We´re back in Rurrenabaque after an incredible eight days in Madidi National Park and with the community of San Jose de Uchupiamonas.
So many experiences to share, but for now just an update on our route and the main themes of our journey--Las Wabus (the girl´s nickname) will be writing blogs later today with their thoughts and impressions.
We left Rurrenabaque eight days ago in the early morning by first crossing the river to the town of San Buena Ventura by taxi-boat. There we with a few guardaparques (rangers of Madidi) and then began driving westward towards the town of Tumopasa. After a few hours of bumpy driving through communities that the Rio Beni Foundation serves, we turned left and went up to the mountain outpost of Sadidi that marks the Madidi National Park boundary. After a wild ride in the Land Cruisers we got out of the cars and met many of the community members of San Jose who would accompany us on the hike as porters, cooks, and guides. We marked the beginning of our journey with a coca leaf ceremony as a payment to Pachamama (Mother Earth). And we were off! The rest of the day was spent walking in the deep rain forest and learning from Sergio and Yhovani our two wonderful friends and guides. After about four hours of walking we arrived at Yariapo Camp, which has been a traditional hunting camp for San Jose for many years. Descriptions cannot do this place justice--next to the Yariapo River with our tents and five star locally grown and prepared food: no hay nada mejor. Later today one of the girls will be writing a blog on our time their...
Our next day was spent at the Yariapo River fishing, writing in our journals, playing music and listening to the sounds of the jungle. Excelente to say the least.
Early the following morning we left on foot for the community of San Jose de Uchupiamonas. Our walk took us through dense patches of forest and up on top of a ridge called Wayrapata, which means ¨on top of the wind¨ in Quechua. After around six hours of walking we made our way into the community of San Jose and were greeted with music, drums, smiles, dances, and speeches by the mayor and cacique (traditional leader).
Later that evening we made camp on a lookout over the Tuichi Valley while meeting and playing with a wonderful group of children who followed the girls.
Our next day was filled with activities! Weaving, grinding sugarcane, horse riding, bows and arrows, dancing, and a highlight, our volleyball and soccer games with the community. We won the volleyball game, but it didn´t seem to matter as everyone had come to watch and was having a great time. The dancing at night was certainly a highlight as well! Everyone let loose and had way to much fun under an almost full moon!
Our next day we said a sad goodbye to San Jose and made our way down on the Tuichi River to Chalalan, San Jose´s community-run ecolodge in Madidi National Park. We spent the next three days, listening to the jungle, swimming in the lake, hiking and fishing at a magical place called Islabon, dancing with our new friends from San Jose, and beginning to reflect on the experience until now. Our time at Chalalan was unforgetable. We saw monkies, macaws, pecaries, cayman, eagles, leafcutter antes, giant matapalo trees, and so much more. Our guides knowledge of the rainforest is seemingly infinite.
Yesterday we boated down the Tuichi River and connected with the Rio Beni that brought us back to Rurrenabaque. A beautiful three hour trip that allowed us time to reflect on our adventures and pass by both the communities first served by Dr. Louis Netzer and his land that he lived on while here in Bolivia.
Today we have a meeting with mayor in recognition of El Puente´s support of the Rio Beni Foundation´s work, a visit to a local elementary school, time at the clinic to learn from the health team, and finally a BBQ to celebrate an end of our time here in Rurrenabaque. Tomorrow we fly to La Paz midmorning before making our way home on the morning of the 29th.
Look for updates from La Wabus later today!
Un abrazo!
Crister
No comments:
Post a Comment