Survival in Madidi, immersion in the Bolivian Amazon

Trip Description

Accomodation

Stay program

• day 1

  El Alto Airport - La Paz

  

  Your driver will pick you up at the airport and take you to your hotel. Our guide will pick us up at 9am in the hotel lobby to set off and discover the "paceñas" traditions: a unique walk at the heart of the daily life of the capital's inhabitants. We start by entering the covered market Mercado Lanza, where we mingle with workers who have their breakfast here. We then take the cable car up to El Alto and enjoy a panoramic view of the city and the surrounding peaks. We fly over the general cemetery, which we will enter. This is how we discover the Andean post-mortem traditions: on the graves, families do not only leave flowers, but much more elaborate offerings. We then immerse ourselves in the clothing and festive traditions of La Paz by walking down from the cemetery to the center. You have surely already come across many "cholitas", these women in traditional Andean dress. Here, each street corresponds to a garment or accessory: skirts, shoes, top hats, earrings, etc. On Los Andes street, it is the folk dances that are in the spotlight: we discover a multitude of colorful costumes and masks. We end the day at the "witches' market". This is where the "paceños" buy the necessary materials for the offering ceremonies to Pachamama (Mother Earth): coca leaves and other medicinal plants, sugar miniatures and llama fetuses in particular. You spend the night at the Anami hotel.

• day 2

  La Paz - Coroico

  

  We descend from our heights towards the pre-tropical region of the Yungas. Here, we find warmth and lush green vegetation. We leave La Paz and climb up to nearly 4,600 meters in altitude, to the Cumbre. This is where the mountain biking descent begins. From there, we leave the Altiplano to enter the Amazon basin. From now on, we will lose 100 meters in altitude and gain 1.6 degrees every 10 minutes. We leave behind the llamas, the snow, the rocks, to reach Yolossa, the water, the mangoes, the coffee, the parrots, the monkeys, at 1,200 meters in altitude. Green replaces gray, it is an explosion of colors, scents, and oxygen. This road is the only one that links the Andean capital to the Amazonian producers. In case of social conflict, blocking it with a few trucks means stopping the transport of goods (meat, citrus fruits, coca, coffee) to the capital. Control of this route is essential. You spend the night at the Sol y Luna hotel.

• day 3

  Coroico

  

  La Senda Verde Animal Refuge exists to save and shelter wild animals from cruelty and suffering, and to encourage people to appreciate and protect nature. We are welcomed by Vicky and Marcelo, the founders, to discover this reserve, which preserves a multitude of animal species. True guardians of biodiversity in Bolivia. We discover the sanctuary where more than 800 animals of 64 different species are cared for and rehabilitated. At noon, we have lunch with the volunteers of the reserve. You spend the night at Refugio Senda Verde - Edolodge, in the heart of the reserve.

• day 4

  Coroico - Guanay

  

  We venture out to meet the coca producers of the Yungas, we get our hands into the fields and on this emblem of the country, which today faces contradictions. Its consumption is a millennial tradition on the Altiplano. The coca leaf is sacred and, since always, appreciated for its virtues. The production of coca is subject to quotas corresponding to traditional consumption (for chewing or as an infusion). We follow the Rio Coroico, soon joined by the Rio Zongo, to arrive at Guanay, a village of gold fever. While history places the beginnings of the search for El Dorado towards Colombia, the whole Amazon is the exploration ground for seekers of the city of gold. The Incas are said to have hidden their riches at Moxos, under the name of Païti, at the border between Brazil, Bolivia, and Peru. Beyond this myth of the great El Dorado, gold prospectors continue to roam the rivers in search of a few nuggets. You spend the night at the Los Pinos inn.

• day 5

  Guanay - Kaka River

  

  We embark on a gold prospector's pirogue for three days of crossing the forest, following the course of the Rio Rivière Kaka, which winds between the last "serranías", small mountain ranges a few hundred meters high, the last traces of the Andes cordillera. We sleep on the banks of the river, in communities that take us to discover the riches that make up their daily lives. We come across waterfalls with crystal-clear water, monkeys, and thousands of birds.

