Hotels and Hostels in La Paz (Book Online!)

We’re at the end of our three month stay in Bolivia: one of the most incredible periods in our lives. In the past 91 days, we’ve seen more amazing places and done more exciting things than I could ever have anticipated. It’s been an experience that we’ll never forget.

Bolivia has left us exhausted. Beaten down, dirty, haggard, semi-cripples. We usually stay three months in a city, and this is the first time we’ve decided to jump around an entire country. Turns out, Bolivia is way too big to see in three months! We completely missed huge regions, such as Tarija. The entire eastern section of Bolivia received short shrift; we only had time for a few quick posts from Santa Cruz, and never got a chance to see the Chaco.

Still, the things we did see will be etched into our memories forever. The clean white horizons of Uyuni’s salt flats; the most bizarre area I’ve ever visited. The heartbreaking city of Potosí, under the shadow of the massive Cerro Rico — pillaged and past its prime, a living metaphor for the city that it once made unfathomably rich. The charming colonial heritage of Sucre, a city with an easy way of life we never expected to find in Bolivia.

La Paz! The bustling markets, filled with every color imaginable, from the bright reds and yellows of the fresh fruits available on every corner, to the neon greens and purples on the blankets of the Cholitas who dominate paceño street life. Packed into a gorgeous mountain valley, La Paz is desperately, almost frighteningly alive.

Cochabamba and its surrounding villages. Villa Tunari. The Isla de Sol. The rate at which we racked up incredible memories was almost nauseating. No chance to reflect on the mountain village festival, time to go on the jungle hike! Even on those rare nights we were able to rest, we kept ourselves busy by reading about the country’s tragic history, or hanging out with some of the cool people we were lucky enough to meet.

I can’t say we’re upset to leave. We’re sick of constantly being on the move, and both of us are ready for the comfort and amenities of Europe. For example, I’m looking very much forward to being able to flush toilet paper, instead of shoving it into overflowing bins. But regardless of the difficulties and the exhausting nature of our schedule, Bolivia has earned a spot in my heart from which it will never be dislodged. It’s the most beautiful country I’ve ever visited, and one I’ll never be able to forget.

Next, we’re onto Palermo, Italy, after a month-long break at our home base in Valencia, Spain. We hope that you continue to follow our travels.

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Great Hostels and Hotels in Santa Cruz

With our three months in Bolivia almost over, we arrived in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, the country’s most populous city. The Department of Santa Cruz is Bolivia’s biggest state, occupying almost the entire eastern half of the country. Consider: even though Bolivia is one of South America’s “small” countries, the department of Santa Cruz is bigger than Germany! The idea that three months would be enough time to comprehensively explore Bolivia was probably a little naive.

- Santa Cruz Travel Guide

Santa Cruz lies in Bolivia’s eastern lowlands, with a humid equatorial climate more reminiscent of Brazil than La Paz, and the culture is clearly distinct to the rest of Bolivia. The faces are less indigenous, the people bigger (both in height and width), and the stores more upscale. And the heat. We visited during the middle of winter, and I was sweating in shorts and T-shirts.

Bolivia is a strange conglomeration of diverse ethnicities living in three distinct climate zones, and suffers from the usual problems caused by the sharing of power and land. For most of history, government was controlled by richer Bolivians of European descent, but it was just a matter of time before the indigenous majority took over. And now that they have the power, it’s unlikely they’ll ever relent it. Aside from a coup or some other undemocratic maneuvering, it’s hard to imagine a return to a non-indigenous president.

The more affluent, whiter people of Santa Cruz don’t like it. When Evo Morales was elected, Santa Cruz was forced to acknowledge the future reality of their country, and found themselves presented with a choice. Should their gas-rich state be ruled by “Indians” from the highlands of La Paz? Or should they fight? Perhaps unsurprisingly, they chose to fight. In September of 2008, Santa Cruz tried to secede, almost certainly with the logistical support of the USA, whose distaste of leftist South American presidents apparently trumps their love of democracy. Surprising most observers, the military supported Morales and the coup failed.

But the distrust between Santa Cruz and the rest of the country remains strong. We heard a few things from people in La Paz along the lines of “I’d rather die than marry someone from Santa Cruz”. Ouch! I’ve said the same thing about people from Texas, but it was a joke. Here, I don’t think they’re fooling around!

Although Santa Cruz is a boom town, which has grown massively in the past couple decades, and doesn’t have a lot of historical or touristy sights, we’re excited to get exploring. We’ve already been to the gorgeous cathedral in the main plaza, 24 de Septiembre. And around the city, there’s plenty more to see, including a butterfly resort and a geologically inexplicable field of sand dunes.

Enjoy our first set of pictures, most of which were taken on the flight from La Paz to Santa Cruz.

Santa Cruz on our Bolivia Map