The Amazon, that famous green inferno… Although mostly within Brazil, this area known as the “Lung of the Earth” also forms part of the landscape of several other Andean countries: Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia, where it covers an area the size of the United Kingdom, almost all of which is in the department of Beni. Many ethnologists consider the Amazon jungle the first home of the Inca warriors, before they invaded the high plateaus of Altiplano around the 12th or 13th century, to exert their authority there.
Today, the Bolivian Amazon is a prestine territory that reveals to those who venture in the charms of its lush vegetation and abundant fauna – most of the species found here have not yet been documented. With parrots and monkeys providing the ambient soundtrack, bathing with piranhas for the thrill, and the constant, unspoiled tropical fragrance, the Bolivian Amazon offers a complete change of scenery in a seemingly timeless environment. |