Samaipata - a hidden gem!

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Having spent 14.5 hours on an overnight Bolivian bus journey from hell, we were very happy to arrive in Samaipata. It's not actually that far from Sucre but the lack of road makes for a very slow bus ride. And by lack of road I mean dirt track that you would probably only consider mountain biking on back at home. Our bus lacked all the mod cons - no aircon, no curtains, an empty tv cabinet with wires where the tv should have been, and comfort breaks that consisted of squatting at the side of the road next to everyone else. At least it was dark but I still wished I'd been wearing a skirt!!! Anyway, we found a real gem of a hostel in Samaipata. The name escapes me but it was run by a guy from Netherlands and his Bolivian wife. It was quite a hippy place. Most wonderful breakfast we have had since we've been away - fresh fruit topped with natural yogurt, granola & honey and fresh wholewheat toast with homemade jam - I felt like I was in heaven!! We then burned this off with a good walk up the surrounding hills with amazing views. We lost the path twice which involved us having to scramble up a steep hillside at one stage. At the end of a long hot walk we were rewarded with a swim under a waterfall - very refreshing. The next day we hired an English speaking guide and went with a German couple into the jungle to look at the local flora and fauna. We spotted some interesting frogs who decided to give us a rendition of the frog chorus when the heavens opened just after lunch. We got absolutely drenched but it was still an enjoyable experience. On our final day we went to some ruins at El Fuerte. These were pretty interesting and we spent a good couple of hours wandering around. Saw more interesting flora & fauna. We were so sad to leave Samaipata. The food was amazing, the place was amazing, and our hostel was positively luxurious with its own private balcony - a real hidden gem in Bolivia!

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