Talofa Polivia!!!

Hello Bolivia!

Bolivia welcomes us with open arms. The days in Cobija in the Rainbow Park fly by. Yes, we feel comfortable here, it's nice to understand when people talk to you again. *Lucky kids on tour* The bus ride to Rurrenabaque is wild! The conditions of Bolivian roads are terrible. It's all gravel roads that run through jungle landscapes. At one moment we hold onto each other, it feels like the bus is about to tip over, severe, phew but it keeps going, thank you, we survived! We stop again and in a break, the battered bus also gets a little service. In pouring rain, a young man in shorts and flip-flops swings into the mud under the bus, a picture for the gods, this mechanic covered in dirt.
We continue and after a 24-hour wild bus ride, we arrive in Rurrenabaque. After a 3 km walk, loaded with all our belongings, in the dark, we find a great accommodation. One person costs 60 Bolivianos and 2 people 60 Bolivianos (about 8.50€). Yes, a few days in a luxury hotel, why not! We enjoy the soft beds, the hammocks, and fully indulge in the luxury of a kitchen. Excursions to the observation tower, bathing under mini waterfalls, and an extensive river hike adorn our days.

Here in 'Rurre' is the Madidi National Park, one of the parks with the highest biodiversity in the world.
On our trip to the river, in search of mega high waterfalls that we unfortunately never reached, we end up on the schoolyard, where we set up our camp for the night. At first, we get to enjoy watching a soccer game of the village boys. After this spectacle, we meet Rene, a young man who grew up here in the jungle.
'It's nice to live in the jungle, you never know what's coming next, and every step is a new adventure'! That's how he describes life here.
We learn that the third most poisonous snake in the world lives here, but hey, it's black and yellow and at least three meters tall, you can hardly overlook it. It also makes sounds like a rattlesnake when you get too close. Sloths only come down from the tree once a week to wash themselves, and they think very carefully about that moment. But you rarely see them because they look like tree trunks. Snake meat tastes like fish and looks like it, wild boars live here together in groups of 100. If you want to adopt a baby monkey, you have to kill the whole monkey gang beforehand, just like with pumas :-( and it's quite popular here to own animals.
There are various species of monkeys, anteaters, and other bear-like mammals that we don't know. The variety of plants is enormous too. There are giant trees, lianas, a variety of colorful flowers, and a very special plant. It's called 'Mimosa' (look at me but don't touch me). When you touch it, it closes its leaves, leaf by leaf, beautiful. You can particularly well observe and feel how alive the plants are. Through Rene's stories, we were able to learn a lot about the surroundings. After these interesting conversations, we slip into our mini tent and after it pours all night, we wander into the middle of the covered schoolyard. When we open our eyes, a whole group of children is waiting for their teachers all around us. It's quite normal here for everyone to gather in the courtyard in the morning, discuss some things, and then sing the national anthem. It's strange to see the children trilling this national anthem in a row.
We spend the morning at the schoolyard, sweetening our time with acro yoga and massages. We do massage circles with the kids and play some games, then it's back to the town.

Unfortunately, we fail in our attempt to find a volunteer opportunity spontaneously. We really made an effort and drove to a somewhat remote place in the middle of the jungle. Here, there is the opportunity to work for a month and take care of three pumas - sounds super exciting but unfortunately costs 450€.... Well, not then!
Another night at the hotel, then we continue towards Coroico.
A truck takes us to 'Iniqua' where we spend a night in a tent, get invited to beer by a nice landlord, and spend a day 'connecting' on a nice terrace. After one of the wildest car rides I have ever experienced, we arrive in Caranavi. From here, we continue to Coroico
Coroico, beautiful Coroico. The most beautiful piece of land in beautiful Bolivia. 2600m above sea level, a view of the surrounding mountains, a wonderful home in Severo's paradise garden.