Thursday, 18 December 2014

CAFE ORCA - Melkbos Strand - Cape Town - South Africa






So I've decided to write about some of the places I love in Cape Town - I know this place has a space in many of our hearts.
CAFE ORCA is situated on the beachfront in Melkbos - about 30 km from Cape Town city. It has a great view set in an old house overlooking white beaches and a big blue African Sky.
Get a table outside ! They don't take bookings for lunch but they do for the evenings.
Lunch is a great time to be there though, sunshine, white wine, good conversation and of course - GOOD SEAFOOD. And you can have a nap in the afternoon ! You'll need it !

There is nothing pretentious about the food - the quality is excellent and the price even more so.

The menu has lots to offer : Creamy blue cheese and bacon mussels ( one of my favourites) , simple fried calamari tentacles( get two sharing these is sacrilege !) , Calamari steaks with lemon butter or cajun spice , Kingklip Meditareanean, West coast sole , Moroccan Line fish , Whole crayfish when available, Prawns , many combination platters , Asian flavours sometimes infuse the special of the day , The line fish can include anything from Dorado, Tuna, Seabass ,Yellowtail, cob or cape salmon.
Always fresh and offering a good wine list to compliment sunny sunshiny days !

I love it here - and what makes it more special is the people who love to share this place !
















Eating Peru ! Some more pics !

                    Beetroot and Lentil Burger from Chakana restaurant - Paz Y Luz - Pisac
                   Mixed quinoa salad with roasted veggies
                  Warm Strawberry Tea - hmmmm def an acquired taste
                 Cusco Street BBQ - with a Potato on top
                  CHurros - so good !
            Pantastico bakery in San Blas - Great cakes !
         And empanadas !
More Cake - Lemon, Passion fruit, Chocbanana,quinoa topped with Caramel and coconut !
          Heart cafe in Ollantaytambo - Amazing Hot Chocolate!

Uruchate restaurant Ollantaytambo - Excellent steak with 3 Peppercorn sauce and Mashed potato !

Tuesday, 16 December 2014

Peru -the Land of Carbs !

Corn - Potatoes and those pesky Pisco sours ! 


Corn , the most sacred re-hispanic crop is found in as many colours as potatoes .Corn was used as food as well as a commodity to barter with - often in the streets and sometimes ladies hop on the bus selling hot corn (choclo) with slices of white andean cheese (queso) and sometimes chilli sauce. The purple corn here is converted into a drink called Chicha Morada and the quality varies from place to place-it can be served hot or cold and is definitely an enquired taste. Not for me ! 
Corn survived the Spanish conquest as many other grains was banned by the Vatican and disappeared from the Peruvian diet . 

Potatoes ! Called Papas here , they say  Peru boasts at least 200 varieties - although a chef I met says at least 4000 varieties. 
Farmers will  grow many varieties in their fields .Potatoes come in various forms, colours - and even dried ! 
Purple inside and out , yellow small potatoes , there are even frost resistant potatoes that can keep for up to 4 years . There are too many dishes to even mention with potatoes - from fried, mashed, stuffed with vegetables, cheese , meat. Potatoes , potatoes everywhere ! 
In cultural tradition potatoes are ritually stuffed with coca leaves and then buried as an offering to the earth in ope of a good harvest. So much respect here for the earth and its bounty ! 
The chilli peppers here are hot - be warned - even for me ! 
They often dry the peppers and use in sauces etc. There are many varieties and are used especially to spice up potatoes.

Let’s drink !

And of course - it wouldn't be right if they didn't make beer from the corn here in Peru. In 
ancient Inca times the Chosen women in the court would make the beer  - the beer was drunk as well as used in  ceremonial work as an offering to Pacha Mama  ( mother earth )by pouring it onto the earth doing ritual alongside other offerings.
This beer is thick - off white and looks like soup - many little hole in the wall cafes serve the beer in LARGE glasses . Sometimes it looks like a strawberry milkshake , thick and pink with a thick white foam top. MMMMmmmmmm - not so sure ! 

I’ve enjoyed the Quinoa beer of Bolivia  more and Cusquena - a pilsner like beer made in Cusco. 