• day 6

  Kaka River

  

  The river is now joined by the waters of the Río La Paz, which have skirted the entire Illimani massif before plunging in turn into the Amazon basin. On the right bank is the Pilón Lajas Biosphere Reserve, while on the left bank stretches the Upper Madidi National Park. We are truly in the heart of a pristine and perfectly preserved wilderness. A jewel of our planet. Every day, we venture into the heart of the forest, meeting communities and discovering the exuberant Amazonian flora and its more than surprising fauna: capybaras, monkeys, thousands of birds with strange calls... We sleep in bivouacs (in case of rain, it is possible to take shelter under thatched roofs).

• day 7

  Kaka River - Rurrenabaque

  

  We continue our journey. We fish in the rio for our lunch of the day. We enter Madidi Park. A mix of wonder at this untouched tropical forest, a concentration of biodiversity, and mystery at this cradle of many legends about the seekers of El Dorado. It feels like the end of the world as we cross the park by canoe. We arrive at the end of the day in Rurrenabaque, a small town at the foot of mountains covered in jungle, with a peaceful atmosphere. You can walk around on foot or take a moto-taxi to take a break on solid ground. You spend the night at the Maya hotel.

• day 8

  Rurrenabaque - Madidi Park

  

  We leave by boat from Rurrenabaque towards Mashaquipe Ecolodge, the starting point of our immersion in the Amazon jungle. We are setting off for 7 days of trekking in the forest, a true adventure to learn how to live and survive in the Amazon, learning from our environment and about ourselves. We are going independently with our guide from the Mashaquipe community, a true expert of the region and survival in the wild. Each day, we set up our camp: installing hammocks, tents, searching for dry wood for the fire.

• day 9

  Madidi Park

  

  We familiarize ourselves with our environment and learn to feed ourselves with what surrounds us. We learn to recognize vines that contain drinkable water, edible palm trees, and different types of mushrooms. We explore the biodiversity of Madidi Park, playground of howler monkeys, tapirs, deer, giant armadillos, spider monkeys, capuchin monkeys, and titi monkeys (an endemic species).

• day 10

  Madidi Park

  

  Finding your way is key in the jungle. Our guide teaches us his orientation techniques, advice that is all the more important during night excursions. It is at these hours that we may catch sight of monkeys, deer, tapirs, night monkeys, giant armadillos. At night, sounds are amplified, shadows are distorted, and we listen to the powerful nature that surrounds us. At the campsite, we feel very small, with only a mosquito net or a tent as shelter.

• day 11

  Madidi Park

  

  Waking up in the middle of the jungle is a magical moment: the sun shines through the leaves, and the howler monkeys' song wakes us from our sleep. We are never far from small rivers and streams, little resting spots, but above all refuges for catfish and piranha, which we fish for our meals.

• day 12

  Madidi Park

  

  The park is home to a very large variety of monkeys. By getting up before dawn, we will have the best chance of encountering them on our path. Spider monkeys, howler monkeys, capuchin monkeys, we are guided by the sound of their calls. Cradle of many medicinal plants, our guide shares their secrets with us.

• day 13

  Madidi Park

  

  On the 6th day of walking, we arrive at the Tuichi river, which we will have to cross to return to Rurrenabaque. The boat... we make it ourselves. We begin building our wooden raft, which will be our means of transport.

• day 14

  Madidi Park - Rurrenabaque

  

  We are coming out of our Amazonian bubble and are therefore counting on our work from the day before to bring us back safely. On the way, we will visit Caquihuara, a sanctuary for macaws, a superb species of birds. We reach solid ground at the end of the day. You spend the night at the Maya hotel.

• day 15

  Rurrenabaque - El Alto Airport - La Paz

  

  We enjoy a few hours in Rurrenabaque, this small town at the foot of mountains covered in jungle, with a peaceful atmosphere. You can walk around or take a moto-taxi, observe the activity of the dugout canoes and the markets, in this Amazonian port ambiance. Domestic flight Rurrenabaque - La Paz. Your driver will pick you up at the airport and take you to your hotel. You spend the night at the Anami hotel.

• day 16

  La Paz - El Alto Airport

  

  Your driver will pick you up at your hotel and take you to the airport.