Author Archives: Dan Perry

About Dan Perry

Dan created this blog to document his South America trip, which covered every country on the continent and lasted over two years. He currently lives in Madison, WI.

Mamoré Canoe Trip Day 1

June 24, 2006
Day 269

We loaded up all of our gear onto a local bus early today and we all drove to the canoes together. I went with Craig, Louise, Patricia, Hugh, and Rachael in the new canoe, and the others continued to the main river to get their canoe. There was plenty of space in the canoe for all of us and our gear, but water depth became an issue right away. We slowly navigated our way through a narrow channel and got stuck a few times in our heavy boat. A little pushing was all that was needed to get us going again, though. Once we got through the channel, the river was deep enough, but there was almost no current or wind, so we moved very slowly in the tropical heat. At least the sand fly situation was nonexistent. On our last trip, they attacked us all day, but today we saw none. It was very nice not having to worry about getting bitten constantly.

After five hours in the canoe, we finally reached the confluence, but it presented a problem. The channel we went through to join the main river was so small that we figured it would appear to be nothing more than a small inlet when the other group saw it. They weren't waiting for us, so either they had gotten ahead of us or they hadn't seen it. We weren't sure what to do, so we continued for a few more hours figuring we'd meet the others somehow.

The rest of the day was much nicer than the beginning because the current was flowing, the wind was blowing, and we were able to stay cooler. Unlike the Itenez, there were no islands or oxbows to worry about because the river was much lower, so navigation was no problem. Another consequence of the low river was the plethora of beautiful beaches on the banks that were perfect for camping.

At about 3:00, we decided to camp on a beach so the others would have some daylight left to catch up to us if they were behind us. We flagged down a boat going upstream to get more info, and they said that the others were camped about half an hour downstream from us. We gave a message to a boat going downstream for them to wait for us in the morning. So we know where they are, and it looks like we'll get together tomorrow morning.

Our campsite seemed perfect when we set it up because it was a dry, sandy area near the river and away from the forest. However, as soon as dusk hit, so did the mosquitoes. They attacked by the hundreds and wouldn't let up. I think they were the worst mosquitoes I had ever experienced, even worse than at the place I nicknamed "Mosquitoville" from the last canoe trip. At least I was armed with a long-sleeved, thick shirt and plenty of repellent, so I didn't suffer too many bites. We decided that from now on, we should start looking for a campsite at 3:00 and eat dinner before 6:00 so we can get in our tents in case the mosquitoes hit hard again.

The photo album for the entire canoe trip is here.

Support Tourism in Bolivia!

June 23, 2006
Day 268

Desperate for a canoe, I went with the others once again today to the ports outside of town. We had one option to buy a canoe, but it wasn't a good one because the canoe for sale had a huge hole in it. The owner said that he was planning on dismantling it in order to make it bigger, but he'd sell it to us for a cheap price if we'd take it in its current condition. He claimed that the hole could be repaired, but we didn't quite believe him considering the massive amount of water that flowed in when we sat in it. We decided to keep looking and only buy that canoe if no other options surfaced today.

We went back to Los Puentes, the last in a long line of ports on the Mamore to search one last time. We attempted to find the owner of every canoe at the port to see if any of them were for sale. One owner said that his canoe was definitely not for sale, but when he saw that we had cash on hand, his opinion suddenly changed. We made him an offer and Veronica spoke to him in Spanish. She said "This is all we have, it's far more money than the canoe is worth, take it or leave it," but he wouldn't budge. Then she said "Support tourism in Bolivia," everyone had a chuckle, and he finally caved. Veronica's native Spanish skills have been a valuable asset in planning this trip.

With two large canoes, we had plenty of space for everyone. We spent the afternoon buying supplies and making our final preparations for the trip. The plan is to leave early tomorrow, but there is still some confusion because we will be leaving from different ports. Six of us will be on a tributary of the Mamore, and the others will be on the main river. We don't think we'll be able to meet until the confluence, but we're still not sure. None of the locals seem to know the river well enough to tell us, and none of the maps we have gotten have been detailed enough to pinpoint our exact location. Add to that the fact that the river is low and our maps may not be accurate anyway, and it becomes a difficult meeting to make. It seems that to the best of our knowledge, the others will be about two hours ahead of us, and we will plan to meet at the confluence tomorrow afternoon sometime.

The Search Continues

June 22, 2006
Day 267

Several of us went to search for canoes again today. We started going door-to-door asking if anyone had an extra canoe to sell, but got no hits. Going to peoples' houses was an interesting experience in itself. One guy was busy planing wood to make a bow, and another was making an ax handle. Even though the villages on the river are near the city, going to them is like going back in time because they have no technology whatsoever. They live by fishing, hunting, and farming, and get by without electricity and running water, and with almost no money.

