Bolivia - Part 1

In Quijàro, There is only one hostel. It`s a small border town, very small. Still, when giving the taxi-driver the full address & name of the place, he had to stop 3 times and ask where it is.
The hostel was 6 blocks from the center (as written in the brochure), but you couldn`t really count them in the mess of the streets called Quijàro. It also had the best view towards Corumbà, Brazil and the Pantanal.
We (3 annoying Israeli girls, 1 Argentinian, a nice English couple & I) got to the hostel late at night, and I hurried up to catch some dinner before going to bed. The girls were kind enough not to wait for me. I found my self walking alone in a very happy town, all awake. Turns out, it was mothers day, and all the families were celebrating. Music filled the streets, and all the ''restaurants'' were still open. I found a nice full place, with a ''Almuerso'' (lunch and also ''meal of the day'') for only 10 Bolivianos (1.5$ US, 5$ ISR). I was cow ''Shnitzel'' and rice. it wasn`t so tasty, so I thought - ''it`s so cheap, I could just cross the street and eat a different meal.'' That one was great! (The girls were scared of the food in the market, and so had just fries)
The next day, I went with my English friends to purchase a train ticket to Santa Cruz.
The train ride was fast and efficient. It was said we had meals during the ride (dinner & breakfast), good thing I brought some cookies with me.
In Santa Cruz, our ways parted. There wasn`t enough space in the same hostel. Thanks to that, I found the wonderful option (in Bolivia only, so far), of Alojamientos (refuge). Turns out, you can pay about 40-60$BOL for a dorm room in a hostel, OR... pay half the prise, for your own room in one Alojamiento. Sounds weird? Welcome to Bolivia.
Santa Cruz is a beautiful city, filled with markets, and it`s certainly the right gateway to Bolivia. It`s easygoing ways, almost dead streets (on Sunday), but a very full night life.
Just 2 days in Santa Cruz, and I was off to Samaipata. Two and a half hours in a special taxi from Santa Cruz, and suddenly your in heaven. I know I said it already 10 times, just in this Blog, and several more time on the phone, about other places in Patagonia, or the Iguazu Falls, but this quiet town has it all. It`s just an hour drive from a cloud forest, is surrounded by breathtaking mountains (hills in the perspective of Bolivia), and has a nice archaeological site named ''El Fuerte''. I shared a room with 2 female travelers (Lebsie from Peurto Rico & Karen from Switzerland) I met in Santa Cruz, I a nice (but a bit expensive) hostel called ''Posada del Sol''.
Posada del Sol is owned and ran by a couple (she`s Bolivian, he`s from Texas) and their lovely 15 year old daughter. They surve the best breakfast in South America - no doubt about it.
After my good horse experience in the Pantanal, I went to check out a place willing to rent me a horse with out a guide (only in Bolivia). It was in an animal refuge, I got the horse and had the best time. The horse was smart, and tested if I`m was awake every few meters, but I managed. Back in the refuge, I met an Irish volunteer, and asked her about the place. The animal refuge takes animals from all over... Hurt, abused and former home animals find a shelter there. And the best thing is, the volunteering is really volunteering! no need to pay absurd amount of money to a bureaucratic organisation like most of the places around South America. I also met 2 friendly monkeys, one named Chita, and one named Shakshuka (An Israeli volunteer gave her the name), that was a special day for Shakshuka, the first without her leash!
Posada del Sol also have a huge collection of DVD`s, and we (Lebsie, Karen & I) sat to relax in front of the movie ''Man on Wire''.
The next day I tried to find amigos to go with to ''El Fuerte'', long story short - I went alone.
Samaipata is a great place and you could find yourself spending weeks relaxing and traveling around it. I didn`t have the time.
The night bus from Samaipata to Sucre is hell. A bumpy road, for the whole 12 hours.
Sucre on the other hand (AKA the white city), is warm and welcoming. The local people all look like they`re on their way to a party of some sort. The women all wear traditional skirts, blankets and hats. The men wear all kinds of hats. But the most recognizable one is the black one, worn both by women and men alike.
After buying my self a black traditional hat, I was on my way to Potosì.
Have you every seen Gaza from a far? from up close? combine that with a dry 4000 meter mountain, and you`ve got the exact picture of Potosì. Above the town/refuge camp, stands Cerro Rico (the rich hill), AKA the mountain who eats men alive. Nevertheless, it is the main income of the citizens of Potosì. Once, it had loads and loads of silver. But expeditions both from Spain, and from the USA, came and took it all away, leaving the mountain and the people of Potosì with nothing but worthless metals, and tourists that come to blow up dynamite and see how miserable the miners are. I had enough just watching the movie ''The Devil`s Miner'' in my hostel, and decided to skip the tour to the mines.
Next stop - Uyuni.



Tips for Bolivia #1:
1. Samaipata - Plan for it, and stay there as much as you want. While you`re there, try the great breakfast of Posada del Sol.
2. Volunteering - The animal refuge in Samaipata is a great place to do that. You get accommodation, and 2 meals a day. No need to pay or plan a head, they usually lack workers.
3. Potosì - Don`t know yet if you want to go for the mine tour? put you self in a room with no air, loads of dust, and watch the movie ''The Devil`s Miner'' - decide for yourself.

