Trip to Santa Cruz and Samaipata

Since we had some time between Christmas and New Year, we decided to spontaneously take another trip to warm, tropical areas in Santa Cruz. However, we did not calculate that everything would be closed on our arrival on December 26th. Even our hostel, which we had booked in advance for once, was closed in the morning and so we had to carry our backpacks through half of the city. The rain did not make this experience any better. In the afternoon, we met up with Tarco, a local we had met on a tour in Torotoro. He showed us 'his' city and we ate typical regional dishes in a great restaurant.

The next day, we continued to Samaipata, which is only 3 hours away. This small village is located in beautiful surroundings in the mountains. The next morning, we decided to take a taxi to the nearby Inca ruins and go for a short hike there, finally walking back to the village. Unfortunately, Petrus was not on our side again and it started raining just as we started the circular hike. By the end of the 1-hour hike, we were so soaked that we hitched a ride back to the village with a local couple. The next day, the sun was shining again and we went for a hike in the hills around the village. We enjoyed the beautiful landscape, the peace, and the sun.