We hired a bicycle and rode down to the Municipal in Bonito, a bend in the river where the fish swim in the clearest water you've ever seen in your life and when the sun in out, so to are the bikinis. We spent the afternoon lazing in the rays and snorkeling with the fishes. Cheeky monkeys stole our food as we sat captivated by the colourful Macaws who were playing up to the gallery with their remarkable feathers.
Our time in the following days and weeks followed roughly this same lazy routine. As we entered the backpackers on the Bolivian side of the border we thought we may have stumbled into a luxury resort by mistake. The hammocks surrounding the swimming pool were only upstaged by the remarkable view across the Pantanal Wetlands. We initially saw the mosquitoes that feasted nightly between 6 and 9pm as an undesirable guest, but soon turned our thinking around as this time became known as 'pirated DVD time'.
We were treated to a special tour to a series of hidden underground caves where no tourists had ever been before. Wading waist deep through catfish filled water as cave toads croaked and bats flew past your head in a never-ending game of tiggy.
Town squares are almost always more interesting in cities where they haven't turned them into gigantic ugly hotels like Melbourne. Since arriving in Santa Cruz we've spend the majority of our time lazing in the town square where there is always a flurry of activity. I got to sit up on the little boxes and have a nice old man polish my shoes. I felt as if I should have been wearing my fedora, dark sunglasses and black gloves whilst reading a newspaper and whispering coded messages to other secret agents. I didn't, I did however walked around for the rest of the day chuffed at how shiny my shoes were, until I realized no one really cared.
We hung out with all of the elderly men playing chess in the square and had a few grand battles of our own. It's remarkable how the hours fly past whilst consumed in a chess battle, occasional glancing up to see a boy running with a pigeon he's caught above his head or a informative swine flu combating demonstration. We were even challenged by some locals... an embarrassing feat to say the least. It's disappointing only playing ten turns before knocking over your own king. I prefer to play with someone as equally as shit as I am, like Jon, so at least I can conjure illusions of grandeur in your head.
Next up on our adventure we plan to do stuff, so hopefully you won't have to endure another random post rambling about lounging... ah, life is tough, but someone's gotta do it.
Alexander
JON'S FOOTNOTE: You should have seen Alexander's shoes!! I used them as a mirror to shave. When Alexander say's "equally as shit..." I think he may be referring to a different Jon, not this one who has won about 80% of chess games played (Today the score was 3-0)! Check mate, Bradley. No doubt Alexander will not include my last sentence.
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