Rain in the afternoon made part of the road to the river impassible, and some people in our group got stuck and had to walk. We decided to search again tomorrow, and I really hope we find something. Patricia is only in Bolivia for three weeks, and Louise for four, so they will have to start the trip in two days no matter what. It we don't find another canoe tomorrow, it looks like we'll have to split the group up, which nobody wants. We're all keeping our fingers crossed.

One Down, One to Go

June 21, 2006
Day 266

Several of us got together today to do a thorough search for canoes. Before we even left town, the guy at the micro bus station told us of one that was for sale. We went straight to Puerto Varador to talk to the owner. He was a local from a nearby village who had just finished making the canoe by hand and intended to sell it. It was a beautiful dugout with double-reinforced walls that looked perfect, but it would only hold six. We will almost surely purchase it tomorrow, but we will still need to buy another canoe for everyone else.

This afternoon, more people showed up to go on the trip. George and Ashley, from Alaska, and Ax (I can't even begin to pronounce his real name) from Israel, will also be on the expedition. With ten people, we could put six in the new canoe and the other four in a smaller one. The only problem is that it's very difficult to find canoes here. For our last trip, we were in a town of 500, but we were shown four canoes for sale within the first two days. For this trip, we were lucky to be shown one. Even though Trinidad is a big city, the river doesn't pass through town, so it's necessary to go to the sparsely populated villages that are on the river. Most people have canoes, but they are needed for fishing and moving goods up and down the river. Even though we are gringos who will most likely overpay for a canoe, people simply can't afford to get rid of their only canoes. We'll keep looking tomorrow.

Meeting the Crew

June 20, 2006
Day 265

Craig showed up in Trinidad late this afternoon with Louise from England and Patricia from Switzerland. They had to take a bus from La Paz for twenty hours to some little town, sleep a few hours at the bus station, then take another bus for nine hours to Trinidad down the same horrible road I took last week. They were all pretty exhausted, but enthusiastic about the adventure that lie ahead. Veronica, a girl from Ecuador who was on the same bus, also showed up at the same hotel we were all staying at, and we all decided to get dinner together.

Joining us at dinner were Hugh and Rachael from England, two more of Craig's friends. It looks like Veronica will come with us too, so we will have seven for this trip, meaning that we will probably need two canoes unless we get a really big one. I'm still keeping my fingers crossed that one will suddenly be for sale soon. Our trip with be in dugout canoes for 7-10 days down the Rio Mamore, which heads north for about 1000 KM before joining with the Itenez, which we navigated on our last canoe trip. It would be way too enthusiastic to get to Guayaramerin again, but there are a couple other towns on the way that we could stop at, depending on how the group feels about continuing.

A New Adventure

I'm going on a new adventure in Bolivia tomorrow, this time on the Río Mamoré with a big group of ten people. We may be gone for a few weeks or more again, so I'm not sure when the next update will be. I figured I should post something here first before everyone thinks I'm dead again.

Preparations

June 17-19, 2006
Day 262-264

After I got to Trinidad, I began the long process of updating my website. At least a dozen people thought I was dead, but I'm most definitely alive for now. I had a couple boring days of watching the slow Bolivian Internet service crawl its way to completing my updates. I guess I needed some time on the computer after being away from them for so long, though.

I also started searching for canoes for my next trip. In a few days, I will meet Craig and some of his friends here in Trinidad to do a canoe trip down the Mamore. I didn't feel like going to La Paz with Craig, so I had a few extra days to begin the canoe search. Unfortunately, I didn't have much luck. I took micro-buses out to four different ports in the area, but no one at any of them knew of any canoes for sale. I'm still hopeful, though. The people I talked to know that I will be returning in a few days, and knowing a little bit about how small Bolivian communities operate, I bet everyone in the area will know about the gringos looking for canoes by the time I return.

It Could Be Worse

June 16, 2006
Day 261

I was awoken from a deep slumber at 4:45 AM when my bus arrived this morning. I was promised a seat, but Bolivian promises mean nothing, and it looked like I wouldn't get one. I originally sat toward the front, but when we left, everyone started piling into the bus and my seat was already taken. I started making my way toward the back, and a guy waved me in next to him in the back row. I got lucky because at least five people had to stand the whole time.

The road was in a deplorable condition the entire way, making it impossible to sleep. I got jostled around so much, it felt like my bones had been liquidated. Every part of my body ached. At one point, we went over a large bump (even for this road) and I was thrown over a foot in the air only to be stopped when my head crashed against the ceiling. I wasn't sure how long I could hold out without going crazy.

I started to read my book, The Old Patagonian Express, by Paul Theroux. One day back in 1978, Paul left his house near Boston on a commuter train and continued riding on trains all the way to Esquel, Argentina. (You may remember I visited Esquel back in January.) He frequently mentions the books he's reading, which I thought would be good for me to do, especially in this case. Several of the trains he took were in such horrible condition I'm not sure how he managed to survive. Paul's adventure comforted me somewhat as I was being thrown to and fro.

