Rurrenabaque
to La Paz.

This was an Amazon explore week.

We did a tour and then jumped on the bikes and rode the long dirt road back up to La Paz. Not a bad time at all.

Goneriden

This week’s route

Rurrenabaque - Pampas Tour - Coroico - La Paz

1Rurrenabaque
2Coroico
3La Paz

Week 29 routeBoliviaRegional context

Road sections use current OpenStreetMap roads · ferry and flight legs are direct guides

Memorable moment

Memorable moment.

For those who don't know Steve Irwin - The Crocodile Hunter, let's just say he is a mate of the Goneriden crew.

While many normal people go to the pub or maybe to catch a movie on a Saturday night, not us. After finishing dinner, we jumped into an overgrown wooden canoe and went out to catch some alligators.

After spying numerous eyes which glowed red in the torchlight, we approached a target. The cook from the tour then dangled a stick and rope over the head of the target, got him. Into the boat he came. After some photos, back to the water he went.

Not happy with the size of this one, we pressed on. Some thrashing about by the next specimen, along with its size, meant that taking this one to the bank was a much better option. Standing on the bank in the long grass, we examined him closely, but where were all his mates? Enough for tonight, back to camp we went.

After waking Sunday morning, we decided that some anaconda catching would be a good follow-up from the night before. We took the boat downstream, got out, and walked through the long grass as the water started to get deeper around our legs. We made it to a swamp/lake and followed the guide around the edge as the water at times came to our waists. The alligators peered at us from less than 5m away - were they friends with the anacondas?

After over an hour, and becoming a little complacent, we were brought to our toes as we pulled a 3m anaconda from the reeds. Trudging back through the swamp for 15 minutes with a snake this size and weight hanging around your neck is something else. Let's just be thankful he didn't squeeze.

Original Week 29 account

Pictures of the week

Three moments from the road

Quote of the week

Martin: "Is this stick for helping to catch an anaconda when we find one?"
Guide: "No, for scaring the alligators back into the swamp."

This was said as the guide passed Martin a stick he had just cut, as we waded through knee-deep water on the swamp's edge.

Competition

Racing each other up the world's most dangerous road.

It was a draw: 5 hours to get down on a mountain bike, 1 hr 10 mins to get to the top on a KTM.

Highlight

After jumping in the river to swim with the pink dolphins, we were carried rapidly downstream and around the bend.

As we looked at the alligator slide marks on the bank, thought about the piranhas we had caught, remembered the anacondas and cobras, we thought more about the boat.

It was a highlight to see it come around the bend to pick us up.

Risk activity

Removing the hook from a Piranha's mouth, they may be small but they are very quick, with razor-sharp teeth. As one of our tour members found out when a Piranha took a bite from her finger.Risk factor9/10

Lowlight

Sitting in the back of an old Landcruiser for 3.5 hours on a hell road to get back to town after our tour.

It would have been less than an hour on our bikes, but we wouldn't have got to entertain everyone with our rendition of Waltzing Matilda.