Boat trip on the Rio Ibare

Having deposited most of our luggage in the hotel, we are ready at 9:00 a.m. at the Turismo Moxos office. So it can start for Adventure Amazon. With a pickup truck, guide Pedro and family we go to the port of Puerto Ballivian on the Rio Ibare hazards. There everything is loaded onto the simple, somewhat aging, but covered boat and cleaned. The boat is inhabited by numerous insects, including some Leaf cutter ants. Then we can start.

We drive a little upstream for the time being, where we are immediately surrounded by wonderful vegetation. The river flows slowly and on both sides you can see water birds, especially cormorants and darters. Suddenly we turn around and stop at a tree where mother and daughter are busily the pea-like fruits pick the tree. Then we can enjoy the little but tasty white pulp that surrounds the seeds.

Downriver I briefly see one of the endemic ones white river dolphins when surfacing. In the murky water, however, it disappeared again and unfortunately does not appear again. A few times, pairs of macaws fly by, cawing, whether they are extremely rare Blue-throated Macaw is acting, but unfortunately I cannot make out for sure.

Soon they will Hammocks opened across the boat and we enjoy the idyll. Somehow I can't shake the impression that the wonderful tropical forest has only been preserved as a strip along the river.

Pedro sees a river dolphin again, but it is too fast to take a picture, even if this time it is a group of three mammals. Unfortunately this time he makes no move to follow the animals in the hope of seeing them again. We dock on the bank to cook. Delicious what is prepared here: fried bananas, rice and fried chicken. A fresh one is waiting for dessert Cocoa pod on us, whose delicious pulp tastes almost yoghurt-like.

Soon afterwards we reach our camp site for the night. An elderly gentleman lives in his simple hut here on the bank. That’s next door simpler huts, which is used for our overnight stay. It consists only of makeshift assembled walls, a corrugated iron roof and a few sheets for sealing. Raised slightly above the muddy ground, two wide but uncomfortable beds are made of newspaper. These are now provided with bedding and, above all, with one Mosquito net sealed.

Then we drive a little further downstream without any noteworthy sighting. Towards evening the sun comes out more and more, which makes the temperatures even more sultry. Unfortunately also come more and more mosquitoes emerged. In any case, we are happy about our thin, long-sleeved clothing and the insect repellent that is regularly applied.

For dinner there is a delicious soup before we go to bed at 7.30 p.m. - after the sun has set. We read a little more and then try to sleep in the enormous heat and humidity.