Packrafting from the Andens to the Amazonbasin: 2007

Translated by PROMT-Online-Translator

Country: Bolivia Rivers: Coroica, Kaka & Beni
Start: Caranavi End: Rurrenabaque
Route: Caranavi, Rio Coroico, Rio Kaka, Rio Beni, Rurrenabaque
Distance: About 300 km Time: 6 days
Current: Mostly very well Difficulties river: WW II-III
Supply: Some villages Boat: Packrafts
Difficulties:

Enough waters and food pick up
Rating:

Nice tour on quick rivers in the Amazonasjungle!
 
 
Paddle tour Rio Coroico: From Caranavi we want to paddle over the rivers Coroico, Kaka and Beni till the Jungletown Rurennabaque in Amazonia. For weeks I have tried to find about one in La Paz in vain we have printed out a map of the region and at last the map being on the notice board in the tourist information abfotografiert, and einlaminiert. The distance of Caranavi to Rurrenabaque is difficult to estimate, however, we suppose that it might be about 250 - 300 km. According to current we plan with 7 - to 9 days and shop accordingly food. There are on the way though some places, however how big they are actual we do not know. Directly before our Hostel there flows a side arm of Rio Coroico and thus we can puff ourselves up with the help of the ventilating fan our boats in the twinkling of an eye before we on our trip in unknown ones transferred.
 
Rapids: For us our boat stages are always to be received something special, because it is nearly impossible always very difficultly to, about the respective rivers some information, let alone dependable information. About our current boat tour we know merely that Rio Coroico should be level and quiet and that on the rivers Kaka and Beni every now and then a ship has to go for tourists wrong. The river is here in Caranavi the Hauptwasch and-badeanstalt and thus we paddle past men them her cars standing in the river and trucks scrub, to women wash them her laundry and to young person you have assembled to the morning laundry. In a few stony flats we push our boats a little bit and for the conclusion we still pass a military shooting gallery running in parallel with the river. We are very grateful for the short break in the fighting during us vorbeipaddeln the soldiers. Hardly from Caranavi Rio will push Coroico then, nevertheless, substantially more wildly than expected and every few metres we on rapids I would classify than WW I-II. Nevertheless, our boats prove themselves very well. Because we no hose covers have agreed we though every time a few well-arranged piles of water in the boat, pass, however, otherwise we the difficult places easily. So really fast we do not make headway in spite of good current, nevertheless, because we are occupied constantly to scoop the water from the boat.
 
Involuntary bath insert: In the first tag I do not pay attention with a few rapids so surely and before I I provide I am driven directly towards a tree top lying in the water. I make me quite half on an involuntary bath insert calmly, nevertheless, anyhow I just still rush thus under some of the prickly branches through. Actually, I have feared that the thorns slit the boat, however, fortunately, only the watertight stack bag has a small tear as well as me a scratch in hand and upper arm. This would have gone well over again. Then in the second tag we come to a place in the current to us directly to a cliff face presses. This time Nadine does not pay attention and before she itself provides she already inserts an involuntary bath insert. By the action we lose annoyingly two our drinking water bottles, but otherwise everybody is (Nadine, boat, and cases in the stack bag) well.
 
Nadine in aktion:
 
Rio Kaka: After one and a half days we reach Rio Kaka. Nevertheless, differently than Rio Coroico Rio Kaka is quiet a brown broth and, moreover, by no means as expected. It goes furthermore through the mountains and because we will have now more water the rapids greater and a little more wildly. After the nice clear water of the first both days it is funny anyhow to paddle in the slushy brown water and in particular with the rapids it works in such a way, as if one shook a cup of cocoa hard. A gigantic rock lump lies all at once in a narrow place with the second tag in the middle of the river. Nevertheless, though with our water level the place is easily mobile demandingly. However, we find out from the other boaters that there were many sometimes fatal accidents here in the rainy season. Then with rising water level recorder the waves and whirlpools become because bigger, so that even big boats capsize.
 
Mayaya: Mayaya is the first bigger place we in the morning of the 4th day happen. While Nadine in the upper village our bread and biscuit stocks freshens I talk to the driver of a banana cutter. Because the place has been at a distance a little bit, nevertheless, the inhabitants have been surprised a little bit like us then have come here.
 
Gold panner: Some years ago gold was found here in Rio Kaka and everywhere thus we hit on the river on the gold panners who live here under easy tarpaulins. He would wash 1-2 grammes of gold in the tag with his golden frying pan from the rock, one of the gold panners believes just on the way back about his family in Mayaya is. I mean a hard work, however, he means he must work for it only 6 hours and it would be also so strenuous not, even if it is quite quite cold constantly in the cold river to stand. It is not the healtiest job, moreover, also, because the gold is released here still with mercury what reduces of course also our paddle fun in the brown broth. Nevertheless, some gold panners seemed to keep free to themselves Sunday afternoon, because when we along them paddle many sit on which rock at all above the river in the middle of the Jungle (we it is often a riddle like they have come without boat there) and enjoy the afternoon. Every time if we them happen they wave we would become ebullient and mine become same of the dangerous rapids come. The official golden price lies, by the way, at the moment with 18.23€ per gramme, however, thus a lot the golden seekers will not agree absolutely!
 
