Monday 17th June
After checking out of our hotel, we lugged our stuff through town as we searched for an ATM that would give us cash. We then bought tickets for a flight to La Paz for the following Monday and took a shared taxi out of Santa Cruz to Samaipata. We shared the journey with a middle-aged Bolivian woman, who was on her way to a history and archaeology conference. We passed the journey chatting to her about travel, bakery (her mother turned out to be the Bolivian Mary Berry), Bolivia and everything in between. Once in Samaipata, we were dropped off at our hotel, checked in and walked around town before settling in a café. Back at our hotel, which is also a restaurant, we tried to work a little but the wifi didn't want to co-operate.
Tuesday 18th June
I rushed us out of our hotel in the morning to visit El Fuerte, a pre Incan ruin just outside of Samaipata. We enjoyed the views of the surrounding countryside, but didn't understand the history very well. Back in town, we had a filling lunch on the square and then I succumbed to having a nap, while Zab worked. When I got up, I worked as well, and then Zab ended up chatting to our neighbours, a Dutch couple, for a while before we went out for a light dinner.
Wednesday 19th June
Work filled the morning, followed by lunch on the square again. More work in the afternoon, as the weather wasn't that great. In the evening, we went out with a lovely couple from London, also travelling indefinitely.
Thursday 20th June
Zab worked in the morning, but I felt a little bit sick and sorry for myself, so I watched episodes of Star Trek on my iPod. For lunch, we went out to the square and did some travel planning. In the afternoon, we had a nice walk out of town to visit the slightly unimpressive animal refuge, though we were tickled by a rather diva-ish turkey. Later, we spent a lovely evening hanging out in our hotel with a Czech and Estonian couple who live in Austria.
Friday 21st June
Soon after breakfast, we caught a shared taxi (with a family of six) back to Santa Cruz, where we checked back in to the same hotel as the previous week and then went for lunch in the main square. The afternoon was spent doing a bit of work and relaxing, then in the evening, we met a friend for dinner.
Saturday 22nd & Sunday 23rd June
On both days, work filled the morning, and the weather didn't encourage us to do much more. Lunch was a prolonged affair, to make up for the nothing better to do. More work, and no small amount of procrastination in the afternoon, then we either met a friend in a café or sat in our room and watched movies.
