Funky flights

Having spent a little more time than originally planned in Rurre, I think it only necessary to mention the delights of the flight from La Paz down to the jungle. (Or vice versa.)

Rurrenbaque airport is superb, a small shed and grass runway only. It reminds me of the drug runner airports that you sometimes see on TV - A tiny clearing in the jungle where planes come in to pick up piles of cocaine. Indeed, the Amazonas flight suits the bill perfectly, it is a tiny twin prop plane that can seat a maximum of 16 people. At that size the flight is a fairly exciting event, flying up through the mountains and I do mean through. The plane travels between passes in the mountains, giving some fantastic views of the hills from only a few hundred meters away. The down side of this is that winds tend to whistle round the mountains which throw the plane all over the skies.

Down safely though, and I am reliably informed that the white knuckle ride in the plane is still far safer than the bus journey.