Then there is Pisco - Is it sad to love this drink - too easy to ingest - tastes like a margarita but better ! That's a lot for me to admit to ! Sorry tequila -  I will make it up to you ! 
Pisco is the national drink - it is a distilled brandy usually drunk as a cocktail called Pisco Sour. Although Chile also claims the fame of the Pisco brandy - Im here in Peru and I give it to them - they know how to make this  one good . 
The cocktail is made with Pisco, lime juice,egg white and simple sugar syrup - garnished with angostura bitters.There are many variations of the Pisco sour and my favourite is the Passionfruit Sour - or called Maracuya Sour - DELICIOUS!
Fried corn snacks are popular to drink with your beer or Pisco and are called cancha. 
And one acquired taste is Mate de coca - tea made with coca leaves - helps with the altitude ! There are many cafes serving fantastic jugos' ( juices) as fruit is plentiful here ! 

So you want to eat the meat ? 
I must admit despite many meaty temptations in Peru , the vegetarian options have been phenomenal .Especially Cusco boasts amazing restaurants which are either vegan or vegetarian with world quality food in presentation and flavour. And as there are many on ayahuasca diets or other plant medicines diets - the restaurants especially in the Sacred Valley cater for those on these limited diets . Convenient ! As its a no salt , no sugar,no spice and a another long list of not have ingredients ! 

 Often seen next -to- the- road BBQ ’s  offer anticuchos - beef hearts - like a shish kebab of beef heart! Ive tried chicken hearts in Beijing and don't really feel comfortable eating any heart of any animal . Chewy and feels slightly barbaric ! 
For the more adventurous there is cuy - guinea pig - served with head, paws etc . In the sacred valley on the road to Urubamba there is a massive statue of a guinea pig and a half dozen so stalls serving BBQ guinea pig on a  stick .
Alpaca features strong on menu’s as an alternative to beef and in Pisac I saw lamb on the menu for the first time. LLomo Saltado is a traditional dish and popular dish made with strips of beef,onions,tomatoes,spices,rice and french fries. 
Llama jerkey or salted Llama is widely available in the markets and the very odd appearance of donkey snouts ……. and pots of hot boiling frog soup ! 
In the higher altitude areas there are more stew like dishes and on the coast duck,goat is eaten. As Ive not visited these regions I have not tasted any of these dishes. 

In the jungle piranhas are popular as well as a fish called - paiches. Piranha - once you get over the fact that its staring at you with its teethy grin does not offer  much to eat but as their volume in the rivers are huge make a good option for food .The paiche fish is wrapped in banana leaves and baked in the coals but can also be fried or boiled served with yucca, palm hearts and freed bananas. In the Jungle the following are also popular.
Sajino- roasted boar - Juanes - a tamale stuffed with chicken and rice - turtle soup and of course bananas , bananas - fried !


Ceviche - the coastal regions are more safe to enjoy ceviche - here they use white fish marinated in lemon, onion and hot hot peppers! Its served with yucca and corn traditionally and also potatoes. I tried it at my brief volunteering position at the Portal of Light restaurant . I must admit Ive enjoyed scallop ceviche in Scotland more ! 






 
Chef at Portal of Light preparing Ceviche 

                                             Delicious Roast pork at San pedro Market
Purple corn - Beautiful 


Potatoes ! 

                                                  Frogs boiled in soup for Breakfast
                                                   Corn sheaves for Tamales
                                          White Andean Queso ( cheese) Its good !
                                                Piles of fish roe !

                                             Would you buy your ceviche here ?
                                       Fried pork ribs on the street
                                                        An oven on wheels filled with baked bananas ! 

Thursday, 11 December 2014

Pisac Market - a Treasure Trove - but bring your haggling skills !


Pisac is a little town set on the Urubamba river in the Sacred Valley. It was established in 1440 AD and the name means 'partridge' - to the legend that the town is is built in the shape of a bird .
Pisac market is about 40 minus from the city of Cusco . The market operates all week - on Tuesdays,Thursdays and Sundays the market is extended and brings the locals out to cook , sell fruit and vegetables, set up food stalls and generally get ready for the onslaught of foreigners from Cusco !

The market sells everything from tourist tack to antiques. There is a lot to browse through and once you have identified what is worth it , what is not - its time to haggle.

