The River Wild from Rurrenabaque

The pampas

Into the Wild

When making our Bolivian travel plan we always knew that we would be headed to Rurrenabaque. And we knew that in Rurrenabaque we would be able to do a jungle tour, a pampas (Amazon basin swamp) tour or both. The general knowledge is that jungle tours are more adventurous and less touristy while tours to the pampas will offer much more opportunity to see animals. We choose the swamps because Mika is determined to spot and swim with the pink river dolphins.

From La Paz there are two ways to get to Rurre, by plane or by bus. The short flight takes just 45 minutes while the bus ride takes a gruelling 18 hours off of your life. Going we choose airplane. The one way flight costs 372 Bolivianos (US $54.60) each. Traveling eight months in South America and this is our first flight. On board the forty-seater we get coffee and chocolate. It feels like real luxury, even if Mika has to change seats because hers does not have a seat belt.

Happy to have safely landed

The altitude difference between La Paz and Rurre is about 3500 m (11,500 feet). Within the short time we are in the air the landscape changes drastically (or what I can see of it through the dirty window) from harsh brown mountains to a thick carpet of forest. The plane lands and then taxis us to the airport - I use the term 'airport' loosely- over a road of dirt and grass. The hot, humid weather hits us immediately. We are surrounded by lush green, tree-covered  hills. After many cold nights in the mountains it feels like we are on vacation.

from mountains

to jungle

On our return to La Paz we choose the bus. For 70 Bolivianos (US $10). This is purely an economic decision lest we forget our monthly backpacking budget. I do not need to go into all the gruesome details, but lets just say the roads are horrendous, seats are uncomfortable, it is long and miserable.

The toucan on this bus to La Paz is a reminder that we'd rather be flying

Welcome to Rurrenabaque

View from our Rurre hotel

Rurrenabaque is a little town sitting on the Beni River and surrounded by green hills. It is the first town in Bolivia we have seen with very few cars. It is small enough that everyone gets around by motorbike or on foot. The effects of tourism are noticeable everywhere, but it has not completely swallowed the town. There are still plenty of restaurants, markets and shops catering to locals, but who will also gladly accept our money.

Two wheels are preferred in Rurre

Not Tourists: locals dvd shopping 

If you've been following the blog regularly you have probably figured out by now that Mika and I tend to avoid foreigner-geared places that have names like Mosquito Bar or Monkey Bar (yes, these places do exist in Rurre), so the first place we head to is the central market to have lunch with the locals. I eat a delicious sliver of fried pacu (a type of fish found in the Amazon) which arrived directly from the Beni River.

Found our weakness: At a French-owned pastry shop for a quiche and chocolate croissant breakfast. 

Decisions Decisions

For such a small town hotels and tourist-geared eateries abound while the number of travel agencies is off the charts. This is due to the proximity of the jungle which is reached by boat from the River Beni and to the pampas which is reached by a bumpy, two hour jeep ride.

If there is anything I hate about traveling it is having to choose a travel agency in exactly this type of situation. We know that we want to do a 3day/2night pampas tour, but who to choose? The fact is that here they all offer the same tour. Also, the majority are just not completely honest. They all say "eco" but some tourists return from tours saying that the guides handled or even fed wild animals. You buy with one agency promising this or that and they then sell you to another agency to form larger groups. On top of it all the prices are exactly the same except for the few who charge more.

Tour prices in this area have skyrocketed recently due to a government mandate. A 3 day/2 night trip now costs 900 B (US $130) minimum per person where just a few months ago the price was as low as 480 B (US $69) per person. The price does not include 150 Boliviano park entrance fee. What we are told as to why there is price control is that in the past companies would offer dirt cheap tours and then cut costs every which way, including hiring any shady character to be a guide. There were many reports of drunkenness, theft and even a tourist was raped. With the price increase the guides are now supposedly licensed, better educated about conservation and receiving better wages all of which are a good thing.

This warning sign is all over town about the risks of discounted tours

We choose Dolphin Tours mainly because they promise that our group will be a maximum of six people and that they will not push us off onto another company's tour. In the end we have a group of five people (the other three sold to Dolphin by other agencies) which is a good size. Their facilities and food are decent enough though considering that the five of us are paying over US $200 per day -- a huge sum in Bolivia-- it probably could be better.

Our river lodgings

Downtime

The biggest problem with our tour is that our guide is so boring, uninspired and just going through the motions. I can learn more about the flora and fauna of the area with two hours on the internet than three days with him. And to be honest. since all the agencies offering pampas tours are pretty much the same, it is the guide that makes or breaks it. But that being said his lameness cannot take away from the beauty of the area and the plethora of animals that we encounter.

Boooorrrrring!!!

