Tourism, currently already on a downward slope, would also be hit. Some 20 years ago, Rurrenabaque was a small jungle town of hostels, backpacker bars, and unpaved streets. Adventurous travelers came for the chance to swim with pink river dolphins, fish for piranhas, and catch a glimpse of capybara [world’s largest living rodent], monkeys, and the elusive jaguar. And most had heard of Ghinsberg’s gripping yarn (originally published as Back from Tuichi.)
Today, the now-tarmacked streets of Rurrenabaque feel emptier, and whisper with a different set of stories. Tourism is quiet, Mariaca says, citing the falling value of the euro, cost of getting to Bolivia, new entry rules, and increased visa charges.
Mariaca feels ecotourism and protecting protected areas doesn’t factor into in the government’s vision. But perhaps Daniel Radcliffe and the silverscreen treatment will inspire intrepid travelers to not only explore the jungle, but to follow in Ghinsberg’s footsteps and invest in protecting it, too.
For Chalalán, the communities who live around it, and the wildlife that calls Madidi home, it is too soon to tell what the future holds. The campaign to preserve one of the world’s richest ecosystems is loud, but it remains to be seen whose voice is louder.
