Samaipata, Bolivia - Day 51-56

We said goodbye to Brazil and crossed the border into Bolivia. We made the huge mistake of waiting to get our visas until the border crossing. It cost us an entire day of frustration. Among numerous crazy requirements that the border patrol officers wanted (which we didn't have on us), they wanted exact change in US dollars in crisp bills with absolutely no writing on them; these type of bills are very hard to come by. After almost 5 hours, we barely were able to cross.

From the border, we took an overnight train, called the "death train," to Santa Cruz, Bolivia. We think we know why, because it felt like the worst airplane turbulence we've ever experienced for the entire 13 hours. After stocking up on supplies and money in Santa Cruz, we headed straight for the beautiful and quiet mountain town of Samaipata. Samaipata is by far the most beautiful place we have visited and unbelievably cheap!

Typical landscape in Samaipata.

Relaxing at our luxurious hotel which cost a whole $21 per night!

All the food comes from local organic farms and everything is homemade, from the jelly and syrup to the bread. Everything was SO good and cheap. This meal cost a total of $2.50!

Short hike from the hotel, with Samaipata below us.

We visited pre-Incan ruins near the town called El Fuerte. The site is constructed from a large slab of rock. Historians believe the site was used for religious ceremonies, but many others believe it was a landing pad for aliens and come from very far away to feel the "intense energy" from the rock. It's apparent many people never leave once they come to feel the energy, as the town is filled with lots of hippies and 49 different nationalities!

The rock is exposed to the elements, so each day it gets a little more worn down. The doorways were used for blood sacrifices, maybe humans?

The area of the ruins was later used by Spanish conquistadors who used this area as a fort, hence the name "El Fuerte."

We did a day hike to an area with beautiful waterfalls, call Las Cuevas. Las Cuevas, which means caves, doesn't make much sense because there are no caves here.

We hiked through a Yunga forest in Parque Amboro, the 2nd largest park in Bolivia. It is not advised to go without a guide, and although trails do exist, there are no signs or markers and no way of seeing through the dense lush vegetation. Our guide studied Yunga forest botany in college and his mom is a natural medicine doctor for children, so he was able to point out many different plants and describe their medicinal uses! The Yunga forest is home to giant ferns that have been around since the dinosaurs! It feels like you are on the set of Jurassic Park. The ferns grow to about 25 ft tall and can live for 500 years, only growing 1 centimeter per year.

Cloud forest in Parque Amboro.

Giant ferns!