The market stalls are covered in tarpaulin as the rain just arrives whenever and a few times I've had to dodge the water logged on the tarpaulins as they come crashing down --much to the amusement of the stall holders !

Kids follow you in the market -either to get their photo taken - for a donation - as they are in traditional dress and usually holding a lamb  or trying to sell you whistles , bangles, woven bracelets etc.I meet Ruben , who speaks perfect English and his little brother Elvis - they follow me around until I buy a whistle - this boy has some sales techniques and when he spots me having coffee outside the Pisac Inn overlooking the market - he zones in quickly on the people sitting next to me - asking if they are my friends ? I don't  blame these kids , poverty is rife , and mother, father and kids are all trying to sell to make a living. Needless to say the whole Dutch group sitting next to me walk away with whistles to add to their growing mound of useless objects. All for a good cause.

Woven textlies, alpaca, silver , crystals, shamanic instruments,hats,boots,bags its endless ! But what draws my attention is the antique skirts , the shipibo (although limited) textiles and the antique artefacts.Ive already accumulated a few smaller items . I'll keep on browsing until I'll find exactly what I'm looking for.

The food side of the market offers piles of fruit and nuts , palo santo and other incenses , a woman frying chicken, big bowls of steaming broth of chicken , medicinal herbs , san pedro powder , breads .Mostly locals eating here as there are a few restaurants around offering fairly good food and treats .The prices here are higher than in Cusco - as its quite touristy but hidden down the roads of Pisac are a few treasures at really good prices.
The Blue Llama makes an excellent Hot chocolate especially on this rainy , stormy day.Sitting upstairs on the balcony its quite a scene to see the rain coming down the Valley and the lightning striking .Market stall holders run for cover and we move inside as the rain now becomes waves across the tarpaulins !

The  cobbled streets of Pisac are quaint but yet some streets are marred by commercial signs - but in this day and age not uncommon in small places having to survive. Children play down the alley ways , we watch three boys naughtily playing with matches - till a security guard with perfect timing turns up. There are many little restaurants varying in price from the Pisac Inn with expensive dishes to restaurants that offer lunch for 10 soles. Ulrike's seems to be the local hangout with good wifi -three floors and excellent carrot cake! In the market place there is an ancient oven where they bake empanadas filled with salty cheese,tomato and onion .Delicious at 3 soles. They also have live guinea pigs - But must say they are fattened up maybe as a tourist attraction and not for the pot. Or so I hope !
Around the square is Mullu as well offering some asian influenced food and african fusion. Nadia and I ventured out to Chakana restaurant for lunch - a delicious homemade lentil and beetroot burger and quinoa salads. All good and vegetarian before the Ayahuasca ceremony.
Other restaurants offer Ayahuasca diets - no salt, sugar, spice,meat etc . We drink hot strawberry tea - not so sure I like it and eat quesadillas with hummus , cheese fingers and guacamole at Sweet Om restaurant at Nidra Wasi - 5 minutes lol outside Pisac in Gringoville.
Pisac has much to offer to all travellers - holistic lifestyles,treks,plant medicine ceremonies,astrology, massages,sweat lodges.It's a place one could hang around for awhile.










Monday, 8 December 2014

Sacred Valley - Heart of Hearts

The Sacred Valley speaks of clarity - in between the short-lived cloud bursts (its rainy season !)the sun shines brightly . This seems to clear all , the sky and my ability to see clearly from the heartspace. The mountains are majestic and cradles Pisac ever so gently. The ruins up the lovely, lovely hill (lol) still beckon - but I'm yet to traverse it .Right now Im happy to know its there and soon I'll find the energy to climb up .Although a hustling bustling little town ,especially on Sundays when many tourists come to the ubiquitous market - Pisac has moments of complete serenity.Despite the constant calling for collectivio's ( mini-vans to Cusco ! ) outside our hostel Chaska wasi - you can still hear roosters crow and birds sing !
Step 5 minutes ( everything seems 5 minutes away in a mototaxi!) out of town and you cannot but help see Peru with your heart. And its complete solitude -serene-peace.
I go out to Paz y Luz to meet Javier which is long overdue - a short while with him surfaces many emotions for me and I feel completely at "home' speaking to him about past experiences and journeywork with sacred medicine plants. We arrange to meet a week later in the presence of the grandfather spirit - Huachuma - San Pedro.
Paz y Luz is nestled against a magnificent backdrop offering medicine work , yoga , a restaurant , healing circles etc. Just further up you step into what they call Gringoville - magnificent gardens surround Diego'Palma's centre and Melissa Wasi Accommodation.
My roommate at the Hostel Nadia and I head up to go and have a sauna , fire and music at Melissa Wasi's .Its perfect , drizzly weather and a hot , hot , hot sauna - once a sweat lodge space.We meet new people and it feels good to be in a heart space.
Meeting Diego Palma and his feisty Milagros - his wife - is inspirational. Looking forward to the Full Moon ceremony on Saturday with these people.

