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So after our climb up Huayna Potosi we deserved a 2 day rest in La Paz doing very little except watching cable TV, eating and buying new jeans for Anne.

Keep on Trekking

James and Anne Walkington
2006-09-11 11:53:54

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was becoming increasingly thick and the weather was like a warm English summers day. We saw a dead snake and more excitingly puma track - but no puma. As we descended further the humidity increased as did the jungle. A short uphill section - unusual on this trek was followed by lunch under an avocado tree. Though unfortunately no avocados. In the afternoon we passed tarantulas webs and even saw some of the small negro spiders. Apparently our guide had been bitten by one as a child but survived - just.

Camping this evening was at San Francisco which consisted of two houses cut into the jungle on the side of a steep valley. Views were great down the valley. We were surrounded by banana trees and fire flies as it went dark. Dinner consisted of freshly caught trout - we think. We watched the forest fires burn all around us - apparently many set accidentally whilst burning for agricultural land and cooking.

Our trek continued down the following day across a very dubious looking bridge which had only been there for three years but pins had snapped and most of the rope was rotten. Safely across we climbed the devil's staircase - a 200m steep ascent - a welcome relief from the unrelenting downhill march. After an hour or so we passed through Casa Sandillani. This is a remarkable collection of houses and gardens. A Japanese chap came here 40 years ago and has forged a living out of the jungle.

Another two hours of downhill walking brought us to Chairo the end of the walk. Here we got a dilapidated 4X4 around 12 km to Coroico a lovely jungle town on a hill with amazing views out across the Amazon Basin. From here we were supposed to get a bus back to La Paz along the World's Most Dangerous Road. Unfortunately all the buses were full and we had to wait a night in Coroico. Although we could have got an open topped lorry across the pass with Sixto - we decided to stay in a hotel instead and get the bus the following morning. The hotel ...

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