Seeking El Dorado,
a promise of adventure in the Amazon
Terra bolivia

  • hotel
    Hostel, Hammock, Flotel
  • bus
    Public transport, Boat, Canoe
  • voyages
    Adventure and exploration in the amazon, For travelers seeking the unexpected
  • horloge
    20 days



Following the Amazon River from its Andean sources, this trip is a true expedition. Following in the footsteps of those who sought El Dorado in the Bolivian Amazon, we will embark on our own search for El Dorado, through exotic encounters, surprising events and raw emotions. Our trip will be guided by that which we encounter, with stops along the way to experience events, record podcasts or make reports. If necessary, we will branch off without hesitation.
piroque
"To take this trip is my lockdown dream, planned from the French mountains"
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B I E N V E N I D O S

I draw upon elements from the excursions of my predecessors, looking for their advice and anecdotes. If you are reading this text it is because I have not yet left. If you wish to be part of this reconnaissance trip,

we will hit the road together towards the hypothetical El Dorado.
This is therefore a real journey of exploration, born from conversations, internet and library research, expert advice, the anecdotes of guides and of former Terra Andina Bolivia members. Amongst the previous generation of travelers who took this trip, I was told:

“This is without a doubt the most incredible trip of my life.”

chapeau
With that, I invite you to join me in living my dream, in experiencing great adventure, of finding El Dorado and the meaning of life along the way.

OUR PLAYGROUND :
THE AMAZON

tree
TERRITORY
5,3
MILLION KM2
spanning across nine countries and hosting the largest fresh water reserveWith 300 mammal, 1,000 bird, 2,000 fish, 60,000 plant, and 2,500,000 insect species, the Amazon is almost amongst the most biodiverse places on Earth...
The Amazon is synonymous with abundance and mystery and it is here, where reality inspires myth, and where explorers have tried their luck at uncovering gold and other precious metals. I was told to watch the film Aguierre, the Wrath of God, to understand the quest for El Dorado.
coroico coroico coroico
The quest begins at the source of the Amazon, in the foothills of the Andes between La Paz and Lake Titicaca where the Andean glaciers begin. Here was the cradle of the Inca Empire and the starting point for many great expeditions in search of gold and to explore the natural frontier between the Inca Empire and the Amazonian civilizations. We will begin our descent towards Coroïco, the "pearl of the Yungas", by the Death Road, an ancient transport road situated between the highlands and the Amazonian lands. From here onwards, we will lose 100 meters of altitude and gain 1.6 degrees every 10 minutes. We leave the llamas, the snow, the peaks, at nearly 4 600 meters of altitude, to reach the water, the mangoes, the coffee, the parrots, the monkeys, at 1 200 meters of altitude. The green replaces the gray in an explosion of colors, smells, and oxygen.

I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THE TIME TO MEET THE PRODUCERS OF BOLIVIA'S GREEN GOLD: THE COCA LEAF

to tour their fields on the road to Caranavi; to meet the coffee producers who are looking to reinforce their territory for more sustainable production. We know a small association that could provide us contacts to do so. Between Coroïco and Caranavi, there are incredible cable cars which carry people from one side of the mountain to the other in a setting 300 meters high and resembling scenes out of the movie The Mission.

coca
A colleague of mine travelled on this cable car to do a TV report and he told me about the other side, with its separate population, its fields of coca leaf, coffee and mandarins.

THEREAFTER WE WILL ARRIVE IN GUANAY, VILLAGE OF THE RIO BENI GOLD DIGGERS

cataratas

The founder of Terra Bolivia, Fabrice, spoke to me about a certain Eddyño - if we find him, he will grant us entry into the local gold diggers’ world . Eddyño is part of an established tradition which names a "Bernardo Alfombra," the guy-to-know in a remote village, the one who can get you transportation or medicine or a contact when you are desperate. There is a Bernardo Alfombra in every remote village in Bolivia and he holds the key to many things. Today, Guanay remains the village of the gold diggers, with all that one imagines. We will go to prospect a little in the river with some local searchers, in exchange for a case of beer. Perhaps here we will find El Dorado!

WE WILL THEN BOARD A CANOE TO GO DOWN RIVER, CROSSING FROM ONE SIDE OF THE MADIDI AND PILON LAJAS PARKS TO THE OTHER.

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Here, the forest becomes thicker; the nature is virgin and intact. By this point we will have descended more than 4000 meters from "La Cumbre", our starting point in the Cordillera. As we travel down the river over the course of two days, we will spend one night in an Indian village. This is an unreal stop, and it seems, very, very far from what appears in tourist guides. Only the descent of the Kaka river (yes, this is its name. The Quechua repeat syllables to indicate a place: titi-caca, co-co-yo,...) appears to make the trip worthwhile.

When we arrive at the Madidi Park, we will meet the Uchupiamonas community responsible for the ecological lodge Chalalan. I would like to spend a few days in the community, living amongst the people and at their pace, learning about their way of life, and about the construction of their sustainable accommodation. A return to basics and to nature may inspire us in ways we cannot imagine.

Even today, there are still some madmen looking for supposed buried treasure in the Amazon. Even my colleagues tried - in the upper Madidi, in the Cordillera Apolobamba, along the Bear Route, where they had heard El Dorado could be found. They came back empty-handed and without seeing a single bear.

Next stop: to continue on our search for El Dorado, we arrive in Trinidad, where we will embark on board the Flotel.

THE FLOTEL SERVES AS BOTH BOAT AND ACCOMODATION, ALLOWING US TO TRAVEL FURTHER INTO THE TERRITORY OF THE MOXOS, WHICH INACCESSIBLE BY ROAD.

The route is uncertain, and is dependent upon on the season and upon the course the rivers take. I hope it will lead us to the ancient, rediscovered civilizations, who are known for their agricultural and irrigation techniques.

birds
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From Rurrenabaque it is difficult to refuse going to Trinidad where the Flotel is located. I was told: "In Trinidad, there is a Flotel, that is to say a boat on which you can sleep. On this Flotel I had the most beautiful family trip of my life. For 5 days we travelled along the Mamoré river to very remote places, we swam with dolphins, walked on sandbanks, visited schools where children were fascinated by Eliot's blond hair. We, along with our children, lived an extraordinary adventure; totally out of the ordinary, exclusive, intense, but simple at the same time. We rode horses in the Amazon, saw Bolivianita searchers in a mine, ate crocodile in the evening, and were overwhelmed by the amazing fruits. Possibly the most memorable trip of my life."

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This trip will take us on a true return to basics. Let's dive into these virgin and mysterious lands. What if our El Dorado lays in this quest for adventure and for the unexpected?

ADVENTURE IS TOO IMPORTANT TO BE ENTRUSTED TO SERIOUS PEOPLE. LET'S BE REALISTIC AND DREAM!

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