I´m back!! Sorry its been a while, so much going on and they don´t have the internet in the amazon yet! But I am pleased to report that I am having the time of my life and after the initial upsets I have settled into things and can honestly say that I am the happiest I have been since my operation- I feel challenged, excited, positive, proud of myself and comfortable (and I didn´t even have to take the Iahuaysca drug with a sharman to reach this state). Travelling alone has bought a huge relief and freedom! But enough of the philosophical babble, I´m sure you want to know what I have been up to!

So, I went to find out about Rurrenabaque and booked a bus there, a pampas tour for 3 days in the amazon, and a flight back to la paz all for about 120quid. I then went on another of the free walking tours to the moon valley. The two English peeps from my bike trip were on it too. We got a bus to the moon valley on the edge of la paz where the clay has been shaped over 1000s of years into weird formations that is said to resemble the moon and Neil Armstrong apparently practiced here. We then got another cable car and walked through some other parts of the city, including the rich part. The tour was about 5 hours and we walked miles, but it was interesting! I stopped at the locals food market and had trout and rice! Then I headed back to the hostel and totally out of the blue received a message on Facebook from a nice French guy who we had met in Huacachina. He asked if I was in La Paz because he had just landed here! I said I was and so him and his mate come and stayed at my hostel and I spent the night having a few beers with him which was good fun, but quite coincidental how it all worked out!

25th (I think- days and dates have lost all meaning)

Frenchie was leaving early for Copacabana so we bid each other farewell. I enjoyed the unlimited pancakes and then got a taxi to the bus station, if you could call it that! I had heard lots of stories from people about the horrors of the bus to Rurrenabaque and most people either didn´t go, flew or else took a week to go by boat! I was too tight to fly both ways- it was about 65quid for the flight or 10pound by bus- so I decided to fly back as I knew I would then be getting another bus to Sucre. The bus station was not the main one, it was more like a street on the edge of town with a few clapped out buses parked up. The office was a hut and there was no one but locals around! I managed to source which was my bus, although even as I boarded I was not convinced! To say the bus looked like it was unroadworthy is an understatement and I found myself sat beside a nun! It was meant to leave at 12, but it was more like 1.30pm before we set off properly. Less than an hour into the journey I was furious with my reluctance to part with my money. The bus chugged at snail speed along some of the roads we had visited on the trip back from death road. I honestly thought it was broken because of the noises it was making! We stopped after about 4 hours and two fellow gringo´s got on- an aussie and dutch guy! So when we made a meal stop and toilet stop it was comforting to be with them. The journey got worse, however, as the bus trundled along dirt tracks, no wider than 10ft, on the edge of the mountains. When a car come along the other way it would have to reverse and looking out the window I could see only a sheer, steep drop!!! I prayed the wheels stayed on the track! A local sat next to the dutch guy was in tears and they had to swap seats as he couldn´t look out the window! Luckily it got dark and I managed to sleep on and off for the rest of the journey!

26th September

Rurrenabaque is the best place so far, I could live there! We arrived about 6am and I was greeted by not only the tropical heat but by a very friendly man who was full of the delights of a tour company, hostel, bakery, etc. He offered me a lift to the main town and so I hopped on his motorbike (this is how everyone travels in Rurrenabaque). He dropped me at the bakery as not much else was open yet! I have to admit this was the most amazing food- he pastries were to die for. I had the most flavoursome cheese and tomato pastry and a fresh OJ, I later found out just how legendary this bakery is! I walked around the small town that feels so safe and warm, but has such charm as you see mountains covered in trees one way and a lovely river skirts the other side. I found where I was meant to be meeting my tour and waited for them to open- I was meant to be meeting them at 8.30am for the tour. Louis, my motorbike friend, drove past several times and checked I was ok and as it got later he tried phoning my tour company and told me that he would save a space on his tour for me. Finally, my people turned up but their was just me and another English guy, who was having a really s*** time as his card had just been cloned and his account drained but he´d had to come to Rurrenabaque before getting it sorted. Anyone the tour man said that our tour would not be running because the road was closed. Me and the fellow Brit knew this was bulls*** and it was because their was just two of us!! I ran over the road and Louis got me the promised place on his tour! I had to pay again but my original company promised me a refund in La Paz and so I found myself within minutes on a jeep with a NZ couple, two NZ girls, an Aussie lad and a gay greek and his gay french partner! It was a 3 hour trip to the river where we boarded a long wooden boat and began our pampas tour!

