the Jungle

This might be a quick post, because I´ve got to head to IC Norte (grocery store) and grab some lunch and snacks for the trip to Toro Toro this weekend.

Crazy, 2 weeks ago I was in a desert, last weekend I was in the Amazonian jungle, and this weekend I´m going to walk where the dinosaurs walked and do some extreme caving. :) How fantastic. I hope you can tell I´m loving it here.

So, last weekend, just the six students (without any ¨adults¨ or people who know how Bolivia really works) headed into the jungle. It´s a portion of the Cochabamba department, but is much lower in altitude and much more humid than the city. Honestly, it felt like being at home. :) Quite lovely. It was startling the difference the altitude made: when we were doing some walking in the jungle, we could all actually breathe without struggling for oxygen.

Our first day there, we went rafting on the Holy Spirit River. :) I thought what an appropriate name for a powerful, wild and slightly dangerous river whose views inspired awe in us all. It was much fun, because our guide really enjoyed it too, he was our age. And it was some of my fellows first time, so they were really enjoying their first rafting experience. I think this might have been my first rafting trip where I didn´t fall out. Props to me.

After a return to the hotel (Los Tucarnes - the toucans) which, by the way, was quite luxiurious, with a pool and great food, for only 15 bucks a night, we headed out to Parque Machia. It is a wildlife sanctuary with volunteers from all over the world. The first place we headed was to the monkey sanctuary. This is where I met my friend, Zaru.

We met when she jumped off the roof onto my shoulder to steal my hair tie right out of my hair. :) Quite a sweetie, and almost hauntingly like a human. It was fantastic to see her work at opening Carolyn´s water bottle. I asked some of the volunteers if they could open the bottle, and they said of course, they have opposable thumbs too. Haha.

That night we went out on the town for a little while that night, but decided to come back to the easy comfort of the hotel with its poolside hammocks and quite jungle sounds to hang out. The next day we went to Parque Carasco. 8 of us (2 Bolivian friends from Cochabamba had joined us) rode in one taxi the 25 minutes out there. Zareen, Andreas, and I bonded in the back of the taxi, as our feet hung out the back of the open trunk and the odd spectacle drew curious stares from every Chaparian we passed. :) Quite a study in human reaction to a gringo-packed taxi.

At this park we had a guide take us over a river, and through the jungle to see the wonders located there. We saw ants almost as big as my thumb and bats about the same size. We also got a glimpse of blind birds that live in a cave there. It was eerie when we turned a corner and could hear their upset cries at being disturbed during the day. It kind of made me think of a sound effect from Jurassic Park. By the time we got out of the park, everyone was as soaked as we had been after rafting, but this time thanks to the humidity.

This is a tree that puts out more roots as it grows taller, so that it can sway in the wind, but still be stable. Neato, huh?

Over the river and through the jungle. :) This was just a steel and bamboo cage that was suspended on cables and hand-pushed over the water.

After another dip in the pool, we packed up to head home the same way we came.. by surubi. Surubi is a fish native to the Chapare, but also a name used for vans that go straight from Cochabamba to Chapare, and reverse. You buy a ticket or just pay the driver straight, and once he has 7 people in his van, he heads off. So we had 5 of our group and a woman with oversized bags and a man with a lot of bananas. :)

I forgot to mention that passing on mountain curves is an expected traffic maneuver here. We almost got in trouble with that one the way home, as at one point on a curve there were 3 cars wide and a mountain dropoff on the right side. But we were in the middle, calm down Mom. :)

Off to see the dinosaurs!!! (only one month until I head back to the states)

p.s. Our postal service is on ¨indefinite strike¨. So, please feel free to continue sending mail. Just know that no one knows when I might get it. :) T.I.B. This is Bolivia.