| start date | activity | country | place | from - to | days | km | km/ day | comment |
16.08.2013 |
preparations |
Bolivia |
Rurrenabaque |
1 |
0 |
0 |
buying canoe, accessories and equipment for a month |
|
17.08.2013 |
walking |
Rurrenabaque |
1 |
10 |
10 |
shopping, some invention in the boat and making paddle |
||
18.08.2013 |
canoe, cycling |
Rurrenabaque - Puerto Motor |
1 |
18 |
18 |
going around rapids |
||
19.08.2013 |
canoe |
Rio Beni |
Puerto Motor - Riberalta |
13 |
860 |
66 |
three days with fisherman |
|
01.09.2013 |
resting |
Riberalta |
1 |
0 |
0 |
selling the canoe |
||
Total
| 17 |
894 |
52 |
|||||
We are different in every part, but connected by the river.
He is a fisherman from a tiny village with no electricity, has never been and has no need to see even other parts of Bolivia, knows the river like no one else.
Romualdo seats in his eight-meter long leaking dugout with a wooden paddle in one hand. His meal is a rice and a piece of meat. He sleeps in his clothes on the ground under a mosquito net.
I'm dude from the city, not even capable of catching or killing a fish, eager to learn about the world, for the first time in my life on the river of that type.
My canoe is twice shorter and I have a double plastic kayak paddle, not used by the locals. I have 60 kg of food products and a complete set of modern camping equipment plus electronics garments powered by a solar panel.
Even our travel motives are quite different - I'm out of curiosity and the desire to gain new experience, while Indian went out of the house because someone had stolen his motor boat the night before - he is going along the river, until he will find his tool for catching fish - without a decent boat and the engine can not support a family on a proper level.
Fate brought us together in the middle of the Rio Beni, Bolivia huge lowland river. Even though we're from two different worlds, we get along. He very quickly gained my respect - for honesty, humility and strength of will. He was not like many of his predecessors, who wanted only to take advantage on me. In addition, discussions made sense, that I could learn from him - he withheld contrary to the facts, was able to say "no" and when did not understand, he let me know.
I enjoyed when I was able to share something, when I managed to persuade him to accept a gift. Three days spent together have given me more than 10 days alone. I felt that not only the river we have in common - there was something more.
Travelling on the river was one of my biggest challenges. I prepared for this stage very carefully, but only in theory. The following summary of the topics:
Preparation.
In Rurrenabaque I had to find a canoe. I trusted and bought from the first man. A small 3.5-meter, but light, manoeuvrable, stable and fast. Already during the test I broke the fin - ran to buy metal parts and bolts to fix it. The technique of using one paddle is a higher school, so carpenter joined my plastic pallets by wooden stick and I had a long double kayak paddle.
Locals were warning me of various dangers on the river, so I decided at the last minute to go with a guide for the first few days. We went to the market and bought food supplies for a month.
It is also necessary to obtain a permit from the Navy to travel downstream. It means a lot of time and paperwork, and success is not guaranteed. I just didn't talk loudly about my plans and quietly left the town.
False start.
Setting off. Just bringing my last bag. When I came back the guide announced that the boat is not suitable for two people with luggage. At least not for the nearby rapids. When overloaded - leaking. Great, I asked earlier about it, he had seen it for two days and personally loaded the bags in the morning.
So I went to get a taxi for stuff and rode a bicycle behind while guide was sealing the canoe and went solo through the rapids. We met again.
However, we didn't continue the way after the meeting, because we still need to fix the boat. Tomorrow, today he needs resting. We slept. When I woke up Carlos at 8 am, he turned over and was snoring again. I'm paying him per day, not for distance.
I lost a cash which I gave him in advance, just brought all the luggage onto the boat and an hour later I woke him up again, to say goodbye - I'm going alone.
Dangers.
Stress. I survived the first corner, passed the tree in the water, the waves haven't rolled me yet. Sometimes suffered on a stronger current, but holding the bow straight, nothing bad happened.