I've only been here a short while but I have a feeling I may be staying to explore this valley.Right now its more an inner journey than an outer journey for me. The only sights to see are INSIGHTS !
I'm trusting my heart and my spirit to guide me strongly right now.

At first Pisac seemed a little rustic for me but now I'm experiencing a sense of magic here - an ancient magic pulsing underneath the surface.A reconnection to the heart , pacha mama and all that is.Its just a gentle reminder - a shove in the right direction once again. How I love how life can unfold so gently, surprisingly sometimes . I'm learning deeper respect for this planet , which I already love .Being in awe at the beauty of its grace,its timelessness and its ability to flow and be abundant so effortlessly.BIG lessons here ! So let's see what the sacred Valley brings .
GRATITUDE


Wednesday, 3 December 2014

Magical Peru - Gentle calibration of the heart




Cusco swallows you - it seduces you with its ancient Inca charm , in its warm embrace , there is a magic here - soft and gentle like a mothers love. Cusco makes you feel nurtured and supported .
A gateway to much magic - The portal to travel to magical Macchu Picchu - a portal for those seeking plant medicines, a place for healing, learning and growth.
The cobbled stones, the market places, the food, the plaza's , the friendly smiles,the steep walkways, beautiful cathedrals and life, life, life - its easy to succumb to its charms.
I start out at Kokopelli hostel which is set in a 200 year old building-its beautiful , the vibe is good, the food excellent but I need more peace.Especially after a 16 hour bus journey from Puno which should have taken 7 hours - but due to protests and roadblocks we were stuck.Yet another lesson in patience and surrender.

On the way to find the meditation group at the Healing House I meet Enrique - a small recognition in this street artist selling his beautiful stones set in silver.Im not sure what attracts me to him but the whole time we converse in broken English and some Spanish - I feel a faint recognition -like in a dream - an earth angel . The same day I meet Leita - who incidentally (or not )met Enrique earlier the same day. Humble soul - connecting others .
On the second day in San Blas I run into him in a different ancient alleyway and gift him with my turquoise and leather bracelet - Ive not been able to wear it for some time now - and it seems right to give it away.He is astounded at my generosity - a small gift for his open heart.

These connections come fast and thick in Cusco - Peru is magical - its all heart - and its all very real - the illusion is shattered here - for some and most I hope.
Vipassana meditation at the Healing House leads to a sacred ancestral sound journey - I am moved into a space of knowing that I have to move to this house to rest, rejuvenate and re align myself with my true being. Somehow here it seems simpler. Two days later I move to the Healing House .

My space is serene. I feel content. There is room to be and meditate .Yoga.Healing circles,massage,reiki.And fabulous beautiful , happy, shiny people - Not all - but hey this is reality !
I meet new friends as we cook together, eat together , share celebrations and heartfelt moments.
The garden is bright and the light catches the red tiled roofs of San Blas . Im at peace - this is harmony - this is what I want for my life now. This moment is perfect.
We spend thanksgiving - in gratitude - feasting - simple beautiful vegetarian food, laughter and good company.The days here seem so long and bountiful - Is it a dream ?
But then its time to go - heading to the sacred valley - where my choices are quickly re aligned to suit my path - to aid my growth and my current process. All so effortlessly- let this be a lesson in trust and surrender and not planning absolutely everything.

