From The Red Hot Amazon to the Freezing Cold Salt Flats... Viva Bolivia!

A quick thanks for the happy birthday shouts, cheers, it means a lot.

I have been covering some miles over the last couple of weeks. Firstly took a flight to a place called Rurrenabaque on the Bolivian Amazon. Mind you I nearly missed the bloody plane as I was in the wrong part of the airport - not my fault the tour agency wrote the wrong place down. The airline had to send a maintenance truck over pick me up - bless 'em. Managed to arrive no worries in Rurrenabaque even if the runway was just a field! Went straight on my tour into the Amazon which started with a three hour drive on a dust road, then a two hour boat journey. Mind you, the boat journey was great as there was loads of wildlife, like crocodiles, pink dolphins and loads of birds. We stayed at camp by the river which was quite comfortable and the food was lush. Did a night time boat ride which was cool to see the crocs eyes looking at you and bats swooping down close to you.
Next day we went searching for anacondas in swamps and bogs, this time I had wellie gogs on but yes, it got so deep in parts it flowed over. To top it off we saw no anacondas as it was a little overcast so they were in hiding,what can you do when your wellies let in!?! I had to laugh as when we got back to camp the guide saw and caught, a couple of snakes. Spent four hours looking for any kind of snake in their prime habitat with no luck and they are there, right where we were staying - typical! Enjoyed the next day as we got to swim with the pink dolphins. They were a little shy but a good experience especially when you are in the water looking at the crocs looking at you. Also got to do some fishing for Piranas which I managed to bag a couple. They have some nashers on them I tell ya! The other people on the tour were cool, so managed a night on the lash with them when we got back to Rurrenabaque. It was good to have some nice hot weather especially at night, great to go out on the pop with just a Tshirt on. Was not long though untill I was back in sunny, but cold La Paz.

After a few more days in La Paz, I went to Uyuni which is the jumping off point to the highest salt flats in the world. Again, did a three day jeep tour to the salt flats and multi coloured lakes. You spent a lot of time in the jeep but the views were amazing. The salt flats were cool, with the bright white salt going on for as far as the eye could see. But the scenery after the salt flats was just amazing, it was hard to take photos to do it justice. The amount of different colours to the landscape is hard to describe. The highlights were Lake Verde which was a bright green colour with a volcano backdrop and Lake Colarado which was bright orange. My god, at night and on the third day it was bloody freezing especially with the wind which was blowing a hoolie! Hard to take photos when you are being blown off your feet and your eyes are full of tears. Still the whole three days with the scenery was amazing. My birthday here, I will remember as mainly being stuck in a jeep for fourteen hours apart for food stops & photo stops with a one year old kid, screaming his sodding head off! You people with young children have my sympathy. I could not even get a hot shower when I got back to Uyuni on my birthday night so, I had a few beers and wine smelling like a dog. No change there then.
At the moment I am in Potosi which is a nice spot - with red hot showers. Next stop, Sucre then probably Argentina...
Oh yes - I shall be on touch again soon with stories of big steaks, fine wines and lush women, until then my friends -
be good... the bear

Happy Birthday Bear!

A quick post to wish Bear a very Happy Birthday from all back in the UK!

A new album of photos of Lake Titicaca & THE worst road you've ever seen as featured in Bear's last post: Peru is done & Lance Armstrong is back in the saddle! have been uploaded.

Click here to check 'em out.