Blogs from Puerto Suárez, Santa Cruz Department, Bolivia, South America

We crossed the border and stayed in a hostel in Puerto Quijarro which was more like a hotel. With supposedly the biggest swimming pool in Bolivia (25metres!) and a great view of the Pantanal we thought we’d splash out and stay for a week. From here we did a boat tour of the Pantanal (world’s largest wetland ecosystem) and got up close to some alligators, otters and lots of birds. We spent our days lying in hammocks, doing some lengths in the pool and getting up to watch the sunrise. It took us a few days to realise that there’s a time difference and had actually been getting up at 5am, eating lunch at 11 and going to bed at 9! No wonder the hostel owner looked at us funny when we ordered food! We found ... read more

Blog to appear at a later date.... read more

Voila un mois pile poil que nous sommes arrivés en Bolivie, le 5 novembre, après notre merveilleux trip dans le Panthanal, direction la gare de Quijarro pour prendre le train de 16h, appelé "el tren de la muerte", qui cela dit en passant était fort confortable, cette allusion était peut-être dû au fait qu'il mettait 17h pour parcourir seulement quelques 100km, jusqu'à Santa Cruz. Il faut dire qu'il était vraiment lent et encore je pèse mes mots, si Jon ou moi d'ailleurs aurions couru à côté du train s'aurait été pareil, quoique je ne me sente pas encore capable de courir pendant 17h!!! C'est peut-être aussi, ce qui est plu probable, dû au fait que dans les années 50, beaucoup de ces trains ont déraillés. Bref nos 17h dans le train ont été parsemés de multiples ... read more

BOLIVIA...BOLIVIA...BOLIVIA....BOLIVIA...BOLIVIA...BOLIVIA... sorry, getting a bit carried away after the humazing 6 - 1 victory to Bolivia last Wednesday...April fool´s day, what a fool those argies are, although I must be quiet because I am in fact typing in a cafe in Argentina! shhhhhhh....Yes, that´s right - I got out!!! you can call back the helicopters and speedboats and SAS task force, there is no longer any need to continue the search for the lost bouncyn boundin burnsie who dissappeared in Bolivia! here I am - across the border, passport stamped, bags searched, rubber gloves, drugs found, bribe paid, BOO..! (nah - only joking about those last bits) here I am, I´m waving from Salta, North of Argentina, below the Salt lakes of Bolivia ...ugggggh - Bolivia - I hear that word and it makes me shiver...ugghhhhh....an ... read more

We made it to Bolivia! The Pantanal was so fun, Rachel and I went with a tour group for 4 days, and it was so great. Basically, it was like Summer Camp. We stayed in Cabins and there was a main lodge with probably 40 other tourists there. We were in a group of 7 with a guide who was like our counselor and would take us on different activities every day. We rode horses, tubed down the Rio Pirahna, went fishing for Piranhas, played volleyball, took a Jeep Safari, and also a boat tour. It was really kind of bizarre and hilarious at the same time. As for the Pantanal, it is a very unique place because half of the year it is a swamp because of the rainy season, and half the year it ... read more

Bolivia, Bolivia, Boilvia! I was all tears and smiles yesterday when we arrived because this beautiful countries reminds me so much of Guatemala and all my wonderful experiences there.....This country is rich in their indigenous culture and you can feel it in the air :) Wanted to update you on some random, funny quotes that have kept Becky and I laughing and crying throughout our trip...Some of you may derive pleasure reading these and others may just be confused...nontheless.... Scene One: Becky: I´m tired. Rachel: Its Probably because you have poop in you. Becky: What? (Becky was having some digestive issues and I speculated that her exhuastion was due to this with my poor english :P) Scene Two: Entering one a hotel room in Brazil: Rachel: This place smells like Amish. Becky: What does Amish smell ... read more

Não me lembro direito a que horas acordamos no terceiro dia de viagem - o primeiro em que começaríamos a viagem "de verdade". Talvez tenha ligado para casa, sei que saí para comprar bolachas e água para a viagem (com o Gabriel e o João, não tenho certeza). Tomamos um café no albergue, fizemos uns sanduíches para levar no trem (e dividimos com a galera de Campinas), fomos almoçar o mais cedo possível para chegar o quanto antes no trem da morte, para ninguém roubar os nossos lugares, hehe. Acabamos saindo do albergue de Corumbá meio-dia em ponto, horário para o qual reservamos três táxis. O trem sairia à uma da tarde, mas com a diferença do fuso horário, chegaríamos na Bolívia 11h30 no horário local. Dito e feito, chegamos no horário previsto. A estação ferroviária ... read more

Hey everybody! Thats the story about the way toBolivia from my city (São Paulo), i've picked a 22 hours bus from SPaulo to Puerto Quijarro, and then i was supposed to pick up the train to Santa Cruz de La Sierra. But in the lasts days it rained a lot in the region (Pantanal) and then all the trails were under water. Then i had to pick up a taxi to a near village, Yacuses, where i picked a train to Santa Cruz, not "a" train, but "the" train, The Death Train! It was the hottest 26 hours from all my life, but it was very funny because of the views, the people (very poor bolivian people who works in Brazil and were going back to Bolivia) and the very funny children selling all the stuff ... read more