Bolivia, Samaipata - a peaceful village

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About six different ticket vendors cluster around us at Sucre's terminal. They start to shout one over another without even knowing where we want to go. The loudest one shouts about his tickets for a bed bus. The one standing next to his right hand has only seats. Another adds that his bus has a toilet and another one denigrated him by saying there is no toilet in his bus.

Once they learn where we travel to they squabble who can get us there cheaper. We decided for one who was among the cheapest. He has a toilet in his bus and departs later in the evening (so we would get to Samaipata early in the morning). Then we follow him to get our tickets. I talk to the guy at the box office, the driver and the man who loads our baggage that we want to get off in Samaipata so he shouldn't put our backpacks too deep into the bus. Eventually, there is no toilet on this bus. I don't mind. However, when I wake up at 5:30 a.m. and see the GPS I find out we are about 30 kilometers past Samaipata. I can't believe what I see. The driver only shrugs his shoulders. He doesn't mind as well. Then we spend entire morning to get from Santa Cruz to Samaipata which is 120 kilometers..

Samaipata is a village sitauted in a forest covered area at 1650 m. It was worth the hectic ride from Santa Cruz. You can find it in the province of Florida, the south of Bolivia in the premountains of the Cordellery Oriental. There live around 5 thousand people. It is quite a calm and quiate village with only one square in the center of which is a sundial. Parrots fly among the trees. There is a white belfry rising atop buildings in the village center. It is a part of a beige churh. In the evening it finally gets warmer than at other places in Bolivia. So we can sit and walk even after the sun sets The village is known for El Fuerte, a pre-Inca archeological excavation site. Also, La Higuera village is nearby. It is the place where Che Guevara was killed. There is a trail which bears his name. 

On our first day, we walk in the area around the village. We plan to see the local zoo (it looks rather like a dog capture facility). Then we would cross the valley, climb the ridge and walk it down to 1750 Wines.

However, our plan doesn't go well. Recently, sobody bought a land, built a house, enclosed it with a fence and closed the entrance to the original sidewalk which went through here. Unfortunately, there is still no access onto the sidewalk. There is a huge wave of immigrants from foreign countries coming to Samaipata. They build here new houses, restaurants, hotels etc. Fortunately, we happen to be there at the beginning of this boom. I am curious about the fate of the village in the future.

We get to 1750 Wines (the number refers to the altitude where wine grapes grow) by following the road from Samaipata. We make a quick get around at the vineyard. There is a building about 10 years old where wine is produced. It looks very modern and nice inside. The local wine production estimates to about 100 thousand litres per season. They produce white, rose, and red wine. However, every wine is dry.

The wine master was just going to have his lunch when he caught us among the bushes. He makes a quick tour around his vineyard for us and tells us some interesting things. HE shows us where wine is made and types of wines coming out of the production. Resort Pueblito is situated just above the village. The man sends us there. However, it is just a hotel complex consisting of several white buildings nicknamed "Pueblito" (a hamlet). The admission is ten BOL. I can't quite comprehend it. I just think if I can get inside for free when I am going there to ask about the price for accommodation.

There is a hill above the village. From its top you can enjoy splendid vista over Samaipata down in the valley and hills covered of forests around. These hills mark an end to the Andes. We are far away from the gigantic mountains and we are going to drive another several dozen kilometers further to reach Santa Cruz, a dry, warm, and dusty city. One could call Samaipata a modern village for its restaurants, fast foods, and hotels. Yet it still preserves its village nature. Fortunately, crowds of foreigners trying their new beginning here, will not harm to traditional life in this peaceful village.

GPS: 18°10'33.9"S 63°52'32.0"W

Text and photos: Tomáš Novák