by boat. Long wooden boats with wire chairs. While we were waiting to begin, we saw the famous pink dolphins right in front of the boats. I was already speechless from the animals and it was just the beginning. Once all our things were on the boat we began. The one thing that I am always aware of is safety, while on this trip there was no safety discussed. No life jackets in the boat, we didn’t talk about rules of the boat or anything to do with the animals or things we would see. I just had my fingers crossed that the boat never turned over.

As we wound through the river surrounded by forest we started to see animals. We saw three different types of monkeys, so many unique birds, and of course the dolphins. After three hours we arrived at our lodging. There where a collection of wooden lodges on stilts above the water. The boat pulls up to the stairs, right beside is the caiman that lives there sitting staring at you as you get out of the boat. The main lodge was where we had meals and was really nice with hammocks and sitting area on its large decks. Our lodges each had its own bathroom, I was in the girls one and it was super nice. My favorite part was the thick mosquito net above each bed, which I will get into . That first night we went and saw the sunset and a gorgeous view behind our lodges on a platform. It is crazy to look over everything and see wild. After that once it got dark we went out to look for the caimans hunting at night. We had on our head lamps and saw the glowing orange eyes above the water. It is crazy to hear and see how different the jungle is night and day.

The words that come to mind for the Amazon is dense, hot, humid and MOSQUITOS. I have never seen mosquitos like that before. At every moment there was always mosquitos on you trying to bite. You had two choices protect youself from mosquitos or try to stay cool. I chose to protect and I had on thick pants, long shirt buttoned up and was complelty covered in spray at all times. I was soaked in sweat the entire time but it was worth it. Unfortunatley on this first night excursion a bug (not sure of what variety) crawled up my pants. I could tell something was biting me but I kept hitting that spot on my leg thinking it was a bug on the outside. The whole back/side of my thigh were covered in bites, I discovered when we got back. I began to worry about diseases and things which made me anxious and I felt sick.

The second day we were on the lookout for anacondas, but we didn’t see any because it was the end of rainy season and the water was high. We did see more monkeys, some other snakes, turtles and lots of birds. We had a nice lunch and a relaxing nap, then we headed out again to try and catch some piranhas. What a crazy experience, you hear about piranhas but its cool to see them in action. We each got a hook with a raw piece of meat on it and you just set it in the water, you can see and feel the pirhanas attacking the meat. The guide caught two but no luck for the rest. They are very small fish and difficult to catch. It just made me more sure that I did not want to end up in the water. We ended the day going to a sunset location and watching the sun go down and then back to the lodge for bed.

The third morning some people woke up to see the sunrise, but at 5am I was not feeling great from the anxiety and bites so I chose to sleep in. After a nice breakfast we got in the boat and headed out to an area that the pink dolphins hung out in. This is the part where the guides tell you that you can swim if you want, but after talking to our guide he said he didnt suggest it but if the customers want he lets them. We arrived at the spot and there were other groups there jumping in the mirky water. NO one in my group jumped in for many reasons, such as unknown animals, and parasites that are in the river. I heard some stories before going on this trip about things that had happened and decided it was best to stay out of the water.

We ended the trip after lunch and a short boat ride back to the area to get in the car. After getting back to the town we all relaxed in our hostels, becasue although it was so much sitting, it was exhausting but amazing. Overall an amazing trip in the amazon, but I don’t think this prairie girl is cut out for that life.

PS it is now a week later and the bites on my leg have mostly healed you can still see them but very faint and not itchy finally!