Selva y Pampas
My bike tour route follows the Andes, so I wasn't sure when (or if) I would dip down into the big Amazon basin to the east. But being so close to the famous rainforest was intriguing. My sister came to visit me in Bolivia, which meant time for a side trip. So we set off by bus to the Madidi National Park and Pampas de Yacuma.
Fauna
When I've visited a zoo or botanical garden resembling a rainforest, it is like a diorama designed to show you lots of variety in a small space. Walking through the real thing was more an experience of knowing that animals were around, but only catching a silhouette, sound, or footprint. Photos didn't always turn out - like the herd of capybaras! That was mostly the experience, except for when I got covered in monkeys.
Flora
The plants were covered in spikes, struggling for light, and strangling each other. There was also so much decomposition and insect work happening on the jungle floor. In the pampas, we mostly traveled by boat. This allowed us to visit lily pads that were 1-2 meters across.
