September 25th 2015

Recovered from a few days of food poisoning Sara and I set off from Santa Cruz on a three hour minibus (25 Bolivianos 5 CAD) bound for the cooler climate of Samaipata some three hours up into the foothills of the andes surrounded by lush cloud forests.  Our friends from Santa cruz will be joining us later that night but first we’ve decided to head to one Of Samaipata’s most famous sites, the El Fuerte ruins.

Before the ruins though we check in to a charming little room at Andorina hostel (60 Bolivianos each 11 CAD) and the head into the centre of own where we sit down for my first real meal in about 60 hours at a small restaurant right on the charming plaza de armas of the small town.  Finally healthy enough to eat I enjoy a hearty breakfast and refreshing lemonade as Sara and I play crib and use the very sporadic wifi. (a general standard to expect in Samaipata.)

From breakfast we chill back at the hotel for a little bit enjoying the view from our private balcony of the charming little town and the hilly countryside nearby.

From there we walk the three minutes back to the plaza and negotiate a roundtrip taxi fare to El Fuerte for 100 Bolivianos including two hours of wait time.  The driver is very friendly and eager to chat so the 40 minute ride to the parking lot passes quickly as Sara tries to immerse herself in Spanish.

We climb out of the car and pay our entry fee to the ruins before starting the climb up to the actual ruins which are Pre Incan and sadly quiet warn down as until 10 years ago, there was no protection offered them, thus many stones are covered in graffiti or stepped on until all signs of the human touch have faded.  Still while the ruins don’t blow either of us away the views of the surrounding mountains do.

We reach the first mirador of the actual ruins and catch site of a bird flying fr off in the distance.  Luckily Sara brought me a new camera from Canada, the Nikon p610  which I can highly recommend.  This allows me to get a few half decent shots of the rare condor soaring on the thermals in the distance, only a speck to the naked eye.

As the bird drifts even further away our attentions shift to the ruins below us.  Off to the right are what of left of houses and other things, low walls scattered among the green grass.  I think I’ve been spoiled by ruins of late what with Machu Picchu, Kuelap, and even Angkor Wat in Cambodia.  These pale in comparison though they do have a more interesting side in the form of a giant rock formation covered in carvings and irrigation lines below us.

As we wander along the elevated boardwalks through more of the ruins we hope the rain holds off and study the rocs for countless intricate little signs of the ancient civilization that made their home here, including this awesome face right beside the path.

We continue along the circuit that passes us closer to some of the houses and through more incredible views of the surrounding mountains, snapping lots of photos, me thrilled to have my new camera with me.  Eventually though, our time is running low so we head down the other end of the trail and back to the parking lot where our friendly driver is waiting to take us back to town.

Sara, always a rebel

Once we’re back in town we drop some stuff off back the room and decide to go for a walk through this charming little town, and out to the  hotel where you can book buses on to Sucre just to get some information.  

The locals of Samaipata are very friendly and we are greeted with many smiles and Hola’s as we wander through the streets admiring the quaint little houses and of the very green surroundings.  lots of dogs and farm animals wander through the streets and from the main highway we even catch a glimpse of some wealthy looking estates, no doubt owned by Santa Cruz’s elite who use Samaipata as a weekend escape to beat the heat, much like we have.

As we return to Andorina hostel and visit a tourist agency to figure out the best way to get into Amboro

national park for tomorrow we end up running into Nico Lillians and Thea who, after checking into the hostel join us for a two part dinner, dessert coming first, where I get to enjoy the company of a friendly cat who I suspect was not supposed to be in the restaurant.  Tomorrow we’re all excited to be headed to Los Volcanes one of the most impressive sections of Amboro National Park.