Friday 22nd - Tuesday 26th June - Pampas Tour Our flights had been changed from an early morning flight to lunchtime, which meant our tour had to be re-arranged for the following day. The four took a taxi to the airport at 11am and as we pulled in to the airport the President of Bolivia was leaving in his black Mercedes followed by lots of Police!! We checked our luggage in and made our way through to departures to find gate 11 where our Amazonas flight was to take us to Rurrenbaque. Our plane seated sixteen passengers with 1 seat either side of the isle. It was only a short flight but the views of firstly La Paz then the Amazon rain forest were amazing. Out of no where in between the tall canopies of the rainforest trees a small grass landing strip appeared and we duly landed on it. The airport buildings consisted of a terminal no bigger than an average house where our luggage was loaded in front of us and taken to the mini bus which would take us into the town itself. We holed up for the night in the Toucan backpackers and had an amazing diced steak starter at the Butterfly restaurant. We had come from the altitude of La Paz where it was cold into the tropical rainforest. A hot night sleeps ahead. The following day our bags were loaded onto a 4x4 first thing in the morning we all squeezed in and we were off!! It wasn't until Heimie our guide told us that we knew of our 3 ½ hour bumpy dirt track ride that we knew anything of what we were to be doing. We stopped at a local restaurant en-route to have lunch, which might have well just been a plate of salt!! A quick transport change found us in a long wooden canoe sat one behind the other with Mario & Jo and four others. The adventure really begins!! With in moments of leaving the riverbank we were startled by a Pink River dolphin breaking the surface and from the point on the wildlife just kept coming. In the 2 hour boat journey we saw Alligators, Capybaras, Spider monkeys, turtles, herons, paradise birds, howler monkeys, and more river dolphins!! We did stop at one point and were offered a swim with the Dolphins but as there were several Alligators staring right at us we all gave it a miss!! 'Indigena Tours' the sign said on the tree, which fronted our riverside lodge as we pulled up along side and helped unload the luggage from the boat. We were shown to our room, which the 8 of us were to share for the two nights. A simple bed and mosquito net over the top, it was no hotel but it was a bed!! The showers / toilets were along a gang way at the rear of the camp with the kitchen, dining room and Hammocks all round the front. Our first activity was watching the sun go down at a locals house who sold beer and chocolate!! That evening we covered ourselves in Bug spray and went back out on the boat to scour the river for Alligators at night!! Armed with our torches we silently watched the riverbanks for the two glowing orange eyes of the alligators??..we saw loads including three or four babies. After an hour we were back in having a hot drink before our first night under our mosquito nets. For those who haven't slept in a net before it is a strange experience to begin as you make sure no biting things can get in by tucking you net under the outside of your mattress, then it feels like your inside your own coffin. With the lights out, the nightlife appears to come to life with all sorts of weird and wonderful noises can be heard!! The next day we went Anaconda hunting in the wet lands but after a few hours we had found nothing and with the temperatures soaring we headed back to camp for lunch. The afternoon's activity was Piranha fishing which was really good fun. Heime took us up stream to his favorite fishing spot and moored the canoe. He gave us all a line and some bait and we fished over the side of the boat. With lots of nibbling but no firm bites we were all getting frustrated but Then success I caught a small cat fish then a yellow finned piranha!! After a change of spot Matt, Mario & I all caught big feisty looking red Piranhas!! Heime skewered them all and we took the m back to camp for dinner!! An amazing buffet awaited us and it was long before our Piranha catch was served up for our dinner!! Once we had nipped up the river for a beer and lost the light it was bedtime again!! If the weather holds we will be up at 5 am for the sunrise. The weather had worsened over night so unfortunately or fortunately we all got a lie in. After breakfast we were due to swim with the Dolphins!! Hannah had been talking herself into this firm the start of the tour but the rest of us were unsure!! The water brown and murky with a visibility of a couple of inches the Hannah was the only one brave enough to venture in!! I attempted but got spooked by something ( I think it was an Alligator!! ) touching my foot. Han did really well and conquered her fear and went in twice!! Although you could not see the dolphins up close Han can say she did it! Well done her I say!!! After showering and lunch our tour over we raced against time to get back to Rurembaque to catch our flight! One which turned out to be futile as due to the bad weather and water logged runway our flight had been delayed. Another night to stay before our flight finally left the following afternoon. We arrived back in La Paz and had a few hours to spare before heading off to catch our night bus to Uyuni. We boarded at 8pm and had dinner straight away. With the seats reclined and dark we tried to get some sleep.