Amboro Nationalpark

The local spring break was on the schedule and for us this meant a week of time to discover something new in Bolivia.

On September 25, we flew together with the Lammers family to Santa Cruz, which we only knew from the transfer. We started early, because the plane left at 7:30 a.m. and the flight takes only one hour from La Paz. So we were there early and still had the day ahead of us. With two cabs we went to the "Refugio Los Volcanes", 2.5 hours away, which is located directly in the Amboro National Park.

The trip was already very impressive, because again we were impressed by the scenic diversity of Bolivia. Palm trees and a lot of green in a very warm climate we found great. The only thing missing was the sea next door. To reach the Refugio (our accommodation) we had to drive up a gravel road for the last 30 minutes to be picked up by jeeps for the last part. Here came two drivers, with one of them, Salvador, the children made friends right away and he was also very funny. In his spectacular off-road vehicle then also only the children drove along.

Already when driving on the site we were amazed, because the Refugio is embedded in an imposing mountain landscape with lush greenery. And not only the green impressed us, also the sounds of nature are overwhelming. There are over 200 species of birds in the vicinity of the refuge alone, and the sounds they make are simply amazing. It is hard to describe what magic this place radiates.

Since it is the only accommodation on the eastern side of the Amboro, you also pay a corresponding price for accommodation and food to enjoy this natural treasure. However, the Refugio is an Ecolodge, which means that the electricity comes from renewable sources and the food is all organic, local and partly homegrown. For example, the coffee they serve is not only home grown, but also processed.

Just behind the restaurant/dining room are three waterfalls some distance away that can be quickly reached on foot. These are also connected by a hiking trail (Senda Cascadas (Spanish for waterfalls)). For the kids, this was the first place to go after we arrived.

For all the hikes that you can do from the Refugio, you will be provided with a guide if needed. These are people who work there. Since we were there from Saturday to Tuesday, we were able to walk many trails. Not always for the benefit of the children, who would have preferred to bathe only in the waterfalls, but in the end they also found some things exciting. It was just very warm, we were very lucky with the weather. Always around 27 degrees, sunshine and no rain. And since most of the trails went through the woods, it was also reasonably bearable, although very humid.

The first hike was the Senda Orquideas, which we walked first after lunch. Later in the afternoon, only we adults walked the waterfall trail, but unfortunately did not find the circuit properly. Every Saturday evening there is pizza from the stone oven and since morning it was already heated. The kids were happy and also we found the atmosphere with the people who were there very pleasant. What was especially great, when it got dark and we were waiting in front of our house (we were in a separate house where there were two accommodations) for dinner, were countless fireflies cavorting before our eyes. A true festival of lights in the idyll of nature surrounding us. At a campfire we then let the day end and enjoyed the starry sky above us.

The next day we started with the hike on the "Senda Sirari". After a delicious breakfast and good coffee Alex accompanied us on the way. Right at the first crossing of the river, we discovered puma tracks in the sand.

Passing spectacular trees and plants and boulders entwined by tree roots, we went to a small waterfall, in which, to the great disappointment of the children, there was unfortunately so little water that they could not bathe in it. Instead, we could watch a frog sleeping.

In the afternoon, after we have bathed properly in the waterfalls, we ran then, again with much moaning of the children, still the Senda Condor. Fortunately, our guide also had not so great desire and asked if we wanted to run the fast way (instead of the 2-3 hour). And so we reached, although steeply uphill, but in 15 min, a great viewpoint with a view of the Refugio. We could even see a condor, unfortunately I was too slow with the camera. In the Refugio are all the time parrot flocks to hear and also to see. This is very impressive to see these great birds in the wild and since I was so impressed by the view, I wanted to go up again the next day alone and take pictures of the parrots in peace.

For the last full day at the Refugio, we took two trails that start out the same and then split. Brian and Michi walked the Senda Cumbre with Salvador, up a surrounding mountain, while Anja, I and the kids walked the Senda Loro. Interesting flora and fauna awaited us on this "parrot trail". Passing rocky slopes with small colored lizards, colorful butterflies and blooming bromeliads, we went to a beautiful viewpoint, higher than the Condor way leads. Here we watched a pair of parrots circling above us. Since the sun was burning, the children were quite exhausted and then found their cooling again in the largest of the three waterfall pools.

The men also returned quickly from their climb to the top. They too had a great view over this impressive landscape.

Over wine and delicious food, we exchanged ideas with Salvador in the evening. I was especially interested in the birds, which captivated me with their different sounds, interesting nests and colors.

Eingang eines Bienenstocks

The next morning, after breakfast and a last observation of birds behind the restaurant, which were eating bread that Salvador had put out for them, we took a cab to Samaipata, about 1 hour away. There will be more about this in the next post...