Tuesday, 18 November 2014

CATS -Everywhere Love Affair - From Scotland to Beijing


My life has been filled with 7 cats in my short life of living with these amazing creatures ! Unfortunately due to life circumstances they don't live with me anymore - but my love for them continues and I think about them often and wish for their company and soft cat purrs.
The last few days Ive been craving the company of cats - the gentleness of a cat curled up next to be .
My life with cats only started late in my 30's - my mother was petrified of cats so we never had them as pets and most of my friends well they had dogs ! My first cat - gloriously, beautiful Harvey - was a feral cat found in a shed in Scotland - barely 4 weeks old and tiny .His first few weeks of his life he was called Meg as we thought he was a girl , went a little crazy shopping at the pet store in Inverness - bought  everything in pink ! and Surprise little Meg soon grew into magnificent Harvey.

He loved the car and he loved the beach.On our days off in Gairloch , North West coast of Scotland we'd take him to the beach with us fishing , camping ( until he got his claws into the blow up mattress !) and in general just for walks on Firemore beach or our closest beach in Gairloch.
Others would look at us like we were crazy - but hey dogs are allowed on beaches why not cats ! He loved the sand , digging holes and exploring the rocks - he wasn't event that afraid of the water .
I miss him till this day - we flew him from Scotland ( after a 5 hour journey from Gairloch to Edinburgh - where he pissed all over my lap - nice when you about to board a 11 hour flight to South Africa) .He spent a week at a travel vet before he arrived in Cape Town via Amsterdam -in one piece.
His life was short in South Africa - he got run down in Greyton - a very grey , painful day .

Ruby joined us in our brief stay in Durbanville - a stray cat that one day turned up at our flat , hungry and crying - we took her in , fed her and she made herself at home on Harveys hello Kitty blanket - we advertised , tried to find her owner - but in the end she moved to Greyton with us. What a strange little cat she was, didn't liked to be touched only when she was eating , shakes her head like an old Indian man when you talk to her and would sometimes just stare at you with those big eyes.When I had to say goodbye to her a few years ago it tore my heart in two - but with so many blessings she now lives with Elizabeth in Pringle bay and I couldn't ask for a more beautiful, loving , serene home for her- and on visiting her I see how well she is cared for and loved ! Thanks Elizabeth - but Ruby still looks at me that way ! Like she knows everything and I know nothing !She is probably right !

One day in Greyton a friend arrived and said he had many kittens if we would be interested - Of course already having two cats I was a little concerned but who can resist a kitten - and there she was the most beautiful , adorable , feisty little ginger girl - Mackenzie soon settled into life with Harvey and Ruby in Caledon street. Not long after Harvey left us and there we were with a pregnant Mackenzie . She wasn't even 6 months old - but soon we had Fionn ( who sadly lived a short life on the Blue Hippo and disappeared into the mountain)  , Willow ( who lives with Lisa )
and two others who left Greyton . What a beautiful experience to see these kittens born - incense , a velvet blanket and some good music helped Mackenzie along to give birth . My first litter and last of kittens. I was in awe at nature. Mackenzie now lives a happy life with Malcolm - after some months of terrorising our poor neighbours Susan and Rupert and their cats.
Mackenzie moving out was due to the arrival of Cairo and Indiana. She point blankly refused to accept them and left - it broke my heart - I suppose it wasn't wise to get more cats - but then I was settled in my home and my life at the time and thought it a good idea. The two terrors crept deep into my heart and one of the saddest days of my entire life was when I had to say goodbye to them. Indi lives happily with Jill and Matt ( bless their loving hearts) and Cairo - well Cairo can have his own TV show. This magnificent boy after my divorce could not give up our old home in Greyton and would continuously go back to the house - somedays I would fetch him , whistle once and he would jump in the car and we would go back to the house. Other days he would basically just refuse. The saga continues till today, he is more settled and now called Jack - he lives in the kind heart space of Lilian and Im grateful to the amazing people of Greyton and Buitekant street who have supported him and helped him let go of his old life ! I miss him dearly and find even speaking about him hurts - MAYBE , just maybe one day he can live with me again.
When the opportunity to take care of someone 's cat in Beijing came up I jumped at the idea. Keeping cats indoor in Beijing is essential for many reasons - so there I was with a one year old Chinese cat called Mi - a cat who could defy gravity - leap like a matrix cat - who's personality wavered between Ghengis Khan and Hello Kitty in all about 3 seconds ! This cat was a handful but also a beautiful , crazy companion for 6 months . After his "visit" with me was done and his owner after a few visits had her baby - she decided not to take him back - as I was about to leave China - more than mild panic ensued as I was drawn back into the same panic I experienced with Cairo and Indi. But in less than a half hour I received a message from Pamela ( fellow south african in beijing ) wanting to know where her and her flatmates could get a cat ! He now Terrorizes them !
One most beautiful moment spent with Mi - the hutong cat - was when Marco came to visit for the first time and for his first time experienced cat energy and his amazement as the cat purred. They became good friends ( i must say i was a little jealous as the cat became a little more attached to him than me ! )  - That cat had magic - and for a brief moment of my life I was honoured to share the same hutong space !
for now - I befriend street cats, in china, nepal,tibet , cambodia, tahialnd,vietnam and now here in South America- until I have a home I have fond memories of all the feline friends from my life !Seriously in danger of becoming a cat woman !

