Swimming with Alligators in Rurrenabaque
For the full experience, view online!
Our overnight bus to Rurrenabaque was the worst yet. The dodgy engine that keep breaking down ensured we arrived well behind schedule. The bumpy dirt road ensured we never slept long. The locals we picked up at 2am standing and chatting in the aisle ensured we didn’t sleep at all. On the bright side though, we did make it without driving off the cliff.
We slept most of our first day in the small tropical town, delaying our original plan to head to the pampas on day 2, instead taking another day to explore the area. With humid heat, sporadic downpours, and lush jungle hills overlooking the town, it was a stark contrast to La Paz or anywhere else we had been so far.
At 9:30 on day 3 we set out for our pampas tour. Meeting our fellow groupie Ads from Canada and our guide Jaky at the tour office, we started the nature spotting right away as we drove 2hrs to our boat.
A sloth spotted on the side of the road.
With a stop for lunch and a further 20 minutes driving, we were loading the boat. Once aboard the glimpses of passion we had seen so far from our guide Jaky began to display in full grandeur. Excitedly pointing out all the animals and birds around us, explaining in broken English some interesting facts of each, mostly around diet.
Halfway along the journey to our accomodation, Jaky spotted some monos amarillas (yellow monkeys) and steered our boat towards them and into the bush. Soon enough we had monkeys all over us and the boat.
As Jaky backed out from the trees, the monkeys scrambled off the boat. We continued our journey up the river, taking shortcuts and spotting more wildlife at every turns.
We eventually made it to our accomodation which was an assortment of wooden buildings on stilts with raised walkways between them. After a very brief stop to offload our cargo, we set out again as the sun set to spot some alligators and cayman. The best viewings though proved to be right under our feet at the accomodation.
With dinner in our bellies and an early start ahead, we were in bed by 10pm with alarms set for 5am.
Rain clouds filled the sky in the morning causing the sunrise to be a nonevent. Instead we continued to spot wildlife on our way back to breakfast with some entertainment from Jaky on arrival.
Jaky just before he demanded us to touch its tail, filling us with confidence.
Ads was the only one brave enough here.
After brekky we headed off in the boats again for anaconda spotting with a stop off to get up and personal with Pepe, the local 5m long cayman who spends his time between our lodge and another down the river.
With the wet season well and truly upon us, our chances to spot an anaconda were slim. Jaky instead introduced us to a local family and led us around their house in search of some smaller wildlife (which we did find!).
Back to the lodge for lunch before we were in the boat again for Ads’s most anticipated activity: piranha fishing.
Two very noisy macaws spotted en route to our piranha fishing spot.
We found a secluded spot and dropped the lines pulling up nothing but bare hooks, except for Jaky who reeled in 6!
Kenzie with full concentration showing us how it’s done - only thing missing is a piranha on her hook (not that I did any better).
The rain soon came down which cut our fishing short as we headed home for some down time and deep fried piranha.
The following morning we enjoyed a slight sleep in before brekky and then a swim with the local alligators and piranhas. Jaky took us into a secluded alcove off the main river promising us it was safe. We had heard that the pink dolphins scare off the hungrier alligators and piranhas so without any of them in sight we were dubious of his claim.
Soon enough some dolphins turned up after which Jaky jumped in clothes and socks and all to prove his point. Sadly that was the last we saw of Jaky except as a bulge in the cayman’s belly…
Just joking, he soon clambered back in to take control of the boat before Ads led the charge as the rest of us jumped in. The dolphins though disappeared so we eventually joined Jaky back in the boat before relocating up stream for a second attempt to swim with the dolphins.
On route to our second spot we saw some much anticipated jungle tucans, with a pair of macaws flying over us too!
Our second spot was significantly less secluded being right in the main river with a lodge next to us which seemed a prime spot for caymans and alligators to live. Again Jaky insisted it was safe and with more dolphins around us here Ads and I took another leap into the dark but warm water.
Back to the lodge for lunch and we were on our way to the van which would take us back to Rurrenabaque.
We spent most of the following day lazing about by the pool with a walk in the morning and sporadic trips out to enjoy the small towns surprisingly good cuisine. The following day we had splashed out on a flight back to La Paz, lucky because the road was closed due to a landslide!
Having spent a week at 800m in Rurre, a few days in La Paz to re acclimatise and we would be attempting the 6,088m peak of Huayna Potosi!
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