Bolivia 4 – Stranded

What happened next was completely avoidable.

We had lunch back at the ranch. Duston thought we might like to use paddle boats to go along a river. He was very enthusiastic about it saying it was one of the nicest things to do. He explained he’d had someone check for fallen trees a  few weeks back.

There were a few things beginning to grate on Jayne, the timings of things were always a little loose and again we set off late. I suspect it’s a Mañana lifestyle in Bolivia.

Duston said he thought we might have to finish in the dark.

We set off in clothes we didn’t mind getting wet, we didn’t take any other personal items. And we borrowed a pair of crocks each so we didn’t ruin our footwear. We took binoculars, but the others brought water and torches.

We had a bit of a boggy walk to get to the river and Jayne sank enough in one bit to lose her crocks, the others had to go elbow deep to retrieve it. I took mine off and walked in my socks (yes socks, we needed something between us and biting insects).

In the group were Duston, Manuel (another guide), Jorge and Wil (Farm neighbour), along with us two.

Eventually we get to the river pump up the boats and set off. They are ridiculously hard to steer. The first thing that happens, Jayne goes under a branch and ends up with fire ants on her. Not as bad as wasps in small numbers but still painful and they get everywhere and can drive you mad!

The river was peaceful as we were carried downstream for a few hours. Then we came to a huge mat of Water Hyacinth completely blocking the river.

Duston and Manuel (one of the guides) start hacking at it. It’s slow going and even though it’s cut down it floats and pushing the boat across it is difficult! Duston is swimming in the water pulling us across at intervals. We just wait while they cut. Duston doesn’t think it’s a good idea to get out where we are and I can see his point it’s shruby and overgrown and we are not near a trail. The light was going and the insects were out in their millions and we were just sitting there for the eating. We did have insect repellent with us but it wore off really quickly.

Maybe a couple of hours later and the Water Hyacinth appears to be going on and on, so Dustin decides to try and cut a way to the bank. Manuel with a blunt machete hacks the branches and we get out onto not exactly dry land. We are wet and miserable.

It got dark!

Jayne is not keen on biting insects at the best of times, but now is full on freaking out although she contains it to bursts of “switch that torch off” because it illuminated the flying hoards. I’m not too thrilled myself as all the travel advice says avoid being bitten as much as possible (disease risk and all that) and at this point we are the feast of the night!

The boats are deflated and Wil, Jayne and I stand or sit on the boat bags in the dark to conserve the batteries.  Being eaten alive and trying not to think about snakes, jaguar, bears or anything that might like us for dinner.

We could have done with a bit more communication at this point about the hazards, options etc, but the guys were busy hacking at the undergrowth and when they spoke they spoke in Spanish.

The phones and radio didn’t work here! We knew the ranch staff would know something was up and Dustin said we may have to wait for the cowboys to find us. Great!

Eventually they decide we were on an island surrounded by swampy water and scrub.

Dustin tells us we need to go back upstream, but the current is too strong to paddle so we have to use the weeds and trees along the edge to pull ourselves to a place we can get out. So we set about pumping up the boats again!

Getting upstream was no easy feat. Manuel who was meant to go ahead of us was stuck in the Water Hyacinth so Jayne and I set off. Pulling our way up river! I can’t tell you how hard it was. Most of the edge is Water Hyacinth and often it would just come away in clumps and float past you, the risk was that you would go with it. The thinnest of tree branches were rare but stable. Every muscle was working just to stay pointing forward.

Jayne and I worked well together, Jayne at the rear and if I couldn’t get past an area without anything to cling to, she would nudge me forward until I could reach something solid. Then in turn I could use my paddle to tether her to me and vice versa.

Jorge and Manuel got ahead of us and found a place to get out and we headed for them. We heard someone whooping far off, and the guys started whooping back and kept this up periodically as we went along. Duston got pulled back down stream and I could head him far behind.

We were cold and wet and had to wait upstream of the landing point as everyone disembarked. Then Jayne headed for the landing point paddling furiously so she didn’t end up being dragged back down stream. She made it and I sat there clinging onto the reeds. By now it was after midnight.

When it was my turn to make for the landing point, I turned around and the reed in my hand broke, casting me into the current. I paddle furiously but ended up quite away down stream in a patch of Water Hyacinth hanging onto a thin tree branch. Without Jayne behind me I didn’t have a hope in hell of getting up the landing point. I’m just glad I didn’t get washed down to the start point. I wouldn’t have been able to get anywhere near the others.

I heard Jayne say,”Is anyone going to help Debbie?” However Manuel was already trying to cut the branches to get to me from the land side. Duston caught me up and pushed me towards Manuel who had made a rope to try and haul me to land. It kept braking but eventually I could get to place I could wade a bit and dragged myself out, sopping wet and shivering uncontrollably.

Duston in the same state as me stood at my back and cuddled me to him, to get some warmth from each other. All the time he was yelling to the cowboys who were getting closer but still a long way off. The radio still wasn’t working but one phone had GPS so the guys started to hack in the direction they thought would the best route.

Once the shivering had subsided, Duston and I had to go over a log next to a bush that the fire ants like (Triplaris americana). I was a bit tense because, I don’t know how I’d react to one of their bites, being allergic now to wasps and bees.

Then we set off on foot picking our way slowly between the trees. We left the deflated boats behind, Jayne questioned this because we may need them or could use them to wrap ourselves in. No one listened.

Our torches started failing and it was slow going. I got bitten by fire ants periodically and had to pick them off my neck more than once.

Then suddenly the radio started working. We were still on an island. The cowboys said they would work out a route and bring ropes.

I was really cold again as was Wil, we all huddled up together to keep warm.

Wil, Jayne and I sat on the ground as the sky started to lighten. Jayne dozed as we sat back to back as we were warmer.

We were all exhausted when the cowboys arrived  in various states of undress and barefoot for wading. They made rope strands for us to haul ourselves over the river stretches. They were amazing!

On the walk back we had a great view of a Titi Monkey troupe singing, that was the only good thing about the entirety adventure….well that and the cowboys.

Later checking ourselves, I had bites on my bites and Jayne had about 10 ticks along with horrendous bites to her legs and back. Mine went down within a day, Jaynes lasted and she still has them a week later. Let’s hope we haven’t contacted some horrid virus.

I was so angry, why didn’t they recce the river before allowing any of their guests to boat along it. Apparently they have a drone! There were so many things wrong with the day, including no survival kit, no floatation devices (there were but they were in one of the boats), no emergency rations or enough water etc which didn’t occur to me till aftetward. I didn’t think we would die but if one of us had had an accident we would have been in serious trouble.

We got back about 11 in the morning, exhausted, aching, covered in bites, dehydrated and filthy from the mud.

We cleaned up and went to bed!

Next…. after affects