The River Wild

I would like to first start out this section with a disclaimer: I stink at wildlife photography. I do not have a long enough zoom lens to get good close-up shots of the animals, so many of the following photos have been cropped (cropping is usually a no-no) so you can have a finer glimpse of the critters, but quality has suffered somewhat.

Our launching point

We finally reach the river, load up our boat and shove off. One good thing about our company is that they do not race down the river like other agencies who then just have to kill time at the cabanas. We take our time cruising down the muddy river and get a great look at lots of animals.

The river

We are not in a national park. The river and just 50 meters on each side is protected by a municipality. After that it is all private property. I am not sure the animals know how to calculate 50 meters, but being the dry season most of them seem to be hanging out down by the river. Wooden cabana compounds for tourists dot the edge of the river in the protected zone. 

On our first cruise we see a whole host of critters - mammals, birds and reptiles - along on the river bank and in the trees. It feels like a river safari. So come on and take a ride with me down the cafe latte colored waters of the mighty Yacuna river.

Crocs Rule: There are so many crocodiles and caiman

A pregnant capybara - the world's largest rodent 

A capybara family

A hoatzin, but I call them swamp chickens

As the boat approaches this bird is chased down river only to be again chased down river only to again...

Big bird



Sticks poking out of the water are the turtles turf

A capuchin monkey. There is also a gang of them living by our cabana

A heron

Another big bird

Did I mention there are a lot of caimans and crocs?

Sunrise, Sunset

Sunset

Catching the salida del sol and the entrada del sol  - literal translation is sun's exit (sunrise) and sun's entrance (sunset) - seems to be a thing to do on this tour. The first night we catch the sunset from a bar attached to our cabanas. Next morning the sunrise is witnessed from a field after a short canoe ride and sunset that day is seen on the property of a family who happens to have hammocks and sell drinks.

Sunrise

Sunset

We say goodbye to the kids and the sun and hop back into the canoe for our night ride with flashlights in hand. The purpose of this trip is to ride slowly while shining our lights looking for crocodiles and caimans. The reptiles eyes will shine red when in the path of the light. When I pop my camera flash the eyes sparkle like deadly diamonds. The problem we soon find with cruising slowly at sundown is that we have become a human buffet for the mosquitoes. Even with deet slathered everywhere none of us can stand the pests so we tell the guide to drive faster. An abrupt end to our night river caiman hunting cruise.

On the river with the last drops of daylight

The Eyes: The lighted spots in the photo are crocs and caiman  

The final morning we are allowed to sleep in past sunrise but I am awoken early anyway by a cacophony of hoots created by the swamp chickens which sound like roosters that have swallowed an industrial fire alarm. There is also the loud wails of the howler monkeys which can be quite eerie. They come off like the moans of a Scooby-Doo villain that would scare only the most paranoid, pot-smoking mystery solver. These monkeys sound pretty close so I leave the secure confines of my mosquito net to have a look and a listen.

Can you spot the four howler monkeys in the tree?

What Lies Beneath

Sharp teeth

Beneath the muddy waters is another notorious creature, the piranha. We spend one early evening fishing for the sharp-toothed fish using chicken meat for bait. I snag the first fish of the day which is my only catch of the day, a tiny one that gets another chance at life. Two larger ones are not so lucky and end up on our dinner plate.

Our fishin' hole

My big catch

Piranha dinner

Hunting Anaconda

Searching for anacondas is one of the big advertised activities of the tour. Though all companies warn us that it is unlikely we will see one. Their populations have dwindled drastically in recent years. This is in large part due to tourism.

Before, when not finding an anaconda, a guide would move on ahead to look for one while the group waited. And of course he would see one because he has kept the snake hidden in a bag for who knows how long. The guide then brings his "find"over to his group so they can pose for photos holding the reptile. Now if living in a bag is not enough to shorten the lifespan of an anaconda then coming into contact with the repellent on tourists hands should do the trick. We are told that this cruel practice has been stopped, but it would not surprise me if it is still done by a few unscrupulous guides.

To begin our hunt we literally cross the river by canoe and get out to start walking about twenty minutes to a swamp. Our guide cuts us walking sticks with his machete and gives us some quick instructions. Only a small part of the anaconda, like the head, will be sticking out of the water. This exposed skin will glisten in the sun. We need to spread out and walk slowly. What he does not tell us is that a couple years ago a tourist on the anaconda hunt stepped on a crocodile and got her kneecap chomped to pieces. Or maybe that is what he means by "walk slowly."

I am sure there must be an anaconda here somewhere

As we are slowly trudging along through the mud and the others are getting further and further away I start wondering if I really want to find this snake. I keep imagining the trash compactor scene in Star Wars when Luke is dragged under the water by a serpent-like beast. Anyway, no need to worry because there are no anacondas in sight. Regardless, I find it fun, yet exhausting, to be slogging around the swamp for an afternoon. 