Dreamlike camp sites: As actually always with our boat tours so we also have to find here again the luck fantastically nice camp sites. The mosquitoes are reserved luckily more or less, while the Sandflies are dear to us, nevertheless, now and again earlier than us in the tent demand. Here after many cold nights the sultrily warm temperatures are below, nevertheless, a little bit unusual for us and thus we sleep, actually, mostly without sleeping-bag. During on the Altiplano wind and traffic the only noise springs were an unbelievable noise rules here in the Jungle. The animals them the noises make presumably look even more adventurous than the noise them make lets assume. In particular the cicadas are often so loud that one can talk only with effort.
 
Jaguar: In a camp site we discover big clear tracks of tapirs and Jaguar. Because it also smells a little bit strictly we suppose here the district border of one of the nice big cats. A little bit rottenly Nadine is already to courage when it is a crash at night constantly according to in the bushes, however, apparently Jaguar has at the moment no appetite for thin bicycle tourists. Quite differently than an Armeisenstamm which has eaten, attracted by an empty chocolate row paper, by our tent ground. We have about Saying 'du' big holes in the tent ground for I later several hours will will need to mend around them.
 
Rio Beni: Finally, we reach to Rio Beni here already a big wide river is. Even if there hardly rapids is so we have mostly still good current, so that we often can be laid just decayed in our boats and done
 
Great canyons: Rio Beni crosses another two mountain ranges in those the high precipitous cliff faces often to directly to the river approach. Here, actually, there should be Anacondas, Jaguars, tapirs and Capybaras, however, up to two Capybaras before us fast in the Jungle flee we get nothing to see. There are merely parrots, water birds and gigantic butterflies richly.
 
Rurrenabaque: Finally, after 6 days we reach about midday the Jungletown Rurrenabaque earlier than expected. We feel fine in the small small town surely and the comfortably activity and many moped riders remind us strongly of the Luang Prabang situated in the Mekong in Laos. Many tourists come to explore to Rurrenabaque around the surrounding primeval forests and grass sceneries on controlled tours. Nevertheless, controlled tours are not completely thus our thing (even if one gets compulsory here a lot for his money, nevertheless, one can observe on the pampas tours, among the rest, Anacondas and freshwater dolphins) and thus we rather wander by the fruit market and vegetable market and talk a little bit with the juice shop assistants.
 
Nice coach journey: Back we go to Caranavi then by the coach. Although the coach journey should last only about 270 km away 10 hours. Immediately in the end of the town the coach already stops and both substitute drivers jump out around something in a shop to look. Finally, the driver also gets out and when he just 15 m of the coach is away this starts to stutter in and simply goes out. The fright stands in a queue to our coach team on the face written and the substitute driver reprimands immediately his colleague for which reason he has got out generally. The case is clear: the starter of the coach is broken, and thus we rise from by him again to bowl first. During the next hour we urge another 3x in order food for a passenger to purchase 5 watermelons for the coach drivers and oil for our coach. Then the oil is also refilled immediately during the journey, because the Öleinfüllstutzen is to be reached by a hatch in the walk. After 3 hours we reach Yucumo where a half-hour lunch break is included in the plan. While we just what eat the coach on the way comes along in a plant town. After the lunch break then the info that there are problems with the steering hydraulics and we would go on only in one hour. We make it to ourselves on the seats in the taxi stand comfortable and observe the activity of the small place. Nevertheless, one seems to be rather run-decayed here, because instead of running 30 m to the motorcycle taxi stand the potential customers stand on the door thresholds of the respective shops and shout rather for several minutes to them of one of the Mopedjungs are puck up. Then the distances are not also so far and it can feel well that one gives up himself only 100 m farther to another shop. After the hour has passed by it should go on at 10 minutes. 10 minutes stretch and at last we go on after a 3-hour break. Because our coach team permanently in screw was and no time had to eat what we give them our remaining bananas, after one of the boys had asked us for a banana which they accept though hesitantly, however, still thankfully. With nothing but joy that the coach again runs we also set off immediately again and only when a few women start to shout "Faltan pasajeros!" strikes that another two passengers are absent. They have noted too late the departure of the coach and now are postdriven by 2 Mopedjungs. One rules playfully and happily mood and none of the passengers looks irritated or irritated because of de delay. When the women find out that our coach drivers have received no lunch they make a pilgrimage one after other forwards around our heroes with delicacies to supply. The friendly helpful kind of the Bolivianos impresses us strongly. Now our coach driver tries to catch up the lost time again and races we mad about the narrow dust runways. Everything what on the street is he sells with his loud horn and we are glad that we do not meet him on our bicycles. Although we a few more urge sometimes to examine the steering system, finally, we reach after 14 hours of Caranabi. The coach adventure offered, by the way, for just 3.50€ a top to price performance relation :-))
 

 

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