Move to Rurrenabaque.
It seems that Bolivia has the cheapest Amazon tours in South America, so I decided to go on a 5-day Amazon tour here.
5-day tour (3 days + 2 days): Approximately 180,000 yen (about 3,600 yen per day)
Round-trip airfare: Approximately 200,000 yen
Alternative Amazon tours:
- Iquitos, Peru: Tour 4,000 yen per day, round-trip airfare from Lima: 250,000 yen. It feels almost the same, but there are more options, so you can potentially find cheaper lodges or stay in more luxurious ones. I was initially considering this, but it seems overwhelming, making it difficult to choose.
- Manaus, Brazil: The tour is 10,000 yen per day, which is expensive, and you need a Brazilian visa. Airfare from Peru is also expensive, so it's out of the question. It might have been an option if I flew round trip from Sao Paulo.
- Amazon tour in the northeast of Ecuador: Take an overnight bus from Quito for a 2-day/1-night tour for around 200,000 yen. This was also an option, but there are rumors that you see fewer animals, so it's questionable.
With tours from Bolivia, there are fewer price options, and I think that's why the satisfaction level might be higher.
Since it's one of the poorest countries, even a small price difference might lead to high satisfaction. I think that if I were to look for the same quality in Iquitos, Peru, it would probably cost more.
Therefore, I decided to go on an Amazon tour in Bolivia.
This will be the last Amazon tour I take in South America. That's how I feel about it.
I'm leaving for 5 days and will return to La Paz in 10 days.
If I were to go by bus from La Paz, it would take 18 hours, and it's a road where about 200 people die in bus accidents every year, so I'll fly round trip.
Still, I was really scared by the incredibly small plane.
5-day tour (3 days + 2 days): Approximately 180,000 yen (about 3,600 yen per day)
Round-trip airfare: Approximately 200,000 yen
Alternative Amazon tours:
- Iquitos, Peru: Tour 4,000 yen per day, round-trip airfare from Lima: 250,000 yen. It feels almost the same, but there are more options, so you can potentially find cheaper lodges or stay in more luxurious ones. I was initially considering this, but it seems overwhelming, making it difficult to choose.
- Manaus, Brazil: The tour is 10,000 yen per day, which is expensive, and you need a Brazilian visa. Airfare from Peru is also expensive, so it's out of the question. It might have been an option if I flew round trip from Sao Paulo.
- Amazon tour in the northeast of Ecuador: Take an overnight bus from Quito for a 2-day/1-night tour for around 200,000 yen. This was also an option, but there are rumors that you see fewer animals, so it's questionable.
With tours from Bolivia, there are fewer price options, and I think that's why the satisfaction level might be higher.
Since it's one of the poorest countries, even a small price difference might lead to high satisfaction. I think that if I were to look for the same quality in Iquitos, Peru, it would probably cost more.
Therefore, I decided to go on an Amazon tour in Bolivia.
This will be the last Amazon tour I take in South America. That's how I feel about it.
I'm leaving for 5 days and will return to La Paz in 10 days.
If I were to go by bus from La Paz, it would take 18 hours, and it's a road where about 200 people die in bus accidents every year, so I'll fly round trip.
Still, I was really scared by the incredibly small plane.
Pampas tour: Moving to the river.
Arrived in Lorena. I'm going on an Amazon tour.
The village already feels like a jungle, and I'm wondering what it will be like when I actually enter the jungle.
Arrived in Lorena. I'm going on an Amazon tour.
The village already feels like a jungle, and I'm wondering what it will be like when I actually enter the jungle.
Arrived in Lorena. I'm going on an Amazon tour.
The village already feels like a jungle, and I'm wondering what it will be like when I actually enter the jungle.
The village already feels like a jungle, and I'm wondering what it will be like when I actually enter the jungle.
Arrived in Lorena. I'm going on an Amazon tour.
The village already feels like a jungle, and I'm wondering what it will be like when I actually enter the jungle.
Arrived in Lorena. I'm going on an Amazon tour.
The village already feels like a jungle, and I'm wondering what it will be like when I actually enter the jungle.
Pampas tour: Travel by boat.
I will transfer to a boat to go to Pampas.
The boat is very small.
I will transfer to a boat to go to Pampas.
The boat is very small.
I will transfer to a boat to go to Pampas.
The boat is very small.
I will transfer to a boat to go to Pampas.
The boat is very small.
I will transfer to a boat to go to Pampas.
The boat is very small.
Pampas tour: Accommodation.
Accommodation. It's rundown, but surprisingly sturdy for being in the jungle.
Don't expect too much.
There are a lot of mosquitoes.
Don't expect too much.
There are a lot of mosquitoes.
Pampas tour: Sunset.
We move closer by boat to watch the sunset.
The scenery is beautiful, but when the sun goes down, a huge number of mosquitoes attack people like a mountain. It's quite dangerous.
The scenery is beautiful, but when the sun goes down, a huge number of mosquitoes attack people like a mountain. It's quite dangerous.
Pampas tour: Anaconda search.
I walk through the wetlands searching for an anaconda.
I was warned that there are five types of venomous snakes, and to not move if I find one. But...
I discover some other animals, but I don't find an anaconda. That's a shame.
I was warned that there are five types of venomous snakes, and to not move if I find one. But...
I discover some other animals, but I don't find an anaconda. That's a shame.
Pampas tour: Piranha fishing.
Fishing for piranhas on a boat.
The meat is scarce, it's white, and it has little umami, so the taste is not very good.
It took time to realize that it's better to pull and hook them rather than waiting for them to swallow the bait because they use their small teeth to nibble.