I also thought that I will always go in the middle, with the current. However, often the strongest current flow on the outer, longer bend. I was choosing - cut the corner with weaker current and shallows or confidently go around, but much longer outer way. I learned how to read the river. Current however was quiet as the river descends approximately 5 cm per kilometer (40 meters on close to 900 km).
It was more difficult with the tree trunks. Those that stuck out of the water were easy to get around, but I had to keep my eyes open all the time. I recognized from water strange noise or look if something underneath was wrong. The ears also need to be ready.
Shallows. Hitting at them at high speed, long boat can be turned sideways and capsized. I stacked on the shallow water several times. Settled calmly on it, got rotated, then walked out of the boat and pulled or pushed canoe into deeper water. Each day it was getting better.
Swirls. In the dry season harmless.
Waves. I was not aware of their strength. Once when a headwind turned the boat sideway, the half-meter high waves were falling overboard in and canoe was uncomfortable rocking. It was scary, but only once.
Wind. River winds its way like a wounded snake. In a straight line 410 km, but 880 km in practice. This means that even when it blows, it's never too long in one direction. However, there were two stretches of the wind, when I was fighting like a lion for an hour, and twice the wind turned my canoe around, and retreated several times - I was waving my arms as fighting for Olympic gold, and the nearby shore began to overtaking me !
Animals.
Jaguar, anaconda, tapir, piranha, anteater, toucan - a list of animals that I want to see is long, but none of these were willing to visit me, even though they were around all the time.
I was able to see several turtles basking in the sun, a capybara and caymans. Of course, a lot of birds and many more insects.
I knew little about behavior of these animals in relation to the boat filled with smelling food, so the first night I carried all the food and put it near the tent. In addition, advice was:
- "Secure the boat for the night very well."
Okay, but what does it mean good secure? To be sure, I pulled the whole canoe on the beach - and it is still 80 kg of fun. Later, I was looking for solid rods driven into the ground, but because I do not trust my nodes skills, in addition I tied canoe to lying heavy tree trunk.
One evening I slowly looked for the beach to camp.
- "Oh, a nice sand, there is no shallow and two large tree logs are lying."
Getting closer and then logs rose and slowly plunged into the river - those were caymans !
They told me also that I shouldn't spent the night near the shore, as this is the hunting ground of these reptiles. But what if you have forgotten some essential things out of the boat, and there are few pairs of caiman eyes sticking out of the water, visible when using flashlight.
Conditions.
I love the heat and sun, but of course with some limits. I didn't want to burn in the sun all day and get a double dose of rays bouncing off the water - I fitted the stick for an umbrella. It helped, but on strong wind I had to fold it back.
I was going in the dry season, so imagine my face when it rains heavily on the fifth day that for two days I thanked the umbrella for its presence. Unfortunately, many things were not properly secured and were completely unsuitable for use. I was swearing, the more that even I sent a raincoat for warranty issue. I did not know then that this rain will give me a big favor later on.
I could stand in a canoe and paddle, but the seating position was more effective. But while I was sitting on a sleeping foam pad, it were times when butt hurt terribly.
I kept bare feet in the boat which was constantly filled with the water. This unfortunately led to an infection and right foot began to swell and bleed. I could not walk. I set foot on timber and kept it dry and clean, after a week there was an improvement. Fortunately, my arms were more in use at this stage. Also hurt, but accustomed to the work, did not have much choice.
Before I met a fisherman, my day schedule was adapted on the activity of mosquitoes - I set off when the beasts have already calmed down, I set up the camp and cook while the mosquitoes were still sleeping. I was going long hours without a brake. I even cooked and read on the board.
Virtually I was drinking water from taps or streams on the entire continent, but here river's coffee color which serves locals as laundry and bathroom, I was forced to filter water - 100 pushes every half an hour - it was also hard work. Until I lost the seal and the filter was useless - then I had to ask for the well in the villages.
