An undulating sea of sand stretches into the horizon. Devoid of colour, motion, and sound, the landscape is like a canvas not yet touched by the artist's brush. Sitting cross-legged atop a sand dune in the heart Santa Cruz de la Sierra's national park, it was as if I had entered limbo.
Santa Cruz is an south-eastern Bolivian city that is 13 hours by road, or one hour by air, from the country's administrative capital, La Paz. Having already reached the limits of my capacity for torturous bus rides through the Andes, I was happy to fork out US$110 for the latter option.
But catching a domestic flight in Bolivia is not quite as painless as one might expect, especially for a couple of Spanish-language-disabled backpackers. Even though we arrived at the airport in La Paz no less than two hours before take off (and an hour before our travel agent's recommendation), our misinterpretation of "pre-boarding" announcements left us sitting in the airport terminal, confusedly watching our plane taxi away.
Fortunately, flights between La Paz and Santa Cruz leave relatively frequently. Airport staff were understanding and helpful, so it was barely another hour's wait before we were on our way.
It took 30 minutes by taxi to get from the airport to the city centre, during which time I became immensely glad that I was not travelling alone. In the darkness, we were driven past sleazy, neon-addressed clubs, along streets that were surprisingly deserted at only 11pm. Our taxi driver seemed to be leaving us to our fate in a dark alley about two blocks from the town square. We were much relieved to find our Lonely Planet recommended hostel behind a locked, unmarked gate across the road.
In the light of day, however, Santa Cruz takes on a new atmosphere altogether. In stark contrast with grey, metropolitan La Paz, Santa Cruz has the look of a geographically displaced tropical oasis. Palm trees line the Plaza 24 de Septiembre, which is the city-centre town square where all-day coffee carts service relaxed cambas (Santa Cruz residents) along with the city's few tourists.
For Bolivia's most populous city, with a population of 1.3 million, Santa Cruz seems surprisingly laid back. Streets are wide and uncongested, and all around are seemingly content people strolling along meandering paths. It is near impossible to get anything done between the hours of one and three in the afternoon, when most stores shut for a siesta. This was somewhat of an annoyance for Jim and myself, as we would often only emerge from sleep during this time.
Santa Cruz's majestic sand dunes lay a 20 minute drive from the city centre, in the Parque Lomos de Arena. The recently restructured national park is said to be a popular weekend destination for local families. However, when we visited on a Thursday morning, the park was completely deserted but for a few rangers and other staff.
Without the use of a four-wheel drive, arriving at the dunes is a challenge in itself. It takes about an hour to stroll from the park entrance to the dunes, but the walk is well worth it just for a whiff of the surreal blankness atop the mounds.
By night, Santa Cruz is as quiet as ever - at least, until at least 2am when the city's nightclub strip, Equipatrol, comes to life. How cambas keep themselves entertained between dinner time and nightclub hour remains a mystery to me. Unable to find much with which to amuse ourselves in the interim, Jim and I limited our nightlife experiences to the average-sounding Santa Cruz Rock festival, and a visit to the rather infamous Caesar's.
I very much enjoyed the relaxed feel of Santa Cruz, but was definitely ready to leave by the end of our week-long stay. And what an adventure leaving would be - we were bound for Buenos Aires, Argentina on 40-hour-long bus ride!
posted by liz at
9:27 AM
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