Toward the end of the trip, we had to cross several rivers. This being Bolivia, however, none of the rivers had bridges, so we had to wait for a ferry each time. At one point, I started talking to a guy who said his kids both were going to college in the US to become lawyers. I asked if they were planning to stay there forever, and he said that they would probably just work for a few years in the States and move back to Bolivia. I nodded in approval, stating how expensive the US was compared to Bolivia. He said "That's not the reason. In Bolivia people work to live. In the US people live to work." The man succinctly summed up the biggest difference between our cultures, for better or worse.

About ten miles before Trinidad, the road became paved. For the first time all day, I wasn't in a continuous earthquake. The trip took twelve hours, which I was told was quite fast. At the bus station, I met an English couple who were on their way out of town. I asked if they could recommend anywhere to stay, but they told me they splurged on a hotel room because their bus ride from Rurrenabaque was so horrible. It took them three whole days last week to do the exact same route I had just done. Suddenly, I realized that all of the agony I went through could have been a lot worse.

Pampa Tour Day 3

June 15, 2006
Day 260

It was another slow start today as everyone took until after 9:00 to get ready. The only thing on the agenda before going home was swimming with the dolphins. After breakfast, we went up the river for awhile and all jumped in. We didn't see any dolphins, but at least no alligators ate us either.

We went back to camp, had lunch, then got ready to leave. While I was waiting for everyone else to shower (with the same water they were just swimming in), I had another fish. We all piled into the boat again and went back downstream toward where we started the tour. On the way, we saw a group of dolphins and were asked if anyone wanted to swim. Everyone else had just taken a shower, so I was the only one to go (once again, shower water=river water). This time the dolphins were closer, but they didn't approach and play with me like you see in the movies. Of course, movie dolphins are of the cute, sea-faring variety, while these were an ugly freshwater species, so that might have made the difference.

When we exited the river, we got back in the Land Cruiser and were driven down the bumpy road back to Rurrenabaque. The trip was great for wildlife viewing, but it was too bad everything moved so slowly. The activities we did (go down a river, look at animals at night, look for anacondas, fish, swim with dolphins) could have easily been done in two days if it weren't for all the dilly-dallying. Most of the other tourists don't mind that the tour is three days because they fly to and from La Paz specifically to do this tour, so it's their only chance to see the jungle. Never mind the fact that most of their jungle viewing is done from a hammock or a muddy river water shower.

When I got back to Rurrenabaque, I got a bus ticket to go to Trinidad tomorrow. The only problem was that the bus was leaving from Guayara, and I was told that it could get to Rurrenabaque anywhere from 3-7 AM, depending on road conditions. I moved into a hotel right next to the bus station and told them to wake me up when the bus got there. Of course, I couldn't just go to bed early on my last night in town, so I hung out at the famous Mosquito Bar with my comrades from my tour most of the night.

Pampa Tour Day 2

June 14, 2006
Day 259

A muddy guide.

We got up today at 7:30 and had breakfast, which consisted of an assortment of fruits that were beautifully prepared for us. We then proceeded to wait for everyone in the group to get ready for the day. They all had to take showers for some reason, despite the fact that we would be walking through the swamp all day. I didn't have the heart to show them the pipe that pumped the water directly from the muddy river to the holding tank above the bathroom area. We didn't get going until 9:30, which was in stark contrast to the canoe trip, where we were usually on the water by 5:30.

The main activity of the day was to look for anacondas. We took the boat further up the river to an area where cows were grazing. Then we started walking until we got to a wetter area. Everyone was given rubber boots, and at first they somehow thought they were immune to getting wet. We kept crossing deeper and deeper streams, though, and the water got dangerously closer and closer to the tops of peoples' boots.

When we got to the main stream to look for anacondas, several of us started walking through the water, which was almost waste-high, while everyone else walked along the shore. We were told that if we found an anaconda, it would feel like stepping on someone's arm. That was a pleasant thought. As we kept walking, the shore line became smaller and smaller. Eventually, our guides led us to an area where everyone had to walk through the deep water. One by one, people screamed and jeered as their boots filled with water. We didn't find any anacondas, but seeing everyone who had just showered with the river water get muddy made it worthwhile.

When we got back to camp, I wanted to eat the meal that had already been cooked for us, but everyone else had to take another shower first. It was frustrating how different our priorities were. I didn't care if I smelled bad, which probably pissed off the others as much as them not caring if we ate pissed me off.

Later in the day, our group went fishing. We started out using raw beef as bait, and I got a few piranhas, catfish, and dogfish. I switched to using a small fish for bait and caught some bigger catfish. All of the others caught several piranha, too. The fishing outing was a great success, as would be expected considering that they bite constantly here. Tonight's dinner was complimented with a large plate of fried fish, another delicious feast.