Santa Cruz de la Sierra, August 9 and 10
The intention would be to totally avoid this city, land at 1.00, wait for the opening of the Boliviana de Aviacion office, and buy the 8.00 direct flight to Sucre. Instead, I have to spend here two days.
After I realize my luggage got lost, I spend the rest of the night lying on chairs in the waiting room of arrivals hall, waiting for daylight. At sunrise, the shuttle bus (6 BOB) brings me to the city, a pouring rain welcomes me, if ever needed. Since the rain poncho is still in Spain, I buy another one, and I start looking for a hotel. The Felimar, 200 BOB, has rooms rather gloomy but still clean, carpet smells a bit musty, and showers are a bit clogged, but the staff is friendly, and in any case there is nothing better around. Fully booked the cheap Residencial Bolivar, other structures at the same price of Felimar have hygienic standards that even an easygoing person like me can’t tolerate if forced to pay 20 Eu…
The city does not offer much. After having spent my holidays away from Latin America for many years, I look around and I think all in all I feel at home, a certain mastery of the language is a guarantee. Santa Cruz is the largest door to the Bolivian Amazon basin, but the places nearby and easily reached with public transport, such as Samaipata, seem too little wild.
Travel agencies offer various “rutas del Che”, which was assassinated and captured here by the CIA in 1962, however, it takes time, and it takes too much time as well for something I would adore, reaching Trinindad on a public bus, and then navigate the river on a boat like “Love in the time of cholera”, my favorite novel. On the other hand, what I want to give priority in this trip is not the forest, and it is better to stay in the city to urge Iberia, find my bags and run away as soon as possible.
Santa Cruz, I said, is not a beautiful city, its central square with Cathedral and gardens is just decent, same the other churches
There are interesting shopping possibilities, though. First a nice souvenir market where there would be a lot to buy, if one was at the end of the trip. Then there are fruit and vegetable markets, where one can eat cheap food, but the most interesting one are sporting goods stores that sell shoes and branded products, such as Adidas, at low prices! They are not fake, since they have all labels, and are not as cheap as the fake ones, but they are still so convenient. The only explanation I can give is that the cost is adequate to the one of the local life
The main street, where my hotel is located, going in the direction of the Cathedral, is dotted with restaurants, coffee shops, ice cream parlors and bakeries, very colorful and modern, most of the places are fast food type, and healthy items such as steaks or fish are more expensive, but the pastries are delicious! For example, at “Picolo” a slice of cake costs 15 BOB, and a trout with various side dishes 70.
It’s possible to eat with 15 BOB at the Municipal Market
In the area there are other restaurants that offer “menù del dia” at 12 BOB. Other sweets are also sold at banquets street, in short, you could be gorging all the time
Unfortunately there are also many beggars.
Luckily, on Aug. 10 in the morning the luggage is found. While we withdraw them at the airport we buy directly from the Boliviana de Aviacion offices a flight to Sucre for the next day.
The taxi from the center to the airport the next day costs 30 BOB