Weekend in Samaipata

Just under three hours by car from the city of Santa Cruz lies Samaipata - a cozy little village nestled among green hills. It is a kind of haven for expats and is home to a bunch of European immigrants who have come to Bolivia more or less on a spiritual journey. Quiet, manageable, and friendly - exactly what you need for a relaxing weekend. This also applies to many native city dwellers who find their way here. Nevertheless, from our point of view, it was anything but crowded - to be honest, there wasn't much going on.

After arriving, checking in, and the obligatory first coffee visit at the plaza - that's usually how most of our arrivals in a new place go - we visited "El Refugio," which is located a little outside. The small animal rescue center was founded years ago by a Swiss woman - we didn't know that at first - and houses a few animals in cages, but also many that roam freely. For example, a larger monkey (to be precise, a female monkey), a cute peccary (dark-haired pig), some cheeky coatis (South American raccoon-like animals), or Pippi Longstocking's Mr. Nilsson. This includes a few dogs and, to Seraina's great delight, two very young kittens who are wandering around. So it was a successful afternoon.

Despite a relaxing weekend, there was no laziness planned. We spent two cool days in the surroundings of Samaipata. The first day, we spent at the ruins of "El Fuerte." The site has not been discovered for long and dates back to cultures even before the Incas. It has served as a spiritual and strategically important military point on the hill with a view over the valley. There are some basic house foundations and a huge boulder with inscriptions to visit. A leisurely walk leads through the entire complex and past the most important explanations.

We then moved from the cultural site to a beautiful spot in nature - the Cuevas. And no, these are not caves - they are waterfalls. Why the misleading name, we still don't know. But the three-tiered waterfalls are cool, and the refreshment on a mostly sunny day is absolutely welcome. With our day taxi Gabriel, we then returned to Samaipata. For dinner, we went for the second time to the highly recommended "Tierra Libre" - yummy!

The second day started early. At 6 o'clock, we were picked up by Javier, accompanied by only one Swedish fellow traveler - the drive took about 2 hours across the hills into the green wilderness. A relatively steep trek awaited us, and the first hour was quite demanding - then it became more leisurely. In the end, we reached our destination easily - a kind of plateau with breathtakingly beautiful views of the surrounding hills and forests. And with a view of the condors. Despite suboptimal weather conditions, some specimens showed themselves, effortlessly gliding through the heights of the air with the help of thermal currents. After lunch and some beautiful panoramic photos, the somewhat arduous descent began - but of course, we also mastered that. On the way back, we stopped at the Pajcha waterfall for a refreshing visit - a very cool but worthwhile experience.