Tropical Samaipata
Trip Start
Dec 29, 2007
1
48
50
Trip End
Sep 01, 2008
Samaipata,
Bolivia
Saturday, June 7, 2008
We stayed at the fabulous Posada del Sol, where we were well looked after by the owners Trent and Maria who honstely served the best breakfast in town. So it was home cured bacon and eggs during our stay,taken in the garden overlooking the verdant valley below.
Our first full day was spent exploring the local town and checking our options for trekking through Amboro National Park. We visited a local animal sanctuary, wherehomes are provided for abandoned pets and animals that have ´outgrown´ their owners. This included a couple of howler monkeys (very noisy!), some capuchins, toucans, squirrel monkeys and turtles
Junio the howler monkey mid howl
. It was quite a lot of fun walking around the enclosures and the monkeys in particular were great value. Later that afternoon we made the mistake of listening to a cab driver who seemed to think the weather was good for visiting the locl waterfalls, but when we arrived it was drab and overcast; in stark contrast to the glorious sunshine in Samaipata town. However, we decided to make the most of it and spent a couple of hours walking the trails before the cold got the better of us and we headed back to town.The following day we spent at El Fuerte, pre-Inca ruins lying just outside the town. After watching a mildly informative video at the museum, we took a taxi to the site, which ws situated on a hill about 15mins drive away. Once again the weather was our friend and we were able to enjoy clear views and sushine while we walked around the site. After a picnic lunch at the summit we descended the hill by foot, imagining a leisurely stroll back to town. This was initially disrupted by a spontaneous rescue mission of a small puppy, who had seemingly been abandoned on the side of the road. But we couldn´t be sure! However, that became a small side issue just as we reached the outskirts of town, when a car appeared to lose control and went careering off the road right next to us! It took a few seconds for us to come our senses and realise that Roly had been knocked off his feet, having been hit by the front of the car and rolled off the bonnet
Parrots
. Thankfully there were no serious injuries, and we were given a lift the local clinic to check for any damage. But in all the commotion the dog was lost....As an antidote to all the action from the previous two days, we spent the next one relaxing in the local luxury hotel´s pool and grounds, overlooking the township below. The weather was fine once again, so after a leisurely breakfast we took a taxi to the hotel, paid our 30B entrance fee and pounced on the sun loungers. Unfortunately the water in the pool was stone cold, but it was enjoyable to warm back up after an icy cold dip!
Our last day, and we finally made it to Amboro Park for a three hour walk through the fern forest, spotting wildlife and different types of fauna. The tour was quite informative and just the low impact version we´d been hoping for!The views from the lunch spot of the andes was absolutely spectacular. But this signalled the end of our time in Samaipata, as my travel partners had a volunteers farewell party to attend in Santa Cruz and I´d also managed to forget my towel at Jodanga back there. So with the tempting offer of travelling on with the girls and the prospect of retrieving my towel, it was back to Santa Cruz for the weekend!
