Las Pampas

After 33 hours on a bus, I finally arrived in La Paz, only to get on another bus for what was supposed to be 18 hours the next day.  Great life I lead, you see it´s not that glamorous to travel!  At this point I have joined up with my Swedish friends Johanna and Julia again and we´ve got plans, we just don´t know getting to our destination was going to be hell.

We get on the bus, a Bolivian bus - no baths, no AC, no movies, a bit rancid and not so comfortable.  As Bolivian buses go this one was a bit above average, so it´s looking good so far.  To get to Rurrenbaque, you have two choices, this bus for $11 or a plane for $130, bus it is.  This bus travels out of La Paz, up a mountain pass, then proceeds down said mountain for many hours and finally reaches the Amazon basin 18 hours later.  Atleast that is what your told.

We hit the mountain pass and all is good, except it starts snowing, really snowing, kinda reminded me of home, but I was on top of a mountain.  The bus slowed to a snails pace and stopped a few times.  It was freezing on the bus, no AC also means no heat.  The snow ended but the cold persisted for a few hours.  I was not prepared for this, neither were the Swedes, the Brits or the Dutch kid.  So there we sat, freezing and trying to sleep a little.  The bonus here was that the road was paved, so it was a somewhat smooth ride.

Passing another bus

At the first bathroom break it was starting to get warmer and we could feel the humidity starting to set in.  Shortly after the break the rain began and the pavement ended.  Not only did the pavement end, but the road became a series of switchback along the face of a mountain.  The drops were several hundred feet, if not more.  When looking out the window, you did not see the edge of the road because the tires were riding the edge of the road.  Did I mention that the road was wide enough for the bus and that´s it?  So, if on coming traffic was encountered, one of the vechicles had to back up?!?!  and make space out of nowhere for the other vechicle to pass. 

Clearing a landslide, with what appears to be a river running through it.

Same bus company, different driver...we hope!

The end of the bus hanging over he edge of the road

When on a bus in a foriegn country, with the majority of passengers being locals, their reactions to events happening around the bus should set the mood for the foreigners.  So when the Bolivinas panic, you panic!  Johanna was first - "If this bus backs up anymore, I´m getting off the fucking thing and walking!!"  This took place when the bus backed up to let the other bus go by.  I looked out the back window and noticed that the end of our bus was well over the edge of the cliff, I couldn´t see the tire, probably for the same reason I couldn´t see the road.

For some unknown reason we kept passing other vechicles on the left, the side of the drop off.  Julia with the most intense look of panic on her face "Why the fuck are we passing on the left?!?!?"  This went on for hours, we were all freaking out, along with the Bolivinans.  We passed several landslides that were being cleaned up, the roads were absolute shit from the rain and the fear of falling off the face of the earth always present!  The winning moment of this stretch of road came when we passed another bus in the river.  This bus was from the same bus company that we were riding on, safety first!

We finally got to stop for dinner, mystery meat soup and mystery meat main course, delicious!  From here on out it seemed that the road was much better, muddy and not so wide, but we weren´t hanging off 1,000 foot cliffs anymore.  The sun went down, so we couldn´t see what was happening outside, this eased our minds and we all fell into a restless sleep.

I awoke to find the sun up and the scheduled arrival in half an hour.  We were riding along a nice level plane, no mountains, just fields along either side of the bus.  So nice, well not exactly.  As I mentioned before it was raining, alot, you know rainy season in Bolivia.  The road was worse then the mountain road because the water had no where to go.  It was hot and the opened windows were of little relief.  In some areas two vechicles could pass, but in most it was a one way muddy mess.  We were constantly stopped letting other vechicles by.  The bus would lean side to side almost tipping over.  One local told us - "if it tips over, it´s no big deal, it just kinda lays down."  Reasuring.  But we finally made it, not in 18 hours, but in 24 hours, 24 hours of pure hell!

This is the second time in as many years I have been on this bus.  What could be so incredible to make me get on the most hellish bus ride in all of Bolivia, twice in two years?  Las Pampas.  These are wetlands that lead into the Amazon jungle.  There is no canopy, so animal viewing is insane.  It´s a wetland, need I say more.  Our group included five Dutch, one Brit, two Swedes and me.  An amazing group for an amazing time.

I won´t bore you with the details of the three day tour, but let you enjoy a few pictures!

Yellow monkey

Cayman hanging out by our camp

Sunset over Las Pampas

Anaconda hunting in the puring rain, ankle deep water and thick reeds, safety first!!

Swimming with the pink dolphins in the Amazon

The best group in the world!!

Playing futball in a swamp!

The muddy mess

Yes, and we had to return through the madness!!