226 CultureShock! Bolivia
Americans and Europeans. The construction of the railroad
through malaria swamps resulted in ‘one death per crosstie’
according to a needless exaggeration by the television
programme Ripley’s Believe It Or Not.
The date of completion of the railroad, which is now within
Brazilian territory on the border of Bolivia, coincided with the
smuggling of rubber seeds to Malaysia, where they grew in a
more conducive environment. Result: the Madeira–Mamoré
Railroad, at the moment of completion, was obsolete.
Exploitation by the rubber barons extended throughout
the Amazon region, including natives of the Llanos de Moxos
region explored by Fremen. Most of the saga took place many
kilometres downriver in the area of Guayaramerín. The primary
victims were the indigenous communities of the Amazonia.
Today, both the Yuracuré and the Mojeños are poor but self
suffi cient. They speak Spanish to visitors, but the bilingual
school projects partly fi nanced by Fremen Tours may help
to preserve their original languages.
The tour of this area may be anywhere from three to fi ve
days, including round trip air fare between La Paz and Trinidad,
the point of departure. Visitors sleep on the river in a ‘fl otel’,
called the Reina de Enin, a simple but comfortable sleeping
quarter with private baths. The tour includes visits to three
indigenous communities. Thanks to the organisers, a fi ne
rapport between visitors and locals adds delight to the tour.
Included is a visit to a cattle ranch, an hour-and-a-half
horseback ride into the jungle and across the savanna,
observations of river fauna on the Mamoré, a visit to a
protected rainforest sanctuary and a free afternoon for
swimming or trekking. The river cruise itself allows for
observation of local fl ora and fauna, with the aid of a trained
guide. If the fi shing is good, visitors will dine on piranha soup.
My brother-in-law was able to catch a big one, which looked
like a surubí. The combined catch of the group resulted in
a fi ne fi sh dinner.
The city of Trinidad, capital of the Department of Beni, is
only 16 km (10 miles) from nearby Mamoré ports. Trinidad
is the most important city in the Department of Beni. But
Benianos and foreign travellers interviewed for this book