Swamp n' Boots

We finally get out of the muck and walk on dry land to a shaded area with hollowed out trees where the anacondas sometimes might be. No reptiles here either, but we do see a large porcupine who has wedged himself into the crook of a tree trunk.

Just to prove that heading out to search for animals can be futile we set out on another journey to hunt for a sloth ('lazy bear' in Spanish). This activity is prompted by the French couple and of course we do not find one. We do, however, see and hear the sqwuaks of four yellow and blue timid macaws that fly away as soon as we near their tree trunk eventhough they are about seven stories over our heads.

Hunting Sloths: You are looking for an animal in the trees the size of a small dog that is the color of the tree bark and does not move. They do come down every now and then to go to the bathroom, so if you're lucky... 

Meet the Dolphins

A "good" photo of flipper

Besides scary things like pirahnas and crocodiles there are pink river dolphins swimming in these waters. It is a treat to see them and those that brave the brown waters can swim with them too.

To photograph these dolphins is nearly impossible. First of all, you have no idea where they are going to pop up. Secondly, they do not leap out of the water like ocean dolphins. They just sort of come up for a puff from the breathe hole without ever bringing their faces or bodies out of the water. Only one time do I see a pale pink tail. But it is these brief flashes of dolphin flesh that add to their mystique.

My best dolphin photo

A pair of young dolphins. They will turn pink as they become older

The last activity of our tour is to swim with the dolphins. I know what you must be asking, aren't there tons of crocodiles and piranhas roaming these waters? Well, what they tell us is that these meanies are scared of the dolphins and will swim away when they are around. Lots of people have swum in this river, but I cannot muster the courage to enter this murky water with zero visibility. While in Indonesia last year I heard too many stories of people getting eaten by crocodiles and on this tour we have seen lots of crocodiles and caimans. I chicken out and stay in the boat.

Mika on the otherhand has a lot of faith that her fellow mammals will protect her and she jumps in several times after we spot the dolphins in an area. Mika is basically the only one in our group to go in. Mika splashes the water to attract the dolphins and claims to have gotten a couple bumps from them under the water. A wonderful end to our tour to the pampas


Dolphins come out to play-yay

The International Rambler Travel Tip: 

If you abide by the theory that says "well since all the agencies are pretty much the same I might as well pay as little as possible," then I suggest that you book your tour in La Paz where deals can be made. I know a couple that paid 690 B for the 3 day/2 night pampas trip with Fluvial tours. I should mention that they have the largest groups (we saw a group of twenty-four) and I know for a fact that they handle wildlife (anacondas) even though the lady in their office promised us that they do not.

Working for Change in Sucre - Part 2

Shoeshine boys - a common sight in Sucre

Working children are seen everywhere around Sucre, Bolivia and it is a very accepted part of the culture. The majority of the children around town are from migrant families of little economic means and parents that do not have the capacity nor the skills to acquire adequate income. To help support their families the children, sometimes as young as five years old, are then forced into earning income mostly in the informal sector such as shining shoes, washing car windows or other menial tasks to earn some change from people's pockets.

A car window washer

A newspaper seller

The organization Ñanta introduces me to social workers from a different, yet connected project. This project, funded by TDH Suiza, is only a few weeks old when I meet them. The idea is that the social workers, Judith and Ludmila, walk around town to interact with and offer assistance directly to the working children whether it is to play games, give basic first aid, or just to chat and check on how they are doing.

Working at such a young age can have a tremendous psychological and physical impact on a child's development. Working kids are usually out on the streets by themselves or with other working kids without a real support network, access to nutritious food or any healthy adult guidance. The social workers are trying to fill this void and they have kindly let me tag along with them for a few days.

Applying lotion to a child worker's face

There are several areas around Sucre where one is more likely to find children working. Our mornings usually start at the central plaza where there are sure to be some shoeshine boys and little girls selling birdseed. On weekends there will be even more because kids do not have school and there are more potential clients hanging around the plaza.

Playing in the central plaza

Selling birdseed and taking care of her little brother.
There is some competitive backlash against child birdseed sellers at the plaza. The adult sellers say 'why do we have to be licensed while the kids sell freely?' Therefore, the girls hide their bird food in bags like the one seen at the bottom of this photo.

Having a class of working children is just an accepted part of Bolivian society. Here a girl with her mother enjoying an afternoon in the plaza is paying for their shoeshine. 

