We get wild in the Amazon

Gator showing off his pearly whites

We took a short bus ride to the dizzingly high and chaotic city of La Paz. The captial of Bolivia appears suddently like a mirage, as the terrian changes aburptly from flat brown soil to a stacked city surrounded by snow-capped mountains. Overwhelmed by the hustle and bustle of the city, we found a taxi and headed straight for a recommended hostel with our girlfriends, leaving the boys to fend for themselves.


Hectic La Paz at night

After settling in an orienting ourselves we set off to explore the nooks and crannies of the city- most notably the witches market. This is not for those with weak stomachs, as the smell of the commonly sold dried llama fetus permeates the air. After a wild night dancing in La Paz, we booked a 3 day wild life tour in the Amazon. We lucked out with a small group, which consisted of only the 2 girls we´d been traveling with since Machu Picchu.

Our flight to the Amazon was unexpectingly thrilling. We boarded a 16 person plane that dodged through the mountains hugging La Paz. We could tell we´d made it to the jungle as our clothes clung to our bodies in the hot hummidity immediately after stepping off the plane. From the tiny aiport we hopped into a jeep, which took us on a 3-hour bumpy and dusty ride into the jungle. Finally we were tranferred from the jeep to a lon gwooden river boat with a small motor.


A-list travel


Pulling up to the ecolodge, ready for a cold beer

Within minutes we saw tons of capyberas, alligators, turtles, and birds bigger than most humans. Since it is the dry season and the river is very low, we often had to jump out and push the boat through the piranha and alligator infested waters. Luckily we have no tragedies to report and all our limbs remain intact.We knew we picked the right tourest agency when we pulled up to the only campsite that advertised ''we serve cold beer.'' All the structures at the ecolodge are high up on stilts and connected by narrow walkways. The rooms are full of hammocks and beds protected by mosquito nets.

We spent the next morning searching for the infamous anaconda. After an hour of trudging through vines and tall grass, our guide spotted the snake curled up in a tree. No sign of Jennifer Lopez or Ice cube (reference: Anaconda 1996- a must see!)
After an afternoon siesta in the hammocks, we jumped back on the boat to catch dinner- piranhas! Using meat as bait and later sardines, we spent an hour trying to catch these sneaky suckers. Our patience paid off and eventually we got to hold a slimey Piranha with razer sharp teeth for the first time.


Whose for dinner... us or them?


We found you Mr. Anaconda!


Cabybera galore

We waited to return back until after sunset so we could see all the alligators that come out at night to hunt. With hundreds of glowing eyes reflecting from our head lamps, we floated down the river. Having to get our and push the boat under these cirumstances was nothing short of thrilling. Still happy to report, surprisingly, that all our limbs are intact.


View from the boat

We spent one more night in La Paz and had our last hoorah with our new friends. After a few tears we parted ways- Bolivia had treated us well, but it was time to explore new horizons.