Lots to fill u all in on, just realised how long it has been since I have written anything on the blog.
Just arrived in Santa Cruz (a big city in eastern Bolivia) where I have a few hours before my bus back towards La Paz. Feels like I could be in a different country to the La Paz i am used. Hot, modern and cosmopolitan with not much sign of any traditional Bolivia. That is what is so incredible about this country- a few hours down the road and you are somewehere completey different. So diverse, this place really does have everything!
Spent the last few days in what is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been (see photos!). Park national Amboro is one of the most bio-diverse places in the world and thankfully still almost completely untouched and waiting to be discovered. I stayed in the only place there is to stay in the park, in lovely colonial style accomodation reached on a very bumpy road . Spent 2 days going on beautiful walks through the tropical forest and climbling the huge sandstone rocks that surround the acomodation, from where the views over the canopy was incredible. Just wish I could ahve stayed longer! Absolute mission to get to but well worth it.
The trip I did to the jungle (Park Madidi) in the north of Bolivia was wonderful but nothing compared to the last few days. Unfortunately I was in a group with 5 Israelis. Nothing against Israelis but they do tend to have a bit of a bad reputation as travellers. After doing their service they tend to go travelling in big groups and take over certain places. Apart from that had lots of fun. Guide was excellent showing us loads of amazing stuff in the jungle. Saw tarantullas, bush pigs, beautiful parrotts fireflys and lots more!
Flying to the jungle was all part of the experience. Incredible to take off from La Paz airport (the only airport in the world where planes have to ascend to land!) where we initially skimmed over mountains before suddenly dropping down over an expanse of green jungle.
Between leaving La Paz and arriving here I also visited Potosi and Sucre. Potosi is the highest city in the world and famous for its co-operative mines in which the conditions are still the same as they would have been hundreds of years ago in most countries. The mines are hot, incredibly dusty and
extremely difficult to scramble around without any proper safety equipment or precoutions. Couldnt believe that about 15 000 of Potosi´s male population still works like this everyday when I was happy to get out after only a few hours.
Sucre is the other capital of Bolivia and known as the white city because of all its beautiful, white, colonial buildings. Not a huge amount to do but a wonderful place to relax. I found a lovely little cafe up on a hill and spent most of my time in thier garden enjoying the sun, cocktails, and watching the sunset over Sucre. The food market here was also incredible, with stalls selling everything you could possibly want. Also amazing juice stands and huge dining rooms, serving up big plates of traditional Bolivian food at minimal cost.
And finally I don´t think I have told u all about my last week in La Paz with the kiddies. Had lots of fun learning the names of the animals in preparation for the trip to the zoo! Made lion maks, snakes and lots of mess with paints and crepe paper. Unfortunately on the day of the trip it was freezing and not all the kids turned up but we still had lots of fun and I was touched to receive a hand made card and bracelet from them when I had to say goodbye. Have had a wonderful time working with the charity but find it difficult leaving and knowing that there is no one to take over after I leave. Hopefully as this project gets more developed there will be a more steady stream of volunteers but at the moment it was hard to leave when still so much more that could be done.
