Here we are on the sketchiest plane ride ever where we could see RIGHT into the cockpit with all the crazy little gadgets and machines that went beep and made my heart miss a beat when they did. We took off in the mountain tops and flew down about two kilometres to the jungle!
We arrived in Rurrenabaque which we really liked. It was about twenty degrees warmer and a really relaxed place.
The river was beautiful and really fast moving.
After spending an easy going day in Rurre and a warm humid night in a lovely hotel we were into our canoe and off up the river Beni and Tuichi for six hours to the ecolodge Chalalan, deep in Madidi National Park. 100% of the money we spent on our jungle trip goes to the community of the village living three further more hours into the jungle. Since it's inception in 1995 Chalalan has raised enough money to build a secondary school, a hospital clinic, enough to develop electricity and water into every home in the village. Quite incredible.
We started to see the misty mountains covered with the various jungle trees that become more intricate and individual the more you stare at the broccoli shaped jungle.
Lots of clouds made lots of crazy shapes including this elephant!
After our friendly, clever and quite crazy guide Yad showed us to our cabin we found that we had a friend waiting for us!
Chalalan lodge was built right next to a huge lake.
Just after arriving at the lodge we took to the lake in the canoe and almost immediately saw a huge group of little monkeys. Yellow Squirrel monkeys, Brown Kapachu monkeys and Red Howler monkeys all in the same bunch of trees, jabbering away and trying to attack these huge prehistoric looking birds to get to their chick.
The monkeys were cheeky and it was hard to take photos of them as we were so transfixed! Here is a Brown Kapachu Monkey.
Here's a Yellow Squirrel Monkey.
Here was the start of the almost relentless attack on the 'Stinky Turkeys'.
Here is a Red Howler Monkey hanging out and looking at us inquisitively and with his manhood quite on display!
We saw so many crazy animals in the jungle. Capybaras, loads of spiders (Tarantulas, Wold Spider, Water Spiders), various beautiful birds and their crazy calls (the Screaming Piah), caterpillars and millipedes, monkeys, Black and Speckled Caimans, Army, Giant and Bull Ants, White Throated Toucan, Tree Boa, Tree Frogs, and poisonous frogs.
We went on a five hour trek through the jungle and that night we also walked through it with our torches. We were very brave.
Here is a track of a Taipir.
Here is a track of an Ocelot.
The trees in the jungle were utterly unbelievable. We saw so many different types, they were so alive! It was almost like they could talk to us.
These trees are so magical they are called Wandering Palms. They literally break their root into the ground and start to wander on their many legs across the jungle floor. They are like the Ents!
There are so many different types of fungus!
Disco Fungus!!
We climbed a wooden mirador the other side of the lake and we saw over the canopy of the jungle. Such an astounding view over the jungle as I'd ever seen with my own eyes before, incredible!
Then we canoed around the lake at sun down which was full of reflection shots! Nature was working it.
During the night we went on the canoe again looking for the red eyes of the caimans of which we saw many babies and a big mother of one hanging in the water in the middle of the lake. She made us all giggle.
Then all too soon it was time to get on the cardboard tube of an aeroplane and fly back up into the mountain tops again.
