Im a baby killer!

Yep, just got back from a 3 day trip to the pampas (lots of rivers and boggy ground) and one of the required activities was piranha fishing. Now, not ordinarily as huge fan of fishing despite the fact i love to eat them. Blame my piscean nature or squeemishness or whatever, but ever since i was 5 (ish) and on holiday wanted to throw back fish that local spanish fishermen were catching, have never really enjoyed fishing. but hey, thought piranhas, they are nasty meat eating creatures who dont deserve my sympathy right? Plus everyone else was doing it and never learnt to be my own person....so there i stood in our "boat" with a bit of wire, a hook and a bit of meat happily dangling it in the water and then whipping it out (ordinarily hitting myself or whoever was lucky enough to be stood next to me with aforementioned meat or spraying water all over everyone or, on one memorable occasion, sending the fish i caught flying over the boat and back into the water on the other side!) as instructed when i felt a tug. Now, normally i would just be left with a hook minus meat (crafty things these piranhas) but then i caught one.....and it was a 2in tiddler that just kept flopping about on the bottom of the boat as i screamed and tried to run away! I wanted to throw it back it as it made me realy sad, but new friend Jacob (danish, fishing since forever) said i couldnt as it was my first fish, picked it up and then whacked its head against my seat to kill it (leaving fish blood on my seat, urgh). Was then made to pose with my catch and will add photo when am back in civilisation! Anyway, then went on to catch 4 others, all of which were babies and all off which made me squeal and i made jacob throw them all back in! Have decided that is my first and last attempt at fishing!

The rest of th trip was far less eventful and i spent many a happy an hour floating on the boat watching alligators (and their eyes at night . they glow red, v cool) HUGE birds (Jabirus apparently) monkeys and capybaras (worlds biggest rodents...about the size of small pigs and look a bit dog like). We also became regulars (well, 2 nights in a row!) at the local bar wathcing the sunset, saw pink dolphins (a misonomer....very gray!) swam in the river (was assured that no aligators were around but everyone failed to mention the piranhas until we were out!) and also went hunting for anacondas in the marsh. not the most fun ever!

Am now back in rurrenbaque for a day to enjoy being hot, before i head back to the cold altiplano and wherever i decide to head from there....really need to read my guidebook!