Pantanal - The Brazilian Wetlands

Foz du Iguacu bus terminal, Brazil.
After a long day in the falls and birds park, I rush to see if my ticket (which I already bought back on the Argentinian side - and turned out to be cheaper?!?) is really good and worth something. As I`m talking (half Spanish, half English) to a only Portuguese speaking ticket salesman, I`m bothered by a fat, Semi-Hebrew speaking local, rubbish-talking something about ''what about a trip in the Pantanal''. I try to wave him off (cause I`m trying to understand the Portuguese spoken to me on the other side, but he won`t budge...
Knowing the only option to get rid of this guy is to start listening, I do. Turns out he is the guy Oren.Lilya told me about (Ecological Expedition is the name of the company), and I should book with him, so I do.
After a too long ride (all in Portuguese - an awful language if you don`t understand it) to Campo Grande, I`m picked up to a hostel (owned by Ecological Expedition), where I found out that Oren.Lilya just left 15 minutes ago to the airport (and headed to Salvador Bahia), But the good news is - they left me a jar of NUTELLA! Thank you! you made my first breakfast in Campo Grande a heavenly one!
30 minutes pass (me eating breakfast), and my long lost bearded friends Dror & Alek step down from their room. A very nice surprise. They left the same day, and I decided to rest one day (on the companies expense), in the very comfortable hostel.

The deal was 4 days, 3 nights in the Pantanal.
The first day was waisted on the ride to the campground. 5 hours in total, 3 in a van, 2 on a jeep. The cross Pantanal road is strait. Very strait. After a while, we (A squealing Irishman, 2 British girls, 3 Ausi`s, a Dutchman and I) did not know if there`s going to be an end to the drive. But we got there.
In the campsite we met the guides and the family that is about to cook for us the same dinner, breakfast and lunch (dinner and lunch being the same), for the rest of the trip. We were also introduced to our hammock hut. 10 Hammocks in a large hut semi proof to mosquitoes (which means - not at all).
During our awaiting for our first dinner, arrived yesterday's group. Dror & Alek shouting my name out loud...
Dinner was good (although the others didn`t think so), 3 days ago chicken, rise and salad.
Every day (split into two), we would go out to a different expedition (a walk, truck ride, horse ride, boat ride, Piranha fishing & night safari). Every activity showed different views of the beautiful Pantanal.
Every night I was grateful for the mosquito-net I brought with me from Israel, and carried from 3 months all around Chile and Argentina. But it didn`t help during the day, I was eaten alive.
The first day was only walking safari, but it was a great first experience in the jungle. The guide (Max), knew his job very well, and could spot any animal from a mile away, just by hearing its feathers, sounds, running on the treetops.
Sadly, in my opinion (and the animals` as well), we were too many people. 10 altogether (the two girls (slept in a hostel near by - the more expensive option) switched with two boys from Manchester). We still managed to encounter lots of animals, but from a far. Max said they are all drying off from yesterday`s rain (on the high tree tops). We closed the day in a night safari (a ride on the truck, back to camp, while Max was searching for animal eyes with a very strong projector). We only saw a fast fox, who was running in the lights anyways. The cool thing was to watch the eyes of the Caymans turn red from the light.
The second day we took a truck ride (a big ass jeep) on the main road (yes the same one we came from, but further north), which gave us the opportunity to see far away areas we have not yet seen. Rivers filled with Caymans (a small kind of Crocodile). Apparently, there are about 4 million of them around the Pantanal, and they are a great dish for every kind of animal you can think of (from the big Jaguar, to the big Stork). Even Otters eat juvenile Caymans. Sure makes you fear them a lot less. During the ride, with passed (twice), local cowboys, moving a herd of 500 cows through the Pantanal.
The evening tour was in a boat. At first the engine wouldn`t start (which helped the others bitch some more), after that, we went on the most successful safari yet! Maybe all the animals live by the waters? Kingfishers, Capibara`s (the largest rodent on earth) and much more exotic animals flew all around.
And lets not forget the unsuccessful Piranha fishing (I heard, and saw pics, of some groups that caught 8 Piranhas!), we caught nothing. Made me think about not trying to fish ever again.
The Last day (Dror & Alek already left, so it wasn't as happy), we went for a horse ride. I enjoyed every moment! Max hurt his leg on the first 100 yards, so we were just with a young guide, who let us do whatever we liked with the horses. I wanted to run, my horse loved me for it. I Cantered and Galloped my way through the really wet lands... Didn`t see too much animals, but it was still really fun.
The other half of the last day was dedicated to getting out of the Pantanal. I ended up waiting with the most annoying 3 Israelis (yet), an hour, for the bus to Corumbà, and from there (still with the girls, but with a very nice English couple as well) to Quijàro, BOLIVIA!



Tips for the Pantanal:
1. Ecological Expedition - In Foz du Iguacu, they would find you. Max is a great guide. great English, and very professional.
2. Ecological Expedition - There are different arrangements for every deal. Make the people in the office (back in Foz du Iguacu or in Campo Grande) write everything that you agreed on on the voucher you receive. The guides on the campground don`t have a clue of what you arranged with the office. (I almost lost a horse ride because of confusion)
3. The Pantanal! - If you have the time, don`t miss it. The dry season (June-September) is the good season.