Rurrenabaque
25 Aug, 2011 | Kirsty Hough
Our first site of Rurrenabaque was of the small airfield that comprised a collection of huts and an airstrip with cows and pigs grazing on it. The plane journey had been interesting, with the plane being no bigger than a tin can, but offering some amazing views of the Andes Mountains and an aerial view of the rainforest below us. The town itself was gorgeous, slightly too touristy, but this was made up for by the stunning backdrop of the mountains nestling the little town.
We didn’t spend long in the town, as quickly booked ourselves onto a two day tour of the pampas. The eco-lodge was a three hour drive from the town and right on the banks of the River Yacuma. The tour itself was amazing, with animals from capybaras to caimans, from turtles to tiger herons and everything in between. We had the opportunity to fish for piranhas and cooked them for dinner, as well as swimming with the pink river dolphins.
The eco-lodge itself wasn’t for the squeamish. We shared our bedroom with bats, and our showers with every insect imaginable, with some frogs thrown in for good measure too! The food was home cooked and delicious, and the hammocks a very comfortable addition to the beautiful surroundings.
The return journey was wonderfully disorganised, with our flight not being at 2 as we expected, and so in the wait until five, we relaxed on the runway in the sunshine with some wine and then took a short walk in the surrounding rainforest. It was a shame that it was only a short trip, but was definitely worth it.
