Samaipata

Samaipata is a small country town situated approximately 80km south west of Santa Cruz amongst the foothills of the Cordillera Oriental. It is fast becoming a tourist hotspot due to its relaxed nature, friendly locals and numerous activities situated in and around the town. The numerous tour agencies offer a wide range of excursions to suit everyone's budget and interest level. From camping and hiking to bird watching and cultural trails you will struggle to find any down time. The town itself also has plenty to offer, with daily markets selling some of the freshest local produce, relaxing in the town square whilst playing a lazy game of chess or take a short stroll out to the animal refuge centre where you can sit and watch a wide range of rescued animals.

The tour company we chose to go with was Jukimari Tours, operated by local and ever friendly Erwin. He has a range of tours to choose from, from half day to 3 day all inclusive, with both Spanish and English options available.

The two tours we did with Erwin were the 2 day camping trip into Amboro National Park, see previous post, and a one day trip to go see the condors. One thing that most people aren't aware of is that Bolivia is a great place to spot condors in the wilderness and Samaipata is one of the best, as it has natural viewing areas that are above where the condors land and rest, so it's possible to get that up close and personal feel. Whilst we weren't lucky enough to get this experience, due to the colder temperatures at the time, we still did manage to see the condors circling in the up drafts.

If tours aren't your thing and you would prefer to do the exploring yourself then I highly suggest taking a short stroll out of town to the Zoológico El Refugio. This rescue centre has been established for over 6 years and cares for numerous animals that are sick, injured or have been rescued from neglected homes. Some of the animals you may find there included, ducks, geese, deer, owls, wild cats, parrots, tortoises, dogs and the very friendly monkeys. But be warned some of the monkeys are loose and do like to play. For the low low entry fee of 10 Bolivianos it makes for a great morning or afternoon.

Another great trip that can be done by yourself is a hike up to the World Heritage Listed site El Fuerte de Samaipata. Approximately 10km east, back to Santa Cruz, up amongst the surrounding Andes mountains it is one of the largest and most important archeological sites in Bolivia. The site consists of many ancient carvings and ruins split into two different areas; the religious area and the administrative area. The religious area predominately consists of a large rock (220m x 60m) entirely covered by carved works relating to sacred gods and a suspected solar calander. The administrative area is quite different as it takes on different architecture styles from various cultural settlement throughout history, from the "Mojocoyas" (800-1300AD) to the "Incas" (1400-1450AD) and finally the Hispanic colony. This site is defiantly worth the walk, but there is also taxis and tour options available, just be sure to check the weather forecast before hiking up as it can get a bit wet up there as we found out.

- Ryan -