Santa Cruz

After the altitude and cold of La Paz, we flew back to Santa Cruz and stayed there for almost a week. Most tourists don't get lost in Santa Cruz because there isn't really much to experience. But we were also there for another reason. We have been financially supporting a sponsored child near Santa Cruz for some time, and now we had the opportunity to visit the village and the family. The whole day was super organized by the organization through which we sponsored. We were picked up in the morning at our accommodation and then drove two hours to the small village where Jesus and his family live. We were received at the school and the school children had prepared a dance to welcome us. Then we met the school children and teachers and played soccer and danced with the children. After that, we also met little Jesus and his whole family and were able to give them our gifts. During a traditional lunch, we had plenty of time to exchange with the family and the teachers and learn more about life in Bolivia and specifically in the area. Everyone was very inclusive and interested in us. So we spent a really great day there and we will definitely come back to see how the development in the village and the whole area is going and of course to get to know Jesus even better.

The following days in Santa Cruz we spent relaxing and enjoying the beautiful weather, and wandered around the city a bit, which is actually quite nice, even though it's a city with over 3 million inhabitants. One day we visited the Lomas de Arena sand dunes, which was really cool, and one evening we did a wine tasting. That was a really nice evening. The very nice host had a absolute passion for wine and introduced us to some award-winning Bolivian red wines. Although we're not the biggest fans of red wine, all four wines were surprisingly delicious. Together with the good food, it was a very successful evening.