The meat is scarce, it's white, and it has little umami, so the taste is not very good.
It took time to realize that it's better to pull and hook them rather than waiting for them to swallow the bait because they use their small teeth to nibble.
Pampas tour: Swimming with pink dolphins.
I swim with pink dolphins.
It seems that everyone is not concerned about the piranhas and crocodiles that are in the same area.
Since the guide is watching, I don't have to worry about crocodiles, so I also swam.
It is cloudy, but surprisingly the particles are fine, not dirty brown, but pure brown.
It is perfectly fine to open your eyes. There is no visibility.
I wonder if all the rivers in the jungle are like this? Is it because it's the Amazon?
I didn't swim in the rivers of the Malaysian jungle.
It seems that everyone is not concerned about the piranhas and crocodiles that are in the same area.
Since the guide is watching, I don't have to worry about crocodiles, so I also swam.
It is cloudy, but surprisingly the particles are fine, not dirty brown, but pure brown.
It is perfectly fine to open your eyes. There is no visibility.
I wonder if all the rivers in the jungle are like this? Is it because it's the Amazon?
I didn't swim in the rivers of the Malaysian jungle.
Pampas tour: Returning.
We will return to the village of Rurenabake by boat and car.
However, on the way back to the village, I got another flat tire.
It's too frequent to get a flat tire both ways on a 3-hour trip. The tires are being used too much. They are quite worn.
I thought it was because it was a passenger car, but even a 4WD Jeep from the same tour company got a flat tire on the way back. Hmm.
Today, I'm returning to the village. This is the end of the 3-day Pampas tour in the nature reserve.
Tomorrow and the day after, I will be going to the real jungle.
Until today, we stayed in buildings, but tomorrow night we will be camping in the jungle. Let's see what happens.
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Jungle tour: boat.
It should be the dry season now, but the weather is like this.
I'm feeling down because of the weather, which is making me worried about the two-day jungle tour I'm starting today. I wish I hadn't signed up for it...
Originally, I only planned to stay at the nature reserve for three days, but the travel agent's auntie convinced me to add this as well, and I thought, "Well, it's probably fine," but now this is happening.
I really need to plan things out myself. When I make my own schedule, I'm usually lucky with the weather, but when I leave it to others or don't pay enough attention, things get terrible.
I have a feeling this will be a once-in-a-lifetime real jungle survival experience.
Just a few days ago, I developed a rash or pimples on my back during my stay at the nature reserve, and I just bought a soap with antibacterial properties and scrubbed it, but now I'm going to get sweaty again and it's going to be terrible.
And according to the schedule, I'm supposed to walk for 4-5 hours, in this rainy, muddy jungle? Well, I guess I'll go anyway...
It should be the dry season now, but the weather is like this.
I'm feeling down because of the weather, which is making me worried about the two-day jungle tour I'm starting today. I wish I hadn't signed up for it...
Originally, I only planned to stay at the nature reserve for three days, but the travel agent's auntie convinced me to add this as well, and I thought, "Well, it's probably fine," but now this is happening.
I really need to plan things out myself. When I make my own schedule, I'm usually lucky with the weather, but when I leave it to others or don't pay enough attention, things get terrible.
I have a feeling this will be a once-in-a-lifetime real jungle survival experience.
Just a few days ago, I developed a rash or pimples on my back during my stay at the nature reserve, and I just bought a soap with antibacterial properties and scrubbed it, but now I'm going to get sweaty again and it's going to be terrible.
And according to the schedule, I'm supposed to walk for 4-5 hours, in this rainy, muddy jungle? Well, I guess I'll go anyway...
Jungle tour: Lodge.
I heard it was a tent, but there was a house.
It seems that if it's 2 nights and 3 days or more, it's a tent, but I'm only staying for 1 night and 2 days, and the number of people is small, so it seems we're staying in a lodge.
The schedule seems to be flexible.
However, there was no shower, so the river served as a substitute.
It seems that if it's 2 nights and 3 days or more, it's a tent, but I'm only staying for 1 night and 2 days, and the number of people is small, so it seems we're staying in a lodge.
The schedule seems to be flexible.
However, there was no shower, so the river served as a substitute.
Jungle tour: walking.
On the boat, it was cold because we were getting wet in the rain, but inside the jungle, the leaves were stopping the rain, so the rain wasn't reaching the ground, and it was surprisingly normal. The muddy areas were what you'd expect in a jungle. In fact, maybe it was because it was cloudy, but it wasn't too humid, which was nice. I was feeling down about going, but I was able to spend a pretty normal time there.
Other tours seem to offer overnight stays in the jungle, but in my case, I was guided around a jungle that was like the backyard of a local's house for about 2-3 hours. That was enough for me.
The atmosphere was like the game "Metal Gear 3."
If guerrillas were hiding in the bushes, it would be very difficult to find them.
During a night walk, a dangerous venomous snake was discovered.
BGM: Copyright(C) Music Palette
I will return to La Paz by airplane.
I am heading to the airport.
From the rainforest to the highlands of La Paz.
If I had come by bus, I would have had to return along a muddy road, including nighttime, for a dangerous 18 hours. It would be bad, especially if it rains.
Moreover, if I had come by motorcycle, I might not have been able to return. I'm glad I took a plane.
From the rainforest to the highlands of La Paz.
If I had come by bus, I would have had to return along a muddy road, including nighttime, for a dangerous 18 hours. It would be bad, especially if it rains.
Moreover, if I had come by motorcycle, I might not have been able to return. I'm glad I took a plane.
