las Amazonas

I've been waiting to go to the Amazon since I learned about it in 2nd grade

I flew into Rurrenabaque, Bolivia to start the tour

it was beautiful

we took a 3 hour boat ride into the jungle 

and saw plenty of alligators along the way

we stayed at an eco-lodge in the middle of the Amazon

and from there trekked into the jungle

we saw monkeys

found tarantulas hiding under rotting branches

marching ants

ginormous trees

funky mushrooms

the biggest spider webs i've ever encountered

an anaconda swamps

we also learned about the medicinal plants and trees

these leaves are a natural antivenom for snake bites

also good for indigenous face paint

and these trees provide natural drinking water

this spider, known as the queen of the amazon, will instantly paralyze you and kill you within a day

these spiders are also pretty dangerous and have already killed 10 people in town this year

but my favorite of all we saw were the scarlet macaws (my character in the 2nd grade rainforest play)

they always fly in pairs

in my head they mate for life :)

back at camp, the guides made us jewelry from plants as souvenirs 

it was perfect, even though I got a huge tick (first one of my life, i hope i never get another)

then after the tour went back to town and relaxed for a few days

before heading back to La Paz from the "airport," more like runway, in Rurrenabaque
location: Parque Nacional Madidi, Bolivia