One Saturday afternoon the kids take a short break from working to play soccer

From the plaza we walk to the central market and peatonal (pedestrian area) where we are sure to run into some girls selling newspapers and some older shoeshine boys. Establishing contact with these older, teenage boys has been more difficult for Judith and Ludmilla. Maybe it is because I am a man (these boys are usually lacking any positive male role model), a goofy gringo, I am offering them free photos, or a combination of all three but I end up having some luck breaking the ice with this group.

Working on the peatonal

From the central market they will either walk over to another market to look for kids, or hop on a bus and head to another neighborhood. The problem is that finding the kids can be difficult at times. They do not punch time clocks nor work fixed hours or days. But in my experience it is never a bad thing to not find children working.

Selling newspapers outside the central market

I meet this boy on the peatonal one day. He tells me he lives in the countryside and came to Sucre to sell candy. His bus home is at 8:00 PM. However, later that night I see him and his younger sister alone in the central market begging for change. I doubt that they caught their bus home. 

Every Sunday at 6:00 PM Judith and Ludmila go to the main cemetery to check on how the kids working there are doing and to talk to them about any upcoming events or free swims at the public pool. They always arrive near closing time. If they go earlier the kids will be distracted and miss out on income earning opportunities. I am not quite sure of the numbers, but there seems to be a lot kids and adolescents working here. They are busily in the process of growing their association of NNATs (boys, girls, and adolescent workers).

A meeting of NNATs held at the cemetery chapel.
Parents were invited but very few showed up.

Working almost all his life he is now President of Sucre's association of child workers. Recently, he represented the entire province at a national conference of child workers in La Paz. 

In the cemetery in Sucre (and many parts of Bolivia) people are not buried in the ground. Instead coffins are placed in a wall sometimes stacked six high. I am guessing this is to maximize space. On the outside of the wall is a personal space in front of the buried coffin in which the mourners can decorate with a personal touch. When people visit the cemetery, mostly on Sundays, they may hire a kid with a ladder to help them change the flower arrangements for the deceased. The sound of the children- always wearing their easily recognizable blue vests - saying, "escalera, escalera" (meaning 'ladder' in Spanish) can be heard as people enter and at other busy places around the cemetery. If hired, the child or teenager will get their ladder and walk with the clients to the grave site and help them take care of the space. Working all day at the cemetery they can earn between 20 and 80 (US $2.90 and $11.60) Bolivianos (80 is a fantastic day). I visit the cemetery several times to see what type of work the kids are doing and then later to hand out photos.

On a ladder helping a family to maintain the grave

Ladders at the ready near the cemetery entrance

The social workers are also starting to have contact with kids working outside of town mainly at the airport and in the neighborhood, La Jastamo. At Sucre's airport there are a group of kids (almost all boys) who shine shoes, help carry luggage or wash parked cars for small tips. The day I visit the airport we are there to pass out invitations for the upcoming field trip. About nine of them end up going on the excursion and having a great time.

These boys normally would be working at the airport today

On another day I head out to La Jastamo. This is a very poor neighborhood about twenty minutes by bus from the center of Sucre. Most of the houses do not have electricity or adequate water supply, but there is an army base and hospital run through donations from a German organization. This place is also the turnaround point for one of the bus routes from Sucre. Here in the dusty parking area kids earn 1 Boliviano (US $0.15) for cleaning the inside of the bus before the vehicle heads back to town.

This green muck is used by some residents of La Jastamo as a water source for things like washing clothes.

The kids in this area are also more hostile than those in town, and it has been much more difficult for the social workers to develop a rapport with those in La Jastamo. This in part is due to the fact that there is a fourteen year old ringleader that has a distrust for strangers and won't let the others interact with Judith and Ludmila. Also, the parents are the problem. These kids are invited one Saturday to an all expenses paid field trip with Ñanta, but the kids say that they will be beaten if they go. They have to stay and work.

It is pretty quiet the day that I visit La Jastamo. The fourteen year old ringleader is not there when we arrive, so the three boys who are here today feel freer to chat with us, make fun of my North American accent, and play some board games in between cleaning the buses. I think with some time and perseverance Judith and Ludmila will be able to really help the kids and families here.

Playing board games in the bus parking area

Besides taking photos for the organization, I have also decided that I will try to take portraits as a gift to the kids. Just by the sheer numbers of kids working in Sucre this ends up being a daunting and impossible task to complete. I think every other day that I am out I see a new kid performing some task for money. Since my hotel is in the center of town every day I am passing some of the main areas where kids are working. Because of timing and the kids erratic schedules I have contact with some that the social workers have not met yet. When I leave town I hand Judith and Ludmila a stack of photos that still need to be handed out.

Looking at their new photos 

Some Links:
If you have not had the chance yet, it would be great if you could check out my post about volunteering with Ñanta, an organization helping working kids in Sucre click here

To see my previous photography work about child labor in several other countries click here