 HARVEY - The Scottish Cat
 MACKENZIE
 CAIRO
 INDIANA
MI - The Chinese Cat

RUBY !

The Kindness of Strangers - And it sucks to be sick in a foreign country !

Well, my entry to Peru was nothing like I expected it to be. After realising my entry stamp as I crossed the border from Argentina to Bolivia was not a legal stamp ( obviously pre - organised scam !) and arriving at the Bolivian /Peru border - Im a $100 lighter and watched as the official tore one of my $20 notes in front of me telling me its fake - Not much you can say in a situation like that ! Keep your mouth closed and pay the fine, pay for a visa I never needed and walk out ! Of course after he tore the $20 note I did not have enough cash - Luckily a woman I was travelling with on the bus from Copacabana gave me the outstanding 30 Boliviano's - before I went into a complete panic ! Thank you as well to Liam - the british -Korean guy from Manchester who spoke fluent Spanish or I would probably would have kicked up a fuss and it would have ended in messy situation for me.

So , fine paid, passport stamped we walk across to the Peruvian border hoping that I don't need to pay any fee's at the border as I now have a total of one torn $20 note and a R50 south african note - both meaningless in this case. Once the official starts scratching his head when he sees a South African passport I go into a mild panic - but soon I hear the sweet sound of stamp -stamp and Im in ! Phew ! I feel close to tears just due to the anxiety - Damn border crossings ! Im so thankful for the money lent and the assistance from Liam !

But the kindness of strangers does not end there - In Puno I start feeing really bad - not sure , bad tummy, headache , general malaise and no appetite ( that never happens) ! Im glad I hopped off the bus as I feel exhausted and could do with a couple days rest and just chilling.Little did I know I would be flat on my back in severe pain , staring at the ceiling contemplating my life. Being sick in unfamiliar surroundings- no regular comfort zones, no family or friends - well - Basically it Sucks! And besides feeling really sorry for myself Im basically exhausted - nothing worse than having no energy - when your head wants to go outside and explore the world - the body says stop ! Ok , so the body says stop and then comes the thought patterns and the processing of being sick.But before I get into that - lets get to the second act of kindness .
Im walking down Lima street in Puno desperately seeking a pharmacy - rehearsed the spanish words for pharmacy talk when an elderly man ( who is trying to get people into their restaurant ) stops me and asks me if I am ok. I nearly burst into tears as the pain is so excruciating by now I can hardly see through my eyes. He takes me of to the pharmacy , orders some serious painkillers and 500mg of tetracycline , Im tempted to gobble them all at once - but he takes me back to his restaurant - gets me a bowl of soup - free of charge - and I take the antibiotics. I hate antibiotics at the best of times - but in cases like these - well there aint much option. Im amazed once I come out of my pain daze that a random stranger with broken English went to these extremes to help me. So much gratitude.

Its been 3 days of staring at the ceiling , eating hardly anything - just enough to allow medication to be absorbed and going into deep , dark spaces - seeing whats hiding there for me. I wouldn't say Im surprised , but Im surprised at my reaction . And it aint pretty - lets just say the light is shining today a little brighter - waiting to get on a bus to Cusco later today - relieved that Im feeling better - not a 100% but starting to feel ravenous , I could eat a guinea pig ( cuy - local delicacy mmmmm??)! Its a good sign.What will Cusco bring - Ive had a glimpse in the last few days what awaits for me on a deep healing level - I hope I have the courage and make the right choices to tread here in this space.
Lets see what happens ! First I need food !


