here it is...

this is the story i submitted to budget travel for this month's free trip (to Tahiti!) contest. although it's a bit condensed, you still get the gist of it. trust me, it was hard to keep it under 250 words ;) i think it clocks in at 236...

In September 2001, during a trip down the Yacuma River in the Bolivian pampas, we encountered some real adventure. What should have been an ordinary day of viewing wildlife, turned into an exotic animal rescue. We were walking along a nearly dry creek bed when we noticed a hump in the distance. It was a Cebu cow that had become stuck neck high in the mud. One of our guides, Adalid, turned to us and said, “Qué la salvemos,” or “Let’s save her.




As we set out to gather sturdy vines, our Israeli friend, Yagi, quipped, “In the kibbutz, we usually use tractors to get our cows out of the mud.” We all laughed and agreed that we were going to be the tractor.






Moments later, with our makeshift ropes secure, the seven of us pulled vines, tugged the poor cow’s ears and head, and scooped mud.








One vine eventually splintered, catapulting some of us into the muck.





The cow, completely confused by these crazy people yanking on her, started to protest. We wouldn’t hear of it though. And after another ten minutes of frantic tugging and scooping, we were finally able to dislodge her. Exhausted, the Cebu laid there for a couple minutes and contemplated her next move, before rising and (consequently) charging us! Satisfied, she then darted into the woods to nourish her emaciated body. So much for our ‘good deed’ of the day!