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It is now about six months since I left England and it is time to bring things up to date. In February, Jane left me in Cuzco to return to the UK and welcome the daffodils and the snow. I made a short trip to La Paz with friends and to the small town of Coroico that I enjoyed visiting so much during my last stay in Bolivia. Then I returned by plane to the city of Santa Cruz and from there to Samaipata where I had already found a little house to rent.
The house is basically two large rooms with terrace and garden. The first room is the living room and the second the bedroom. Off the first is a small kitchen and off the second a small bathroom. In other words, it is all I really need. There are beautiful views of the village from the terrace or large picture window and it is a short ten-minute walk to the plaza or to the market.
Samaipata boasts a number of very good and reasonably priced restaurants, some run by Europeans, others by Bolivians. At any of them two people could eat quite well for five
View from the terrace
I wake up to this view every morning and the majority of mornings are as sunny as this, occasionally with early mist on the hills. It never ceases to inspire me. pounds between them, not including wine which usually sells at about 60p a glass. Bolivia produces two or three quite good wines and a couple of beers. The food in these restaurants is not typically Bolivian but for even cheaper prices one can find typical Bolivian food at a number of other places. Bolivian food usually includes chicken. A fixed price lunch menu, which you can find for under a pound, includes a soup which might have rice and vegetables in it but also a piece of meat, a main course which is likely to be chicken, and a pudding which may only be a jelly. It is wholesome and generally of a reasonable quality. So, as you can see, one could eat out most of the time without really expending much money.
In addition to the restaurants in the centre of Samaipata are two or three places further afield but within walking distance. One is a garden centre cum hostel with small cabins that was established more than 20 years ago by a Dutch couple. There light food and drinks are served and one can sit on their terrace overlooking the organic gardens, sipping tea, eating scones and
Local Hero
On the way to the local archeological site, El Fuerte, is this head of an Inka warrior on the cliff face. People differ in their opinions as to whether this happened naturally, ie mysteriously, or by the hands of someone. Perhaps a little crop circles? playing Scrabble! There is also a zoo about an hour’s walk along country lanes. It is really more of an animal rescue centre but houses a number of different monkeys, some of which roam free, a range of different tropical birds and a wild cat or two. It is worth the walk just to spend some time with Ñoño, one of the monkeys who is known to sing if you play him the music from your mobile phone and will sit on your shoulder and wrap himself around your head like a fur cap.
The journey from Samaipata to the city of Santa Cruz is normally two and a half to three hours but during the recent rainy season it took a lot longer. There were a number of landslides along the route and a couple of bridges collapsed, making the journey interesting to say the least. On one occasion, at the site of one collapsed bridge, we had to get out of the bus we were on, wade through mud to a makeshift pedestrian bridge and then through further mud till we reached a bus that could take us into the city. On another occasion, my trip into
Fern Forest
In part of the Amboro National Park one finds these giant ferns. The ones in the picture are small in comparison with those found deeper into the forest. There is also a wealth of wild and plant life. and from the city took six hours each way, on both occasions having to wait in our vehicle while mud was removed from the road. Apparently this year’s rainy season caused more damage than any for over 20 years. Many houses collapsed and life for people living in the valleys could be quite treacherous. Yet Bolivians take all this in their stride as if it were nothing major. I never heard one person make a fuss.
So I moved in here at the end of February and feel quite at home. I have a small number of students coming to the house to learn English, most of them quite beginners. With a dearth of materials available to me, I’m having to make my own and hope that I can keep the classes reasonably interesting and amusing. My students range from the two small nephews of a friend to tourist guides who can only come in the evening after work. I keep the mornings free for my own writing and visits to the market etc. I forgot to mention the very excellent French bakery in Samaipata which is also a small cafe. There one can find all the usual French
One of my neighbours
I took this of Ñoño at the local animal rescue centre. I think you will agree that he has quite a personality. breads and cakes out might expect in Europe at a fraction of the price. The market itself is open every day though not every stall is open each day. One can always find fresh fruit and vegetables (I’m almost addicted to papaya which I eat for breakfast every day with freshly made local yoghurt and local honey), though the range varies from day to day.
There are quite a number of Europeans and Americans living in Samaipata, all it seems attracted by the very beautiful countryside and the slow pace. A number of these foreigners run tour companies to some of the local sights. The nearest of these is El Fuerte, a most fascinating ceremonial site dating to before Christ. It is on the top of a mountain with stunning views. Since receiving Unesco World Heritage support, it now has a good visitor centre and well organised trail around the property which also includes the remains of some Inka and Hispanic settlements. Another nearby attraction is Cuevas, a series of small waterfalls with pools where one can bathe. It is popular with local people on weekends and a good picnic spot. Other attractions I have yet to explore include the Amboro National Park which is home to more species of flora and fauna than the whole of the United States and Canada combined including a giant fern forest, and the Che Guevara trail - sites of Che’s last campaign and his untimely end at the hands of CIA trained soldiers. Not too far away are some beautiful Jesuit mission villages where, at the end of this month, a festival of Baroque music is held. I very much hope to be able to attend some of these concerts.
So, as you can see, life is far from dull and I continue to enjoy my exploration of life in Bolivia. Some say Bolivia is the heart of Latin America. Others say it is both the poorest and richest country in Latin America, for though economically low on the global success tables, it is home to a vast amount of natural resource in the form of forest, mountains, lakes, wildlife and much more. Culturally it is very rich in music, art and customs which are very much alive and celebrated throughout the country. In time I hope to do justice to this beautiful country and culture in my blogs but for the time being, thanks for reading and lots of love. Eve
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