Thursday, 13 November 2014

Amazon basin - I love the smell of DEET in the morning !

Rurrenabaque is the portal here into the Bolvian Amazon - many tours operate from here and the town is whizzing with motorbikes , locals eating, eating and eating and foreigners waiting for their trips to begin !
Its hot, humid and rainy ! Don't forget a cheap B$ 5 rain coat - just in case ! I opted for the pampas instead of the jungle eco lodge tour as I was told Id be guaranteed more animals and less mosquitoes !
Well ------- ! Its also not rainy season yet - so lucky for me - more wildlife attracted to the river and less mosquitoes - but so so many other flying -into-your-hair bugs !
The ride from Rurrenabaque is bumpy - 3 hours of bumpy ! , our jeep was worse for wear - twice we had to stop as there was strange noises coming from the carriage of the car - which was ignored after a brief kick we were on the road again.
We had a basic lunch in Santa Rosa before we headed out on our boat - another 3 hours - far more interesting and comfortable than the jeep ride. Slather on the sunblock and then the DEET mosquito repellent - the beginning of a 3 day ritual !

This is definately the highlight - being on the river - getting up close and personal with the wildlife . Hundreds of crocodiles , entire families of  capybara ( giant semi-aquatic rodents - yes ---- The worlds largest rat ! with webbed feet ) , sunbathing chilling- out turtles on logs - little yellow squirrel monkeys chattering away , we saw one Toucan at our camp and a multitude of birds - herons, kingfishers,egrets,hawks, eagles,hoatzin(paradise birds) - all just going about their daily business at the riverside. Anacondas in the lake and piranha fishing in the river -quite an itinerary !
The dolphins came on day two - so elusive to capture on camera - greyish, pinkish dolphins , swimming and playing in the river. Beauty ! Swimming with the dolphins is recommended - really ? I see a black caiman croc over there and didn't we just fish here yesterday for piranhas ! And besides having studied Microbiology who knows what parasites abound here in these waters - I'm brave but not that brave !

The camp site - lodge was very basic but ok - riverside with good views to watch the animals . We all share in wooden huts with mosquito nets - a cook on hand to feed us - hammocks for relaxing , a generator for awhile at night to provide some electricity to charge all those damn phones and cameras! Giant I mean giant frogs - be careful where you walk . I had the privilege of   a small jumping frog in the shower- nearly made me  jump out of my skin ! The second night the bugs came - in full force - Stephen King like movie proportions - I itch now just thinking of it ! Luckily after a long days walk - I pass out no time to think of what is crawling about in the darkness outside. But just for a moment before I fall asleep I listen and hear a million sounds - beauty !

In the early evening we would take the boat up to the view point to watch the sunset - drink a beer - some travellers playing volleyball and soccer and most of us just lounging - taking the day in.
Tired , sunburnt but happy - a great experience -much seen and learnt - dark star filled skies and the coolness of the night air. Making memories !
 The Camp



 Finally at the river!





Anacondas and Psychedelic Mushrooms - all in a mornings walk

 NO ANACONDAS WERE HARMED - Six km's in wet, smelly pampas - knee deep in mud, toppling over , through shoulder high reeds - hiding at least 23 species of snake - we go off to " hunt " the Anaconda. The locals  talk about a 9 meter long snake - I shudder - But knowing that ours will be a touristy event - so no fear needed !
The walk is gruelling once the sun is high and the wellies are hot and sticky against your leg.
To no avail , we search one lake after the other , find a shady spot to rest and then continue.
One dead anaconda and we nearly give up - but still a 1km to walk back to camp.
We encounter crabs, huge snails, a small black snake , birds of all sorts and mushrooms - toxic - hallucinogenic mushrooms the guide explains. No one is up for it ! Damn !

Anyway soon , we hear another guide shout and there it is - Baby anaconda - damn you Hollywood ! ruining it for us ! One and a half meters of Anaconda - hmmmmm - back to the lake with you !

A shower and siesta in the camp before we hit the river for our night trip !