To the deep, dark Amazon basin...

When we booked a flight to Rurrenbaque in the Bolivian Amazon on a local carrier, my private hope was to be wedged between a goat and a crate of chickens in the cargo hold of a rusting DC3. This was dashed when we found ourselves shuttled in comfort across the Andes (spectacular - on one side the mountains give onto dry, dusty plains, on the other lush jungle climbs halfway up to the snowline) in a neat little Boeing twin turbo-prop. We DID get to land on a strip of grass cut out of the jungle though, which at least lent some South-American-adventure feel to the experience.