Where the Condors Fly

Santa Cruz is Bolivia biggest city, but don't make it a destination. It is depressing and exists mainly as Bolivia's commercial center. What is not to miss is neighboring Samaipata. It is a swank little tourist/hippie town that has some of the countries greatest hiking including Condor trekking and Incan ruins.

Santa Cruz is about 300 meters above sea level and was hot enough to make someone roast within their own skin. Samaipata was amazing pleasant at around 1650 meters. Within a 3 hour taxi ride you start to ascend into the Cordillera Occidental and the flora changes from tropical to cloud forest.

The puebla has a lot to offer as well. The town is full of vegetarian restaurants, local markets, a museum for local artifacts and anthropology, a World War 1 plane that crashed in the town and then was made into a statue, and plenty of pleasant streets to keep the tourism at awe.

While I am a hiking fanatico, my favorite part of Samaipata was the Zooligico. It is an animal refuge. They take animals in that have been illegally obtained or abused and give them a place to recover and live. This included birds, llamas, mountain pigs, turtles, and the fan favorite monkeys.