We saw countless alligators, monkeys, Koppaboroughs (the worlds largest rodent), beautiful birds! We stopped when we found the pink dolphins and could go for a swim in the river with them! We were a bit dubious as we spied the alligators around the banks. But a few of us jumped in- I was the only girl brave enough! It was so refreshing to swim because it had been so hot and lovely to see the pink dolphins! We got the boat to our eco lodge, which was wooden huts up on stilts, for when the rainy season hits. We all shared a dorm and had nice mosquito nets to protect us at night! They prepared nice meals, loads of veg! We jumped in the boat to another spot to watch the sunset. Then got the boat back in the pitch black as we done some nightime alligator hunting- if you shine your torch right it reflects in their eyes!!! Slept well amongst the sounds of the rainforest!

27th

A nice breakfast then back in the boat for anaconda hunting! We stuck on our wellies and got the boat a short distance before trekking through some marshlands in hunt of anacondas. The girls in the group and another group of older people with us gave up, but me and the guys walked for about 3 hours through the jungle, wading through rivers and searching trees and marshes! I must admit that I loved it and this sort of setting is my favourite! No luck with the anacondas, so we headed back for lunch then after a huge, tropical thunder storm we went out on the boat for pirhana fishing. So much fun! And between us we caught 2 black salmon and about 6 pirhanas, plus a few little fish which we cut up for bait! I can proudly say I was one of half the people in our group to catch a pirhana and I can understand the joys of fishing! We took them back and they cooked them for our tea, while we went to watch the sunset again- a truly breathtaking view this evening and I was gutted I hadnt my camera for either the fishing or the sunset!

We enjoyed our catches and then chilled on the hammocks chatting and watching for bats! The group were a fantastic bunch, all really nice and friendly and fun! Several of them had stocked up on stuff from the infamous bakery and so our team name and running joke was about baked goods!

28th

Off for more boating and another chance to swim! Our guide found a baby anaconda and then caught a baby alligator for us to look at! We had lunch at the lodge and packed up before boating back to meet the jeep. The 3 hour journey to Rurrenabaque was hot and cramped, but on arrival I went with the 4 NZlanders and Aussie to a hostel with a huge pool. We got a dorm together and had a refreshing swim! Then we headed out in search of food and found the local market where we experimented with the local street foods, they introduced me to fried rice and potato balls with an egg in the centre! Truly delicious and wonderfully cheap! The two NZ girls craved ice cream so I went hunting with them and they introduced me coconut lollies, again cheap but amazingly good! We met the others at a pizzeria where the wine was cheap and atmosphere was good, although not hungry me and the two NZ couldn´t resist a slice of the pizza to share, as the other three all ienjoyed large pizzas! A couple of french guys showed up, one of them had a baby monkey with him, becuase he is nursing it after its mother was poached. It had a nappy on and he was feeding it from a bottle and fussing over it like a baby! Me and the two NZ girls headed back, stopping at a bar to claim free cocktails. The cocktails were good and the menu tempting, so we enjoyed a pina colada and white monkey cocktail before bed.

29th

The two NZ girls had an early flight. The other 4 of us headed to the bakery and I enjoyed a mushroom and garlic pastry to die for, plus a pizza, brownie and the cheese and tomato pastry. I had to get my flight so I hopped on another motorbike to the airport, after calling at the tour agency to get them to write on my original ticket that they had cancelled it so I needed my money back! The airport is tiny! Just a building, I checked in and got talking to an older couple from Ireland. The flight was about an hour late, but luxury compared to the bus. It was only 40minutes and on a plane similar to the one we got in Cuba to go to Havana mum. I landed and asked two Aussies if they were heading to La Paz and wanted to share a taxi, which worked well and we discovered that the girl had lived in Saxmundham until she moved to Oz 10 years ago! A small world! I whipped to the tour place and got my money back no problem!! Then I went to the bus station and booked a night bus to Sucre for tonight! I saw a few confused looking gringo´s outside and so I ended up walking them to the main square, as I feel like I know La Paz like the back of my hand now and I like to think people would help me!

I headed back to the hostel and have enjoyed the luxuries of the internet! I have a couple more hours to kill before the bus, but I have a few things to do on the internet. I plan to spend a week in Sucre as I have been recommended a Spanish school, hostel and vege restaurant there!

I´m glad you are all well! Glad Holland was fun and I saw pics of some of you at Owens birthday. Gutted I missed the quiz Vic, but yeah your mate can read the blog and let me know if she has questions! Hope the hill walking is going well Paul! Keep the messages coming and thanks for the emails and Facebook messages too! Speak soon!