We finally brought ourselves, Joe & Chantz included, to leave Coroico. After many days debating about the bus journey to Rurrenabaque (Rurre), knowing it could take anywhere from 18 to 22 hours, watching the weather and almost jumping on a bus back to La Paz, we bought our bus tickets to Rurre and we were on our way to the Pampas for our Amazon Jungle adventure.
We took a minibus to Yolosita, just outside Coroico, where we waited at the side of the road for over 3 hours drinking beer and eating fried chicken and rice. When the bus arrived, only 3 hours late, we were rushed on only to travel ten minutes down the road where we then got off again and sat by the side of the road for another 50 minutes. The bus was at least 50 years young and the comfort levels were, not too surprisingly, low even by South American standards.
After about 30 minutes of being “on the road again” we were literally “on Death Road again” only this time there were buses, 40 foot trucks and cars going in both directions. We travelled along within inches of the edge of the road, by this I mean the cliff edge, where some of the drop off’s were 1km down to the river/valley below. Adding to this the mud roads were slippery after the heavy thunderstorms of the previous few days.
There were several stops where the bus driver would get out and negotiate with a truck driver on how to pass each other without killing everyone. This sometimes involved reversing which was even more nerve-wracking – at one stage we watched in horror as the bus was reversing back with one wheel going over a non-existent section of road. The bus was leaning slightly to one side and we all leaned our upper bodies the other way, totally ineffective yet positive mental reinforcement. Chantz was not coping well, crying & getting very emotional so I turned to her & suggested “perhaps you should take a valium” to which her reply was “I have already taken two”. Four valium consumed over the course of the journey helped ease the terror.
To say this journey scared me would be the understatement of the year, there were corners where I thought we would lose our lives but in reflection it was an amazing experience yet one I wish never to repeat again. Once the “Death” part of the journey was over and the light began to fade, the surrounding mountains, valleys and jungle, not to mention the river below, became quite awe-inspiring. This amazing scenery was then transformed as dusk rolled in and fire flies blinked through the jungle and the darkness to create an almost Christmas light affect that went on for miles and miles. This certainly happened to calm the nerves and bring on a “tranquillo” affect.
We arrived into Rurre at 8a.m., 19 hours after leaving Coroico, the most uncomfortable and insane bus journey of our lives.....but we were alive. Thank God. It was pissing out of the heavens and the roads (using that word in the loosest possible manner) were being washed away. Not looking too good for our Amazon Jungle adventure.......
We took a minibus to Yolosita, just outside Coroico, where we waited at the side of the road for over 3 hours drinking beer and eating fried chicken and rice. When the bus arrived, only 3 hours late, we were rushed on only to travel ten minutes down the road where we then got off again and sat by the side of the road for another 50 minutes. The bus was at least 50 years young and the comfort levels were, not too surprisingly, low even by South American standards.
After about 30 minutes of being “on the road again” we were literally “on Death Road again” only this time there were buses, 40 foot trucks and cars going in both directions. We travelled along within inches of the edge of the road, by this I mean the cliff edge, where some of the drop off’s were 1km down to the river/valley below. Adding to this the mud roads were slippery after the heavy thunderstorms of the previous few days.
There were several stops where the bus driver would get out and negotiate with a truck driver on how to pass each other without killing everyone. This sometimes involved reversing which was even more nerve-wracking – at one stage we watched in horror as the bus was reversing back with one wheel going over a non-existent section of road. The bus was leaning slightly to one side and we all leaned our upper bodies the other way, totally ineffective yet positive mental reinforcement. Chantz was not coping well, crying & getting very emotional so I turned to her & suggested “perhaps you should take a valium” to which her reply was “I have already taken two”. Four valium consumed over the course of the journey helped ease the terror.
To say this journey scared me would be the understatement of the year, there were corners where I thought we would lose our lives but in reflection it was an amazing experience yet one I wish never to repeat again. Once the “Death” part of the journey was over and the light began to fade, the surrounding mountains, valleys and jungle, not to mention the river below, became quite awe-inspiring. This amazing scenery was then transformed as dusk rolled in and fire flies blinked through the jungle and the darkness to create an almost Christmas light affect that went on for miles and miles. This certainly happened to calm the nerves and bring on a “tranquillo” affect.
We arrived into Rurre at 8a.m., 19 hours after leaving Coroico, the most uncomfortable and insane bus journey of our lives.....but we were alive. Thank God. It was pissing out of the heavens and the roads (using that word in the loosest possible manner) were being washed away. Not looking too good for our Amazon Jungle adventure.......