start date	activity	country	place	from - to	days	km	km/ day	comment
26.07.2013	walking	Bolivia		Pelechuco - Queara	1	25	25	Pass 4700m
27.07.2013	jungle walking		Madidi National Park	Queara - Tuichi	3.5	117	33	descent in jungle from 3500 down to 900m
31.07.2013	walking			Tuichi - Apolo	2	49	24	4x4 track
02.08.2013	forced resting			Apolo	1	0	0	waiting for the guide
03.08.2013	jungle walking, boat		Madidi National Park	Apolo - San Jose	10	117	11	Jungle walking with guide and machettas
13.08.2013	walking; boat			San Jose - Rurrenabaque	2	87	43	on the road
15.08.2013	resting			Rurrenabaque	1	0	0
Total					20.5	370	18

Sweat is dripping from my forehead and hand tightening on the machete. I hold my breath. There is very green, humid and densely around me. I turn around quickly, because I feel the movement from the left - and that's just a leaf falling from the tree. Now something is moving on the right - even more embarrassing, because this time it's a game of sun and shadow swinging in the wind. And suddenly something exploding in the front - bird comes out from hiding with a loudly wingsith flapping. But I got scared.
Those were my first moments of solitude in the jungle. I was scared. I did not know exactly why, but I think that's what the unknown.

       Protection from the snake bites I got by high boots and eyes looking for reptiles on the path.There where the trail was overgrown, I first put on a walking stick, and then the leg. I walked carefully. Jaguars avoiding system were noises, shouting and banging machete on a trees. At least there were my theories. Because the locals threatened me - "Alone, it's dangerous", "path is overgrown, you can not get through", "a lot of snakes, jaguars and bears."

I wanted to go here with a horse, but due to various circumstances it didn't work out. I was completely alone. I walked on and when the last mountain pass (4700m) began to descend, I slowly approached the forest, thick and dark. It was getting warmer, darker and more humid. In the end I walked into the selva. Anxiety and lack of confidence has captured my interior. Where I push myself, what I want to prove? Despite this, I went on - I tried to overcome a fear .

Fear slowly began to wane, the senses have ceased to react to every sound. I started to get used to it. The first warm nights. However, in the evening camp I would not let machete go, it walked with me, even to the toilet. At night I kept it under my head. Good friend, which fortunately I never had to ask for real help.
   I ended up on the snakes tracks, two spiders, two bee stings and hundreds of mosquitoes and other insects.

        After three days I got to the first village, Mojos. People kept asking where I have a guide. Shook their heads in disbelief, and I could not guess: "brave tourist," or "stupid gringo". They did not realize, however, that I had support - route description in both English and Spanish, topographical map, and GPS support. Get lost it was not so easy.

When I finally got to Tuichi, I breathed a sigh of relief - a makeshift civilization, here I am safe now. But the most dangerous animal is Homo sapiens. This village is a collection of "freaks" gold seekers. I wanted to go with them to see how looking for gold in the river, but they were too unpredictable, I did not trust them and I wanted to get away of there as soon as possible. Now that's an easy way to Rurrenabaque - I thought. I did not know how wrong I'm.

So I marched down on the 4WD track thinking about the near future. The sun, breeze, small river at the bottom and the cow crossing the road... moment! I froze. It's not a cow. I didn't make any sound while reaching my machete over the side of a backpack, all the time carefully watching the beast. I did not know what to do, so I waited for whatever. Nothing, however, did not happen, because the cat did not even look in my direction, just jumped up on the slope and disappeared into the vegetation. It was about 100 meters apart. It was enough that I went crazy with joy - I met a puma! Beautiful 2-meter dark-brown kitten. The whole thing lasted maybe 10 seconds. I have terrible luck when it comes to meeting wildlife. I did not know that there are pumas, not even all locals have seen them. And to see it in a day. Though not in the middle of the jungle, only fifteen minutes from the village. It is a pity that I didn't make any noise, it might look at me ... while on the other hand, who knows what would have happened then.

I got to Apolo and I started to find out how to get to Rurrenabaque. I quickly realized why I did not find any news on the internet, I did not see any village on Google Earth - there is a wilderness! And supposed to be fast section. After reconnaissance ceased to be colorful - jungle in Madidi National Park, no villages, but the overgrown path long time not in use. Locals discouraged me for a lonely journey, but not the first time. But when I additionally discovered that the horses can't get through, it's 10 days hike to San Jose, there's only two guys who know the way, but one of them will not go without a larger group because he is afraid, then I got scare. The other one agreed to be my guide, but he was expensive as for Bolivia. As it turned out, he was worth it.

For the first two days' march I fought with the idea that I don't really need a guide, after all, the path is easy. At fourth day, however, I thanked God that he did not send me there alone. Now I understand the meaning of "closed path". It was not because of the official ban, but closed literally, by her natural guardian - fallen trees, vines and other plants that are on the path of struggle for a piece of the sun. Besides impressed by hills and cliffs, jungle mountain has a completely different character from the lowland one.

Guide raged with a machete as a miner on payday, he apparently was losing what was path a time ago, but was finding it back or making a new one. I did not even dream about so dense jungle, I thought that he says he has had enough and we need to go back - and he stubbornly cut fallen trees, crawled under the trunks, kept knocking out, nearly fell off a cliff. When I heard swearing it meant that we got lost again or path is very overgrown by bamboo forest or similar, when he tore bark of the tree, it meant he is marking his path and everything was under control. In four days of intense walking we did 14 km in a straight line. I was under the impression, I would not find the way. I followed him and cleaned up newly created path and watched him intently, trying to learn as much as possible.

We had a few unexpected attraction - break camp on an anthill, spider visit in a tent and in a shoe, two snakes encounters on the path, losing the way in the evening and night without water and cooking, thunderstorm in the dry season, dozens of itchy bites of mosquitoes, forest bugs, leeches and other unidentified insects, torn pants, jacket and backpack. I has not seen jaguar, just to enjoy his footsteps and listen to the distinctive whistle, which attract his victims.

  And the most beautiful was the fact of  eight days without meeting another human being. Daily campfires and being alone with nature and with my own thoughts.   I   calm down. Falling asleep with forest bird music accompany.

Prices in Australian dollar AUD

Country	Days	Food	(how many) paid accom.	Permits Entry fees	Guide hire	Equipment purchase, hire	Equipment or other freight fees	*Transport	Other	Total
Bolivia	20.5	$314	(5) $20	$16	$407	$9	$15	$0	$17	$798

park entry fee - $16
guide for 10 days - $404

 

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