We
fly for 40 minutes on an Amazonas Airlines small prop. plane down to
Rurrenabaque on the Beni River and there confirm our three nights up-river in a
jungle lodge. $310 each, including all food, an English Speaking guide (ha) and
ecology tours in the jungle. It takes us 40 minutes or so to go upstream in our
small and narrow motor boat to the lodge. The river is about ¼ mile wide and
deep and it’s moving its mud laden, dark brown, water swiftly down toward the
Amazon-I assume along with many more such rivers.
The
lodge is very basic and we are the only guests (high season is
June/July/August) which we don’t like. Christine and I help Reinaldo (who will
be our guide for three days) lug our suitcases up the 135 steep mud and wood
steps, through the jungle, to our cabin. Our guide points out the paw print of
a Jaguar. No glass in the windows, just mesh screens. A sign by the bed urges
“shake very well your shoes and upside down”. Cold water shower only and
electricity is solar and the single light bulb goes off at 10.00pm.
Insects
rule here and it’s noisier that a Cairo street as the jungle prepares itself
for another night of fear and death amongst all living things (Not us we hope
and we make sure that the cabin door is locked.) We slap furiously and
frantically at the slightest tickle.
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