Comment by mkl
14 days ago
> there was a tribe near Rurrenabaque that spoke Quechua?! (A language you would expect to encounter in central Peru, not there).
Quechuan languages are quite widespread, including over large areas of Bolivia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quechuan_languages
Rurrenabaque is hundreds of miles north of where that wikipedia article is showing the language being spoken (in Bolivia). Speaking with one of the tribal members, he said that there were no other Quechuan speakers within hundreds of kilometers, which matches with the map in the article you linked.
But, I guess I was more surprised hearing Quechua than I should have been. My surprise led to a conversation with a really interesting person, though-- I learned that their tribe's men were known for their archery skills, they had an aggressive encounter (a few years earlier) with a group from another, distant, tribe that almost led to warfare, etc.