Traveling with my parents, Santa Cruz, and a night bus from Samaipata to Sucre.

September 28, 11:25

MY PARENTS ARE HERE!! We arrived at the airport around 4:30 this morning, so we are TIRED. But of course, we’re also super happy to see each other, so that makes up for it! And right now that means: It’s coffee time! This afternoon we will go to an ecological park to look at animals, which is the perfect opportunity for me to test out my new lens! I got it as a late birthday present (or half of it, actually), so I’m super excited to start using it!

Scroll to the bottom of this page to view some of the animal photos, or click here for a full photography page of Bolivia Animals.

September 29, 14:35

We arrived at Jardin de las Delicias, a waterfall in the National Park Amboró. It was a whole thing to arrange it. We couldn’t find a tour with normal pricing, so we decided to go by ourselves. After an hour in an Uber to a town called El Torno, we had to find a 4x4 that would bring us to the park. Once there, we got assigned a guide, cause you’re not allowed to enter the park alone. A journey, but we did it! Only to find the stream of water to be kinda small haha. But as they say, it’s all about the journey, not the destination.

waterfall in national park amboro, bolivia — *Jardin de las Delicias, waterfall in National Park Amboró, Bolivia.*

AND, on the way there, I got the best compliment ever. Right before the park, our 4x4 driver told us we had to pay an entrance fee, and asked me if I was Bolivian, because then there’s a lower fee. I said no, because obviously. So he shrugged his shoulders, said okay, and kept driving. Only 2 minutes later, he stopped the car again and told me that I should tell them that I am a Bolivian, cause my Spanish is good enough. WHAT. He thinks my Spanish is good enough?! That’s insane! I have been trying to learn and improve, but I thought it was going slowly. So, to hear from a local that it’s good and even good enough to pass for someone living here is just a great compliment and a good motivation to keep learning. So happy!

September 30, 12:48

At the moment, we are in a truffi, a sort of shuttle bus, to Samaipata. Super excited, cause there wasn’t much to do in Santa Cruz, and looking out the window, we are entering a really beautiful area of Bolivia. Traveling with my parents has now really started, it feels like. With all our backpacks tied on top of the van and us inside looking out the window to see the first glimpses of a new country.

October 1, 19:55

Such a nice day! We started the day at a coffee farm with a tour and tasting. And for me also Spanish practice, cause we had a guide who could only speak Spanish. So I had to translate for my parents. Afterwards, we went to a group of waterfalls, all so beautiful! And then, to see some Inca ruins. Just a great balance today between nature and culture. Another good part was that we had a taxi driver for the day! He waited for us at every location to bring us to the next. Just great!

October 2, 15:41

We thought we’d go for a short walk around town to two viewpoints. I mean it kinda was, but the walk also was about 300 meters up. And then it feels so much longer. Still pretty, but I am happy to be in a hammock right now. The good thing is, we already bought our dinner to go, so we don’t have to go into town anymore. YAY!

I have to change my travel pace and get more active. Since it’s the vacation of my parents and they have a limited amount of time here, we are doing way more than I am used to. And I get it, if it were the other way around, I would do the same. I remember the energy. I had it when Simone and I started this trip. But after almost 8 months, you get more tired by the day. Or lazy, as my mom calls it. 🙃

Dad and I in a hammock, in Samaipata, Bolivia — *Dad and I hanging in a hammock in Samaipata, Bolivia.*

October 3, 16:15

We just got back from a full-day hike through the National Park Amboró. I am so tired. My legs don’t want to move anymore. We walked almost 5 hours through the cloud forest with many huge fern trees. Super beautiful and a super nice hike, but I am so tired right now. And tomorrow we’re going to do ANOTHER hike: the Codo of the Andes. No rest for the wicked.

Fun fact: red dots on the tree are a sign of a very high air quality. We were breathing premium air, yeah baby.

October 4, 20:30

And we’re finally in the bus! Oh my god, what an adventure. I feel so bad for my parents. In the past months, the bus rides always went smoothly. It left on time, I got assigned the right seat, no further problems. But this time was different. We were supposed to go by taxi to a different town where the bus would pick us up. When we arrived at the location for the taxi, the woman who was supposed to drive us told us that she had no transportation. Somehow, the car was gone, and they couldn’t find another one. So she tried calling a bunch of people, while her son was driving around town on a motorbike to find a car, all without luck. About an hour later, they finally managed to find someone willing to drive us. First, two other travellers and my mom left, while my dad and I waited for the car to return to pick us up. The car was back quite fast, so they didn’t go to the other town. They were also calling with the bus company, so the bus was waiting for us on the side of the road. So when we finally entered the bus, relieved we made it in time, we found out our seats were taken. I went back to the chauffeur and told him there was no space, but then some people at the back of the bus started moving around and emptied the seats for us. One man sat down on the ground next to us, between my parents and me. Pretty annoying and in my space, but I feel like I shouldn’t complain cause it’s worse for him. Later, he at least got handed a blanket to sit on. Then another man in front of me started scrolling on Instagram with the volume on 1000. And suddenly it felt like I was in Peru again. I guess Bolivia is similar. Anyways, we are finally seated in the night bus to Sucre.