It was not pleasant to have suncream on me mixed with tons of pouring sweat, at the end oily mosquito cream (80% deet). I was jumping into the tent at 6:30 pm, about 10 minutes before the furious attack of disease carrying bloodsuckers. I was safe under the mosquito net, but it was the time of the so-called saunas, when I was sweating terribly. However, there was no question to get outside.
Fortune.
I lost my camera. It had to get out of my pocket when I got up, a canoe is very narrow. Despaired. After 30 minutes I got to the bend, where the current narrowed - I grabbed the trunk and watched the passing objects. At one point my camera floated in a waterproof bag filled with air - it was a miracle of Beni. Unfortunately, water got in and the camera wasn't working - I started learning camera function on my phone.
I prepared my route based on satellite images from the 70's. River meanders amazingly, sometimes is apart just a few hundred meters divided by land, but you have to go around up to several kilometers. Water, however, is getting into the banks at all times and 4 times during those 40 years the water broke through to the other side, saving me 25 km of work.
Meeting the Indian was certainly one of the most interesting things that could happen to me on the river. Miracle. In addition to the company I was with an expert, I learned a lot. He was the only paddling person I have seen.
- "Mister, we are leaving, the river had risen."
- "It is 2 am, is he drunk or something?" - I thought.
I was advised not to go at night, but with him I had no doubt. He tied our boats together and allowed current to carry us, just maneuvering among shallows and trees. Complete silence, windless, moon crescent - talking in whispers, watching falling stars, dreaming, eating sweet grapefruits. Relax. Only the stories of anaconda attacks (which are rare but do happen) added a little thrill, then I looked at the water waiting when snake emerges from it willing to swallow me whole. Imagination works.
When our paths split, I took over his tactics running before the sunrise to nearly dusk, with a lunch break on the way. Rain in fact raised the river level, and that meant a stronger current for a few days - my average paddling pace increased from 6 km/h up to 2 more - so I used the opportunity given to me and the river with a length of 861 km I covered in 13, not in planned 30 days.
One day I came up with an idea to make a distance of 100 km. It worked, except that after the sunset I could not find a place to camp - anywhere high slopes or dense selva. When it got completely dark, I lost my orientation. I did not see where the river flows, I could not determine the distance from the shore. So I gave up and let the current to carry me with my senses on high alert - after half an hour I had somehow landed on a patch of sand.
Fire.
I have a weakness to the fire. It is something that at my inattention causes various accidents. Sometime in the high mountains glacier I almost blew up the tent, with me, friend and guide inside. Gas stove exploded .
Another time I almost set fire to the desert. Miraculously, we were able to extinguish the fire before the wind would get us to the first pages of newspapers.
Here I wasn't much worse. I chose shady place for lunch, but there wasn't a good firewood. So I was struggling to maintain the fire - wasting a lot of time in the end I decided to help myself with high percentage alcohol. Poured it on campfire and set fire - the flame went up. Too high. I was holding a plastic bottle of alcohol in my hand, which began to burn. Instinctively, shook it, trying to put out the flame, and finally threw it away - too late, because a few drops fell on both my pants sleeves - I was burning alive! I started dancing breakdance. I decided to throw myself into the water while unbuckling the belt - before I finished these operations, the flames went off. I went into the water to cool down the burned skin. Fortunately, it didn't hurt much, and I have sexy holes in the pants - not for everyone though, because in the first hostel lady looked at me and said that there are no rooms available. They were.
Special thanks for helping in preparations for two River Beni Polish experts - Piotr Opacian and Marcin Obałek. As well lots of help from kayakers in Rurrenabaque - gracias.
| Country | Days | Food | (how many) paid accom. | Permits Entry fees |
Guide hire | Equipment purchase, hire |
Equipment or other freight fees | *Transport | Other | Total |
| Bolivia | 17 | $214 | (4) $22 | $0 | $0 | $142 | $137 | $0 | $66 | $581 |
accessories, paddle, tradesman work - $69
canoe sell - $29