The Pantanal (part 1)
Trip Start
May 10, 2010
1
42
71
Trip End
Apr 20, 2011
Puerto Quijarro, Santa Cruz, Bolivia
Thursday, December 16, 2010
A night train, carrying the unfortunate nickname Death Train (refering to the time when the train was used to transport bodies after a yellow fever epidemic), will bring me right to the border with Brazil and into one of the world's great wildlife preserves.
A quick look at the other passengers on the train should have given it away, except from Brazilians on their way through there are not many tourists in Quijarro. Tourist infrastructure is equally developed - read: nonexistent. A long search results into a local with a boat that is willing to take along a minimum of four people. After spending two nights and three days as the only guest in a big resort (with four people working just for me) and waiting in vain for more tourists to arrive, I give up and cross the border to try my luck in Brazil.
Bolivia has proven to be far away of my perception (Bolivia is more than altiplano) and has been a fantastic experience from the beginning till the end. Nevertheless the high levels of corruption, the condoning of child labour (Potosí mines as one of the most flagrant examples) and crazy bus rides, Bolivia joins Colombia on the favourite list.
