Well, you wouldn't believe it! Fiona and I arrived in bloody Santa Cruz and lo and behold, every godarned information and tourist agency in the land told us that if we tried to get to Noel Kempff Mercado National Park, on our own or even on a tour, we'd be wasting our time while our notion of "adventure" would become a notion of hell on earth. We'd certainly have something to write home about but it would probably be just one of us writing, including the inside story of how we killed the other in a non-jaguar devouring massacre after a waterless, foodless, energyless arguement. The rain has made the reconstruction of every road and path into the park impassable. Well travelled Kempffers looked at us without trying to laugh telling us it's stupid to try it. So, there goes plan number 42 of trying to be utterly romantic in Fiona's life. Foder.
Yep. We're out of Santa bloody Cruz and in Buena Vista now, with more wildlife rich incredibility at it's doorstep and an Irish Pub in the middle of the square. It's nothing like an Irish pub except for the name (and I surmised, it's ownership in Santa Cruz). Amboro National Park is just across the river from here, where tapirs, jaguars, howler monkeys and butterflies that'll blow your socks off (always wanted to say that about butterflies) are available for viewing if you're lucky.
I called Amboro AmborING after not being able to go to the Kempff, the motherlode of all national parks. But perhaps we'll be able to access the park in a couple of weeks when we get back from the Jesuit missionary circuit - a lovely historical experience of local meets the conquistadors. It's supposed to be fun, beautiful and informative.
Right, godlovingly slow and expensive here. Chau,
Michael.
About Me
- Correspondiente Boliviano
- Hm... I´m all OVER my blog like a rash. Look there.
6 comments:
Dear Michael
Im glad you are both having such a ripsnortin time in Bolivia!
you may be interested to know that Deb Chapman has left the Neighbourhood House to work for the International Women's Development Agency.So candidates are applying for the part time position of Community Development Worker which has become available. I don't what your plans are or your movements,but I thought Id let you know in case you are interested in applying...
Cheers Fiona
Nothing new posting either ...
I just woke up from a dream where you and I were cruising around carnaval again! Except, because it was a dream there were some odder moments. We kept stealing people's stack-hats (those bike helmets form the 80s) to put on our heads.
Yeah, well, funny you should say that Marty. I left my yellow stackhat (original edition!!) on my handlebars deliberately (that I'd had for years and years) in a dodgy back lane in Melbourne back in 1991 so that it could get stolen and I could justify getting a new, funkier stackhat. Well, of course, it got stolen, I got a new stackhat and now I am wishing I was smarter and knew how funky yellow original edition stackhats would be now. I'm a dickhead sometimes...
Oh, and Fiona (not the Fiona here, unless there's some crazy timewarp stuff going on, which often seems the case in this country), I was just saying to the Fiona here tonight that it would be good to work at the Neighbourhood House again, but I won't be back for some months yet. And besides I think I should move on, not forward, or backward, or up or down, but somewhere new, a new phase, a new edition - like a stackhat, maybe sometime in the future future, but not straight away. Thanks anyway! Good to keep up with what's going on. Will be in touch as soon as I touch down!
And Rupert... tell me when there is something new posting... what's the E.T.A.?
The ETA is a paramilitary Basque nationalist organisation isn't it? Well, I'm not suprised that Jaguar growled at you, they probably still drive the old XJ12L models, still I guess everyone was happy the park was free of this insidiously pollutant vehicle. What about Beetles? I hear that many Beetles are found in Brazil.
Rups
An Expert (which means he previously was and now is not)
"Experts know everything. If an expert says it it must be true!" - Jello Biafra.
Yes, that's what I meant when I said "E.T.A.". *wishes Rupert could see his eyes rolling like a Royce*. Talking of Royces, there are none in Amboro Park. Many beetles in Cochabamba city to be precise, and nowhere else really. Strange. Certainly none in the jungle. They're pretty big.
Jaguars are more rare, but then they go faster so they're harder to see...
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