South America - Day 31
Travel to Santa Cruz
The three leaving us set of quite early that day. We caught them before they left to say our final goodbyes. There were concerns about the clouds/fog delaying flights or closing the airport for the day. Some flights were delayed, but not by much.
We left for the airport late morning and set about having lunch at the airport. What a disaster! The food was average, but not the main issue. We waited over 30 mins to pay the bill and that was while we were standing at the counter. I have no idea what was going on, but the guy even took a big note off us but didn't give us change for ages. He even served & let other people pay in the meanwhile. I was so angry! I couldn't wait to get out of the place.
When our plane arrived (on the very short little runway), I realized that it was on old Boeing 727. The Australian airlines haven't used these for about 15 years because they we just too old to maintain. It was a bit nostalgic and a bit scary all at the same time.
When our plane arrived (on the very short little runway), I realized that it was on old Boeing 727. The Australian airlines haven't used these for about 15 years because they we just too old to maintain. It was a bit nostalgic and a bit scary all at the same time.
After a slightly worrying take off in Sucre, the flight was actually quite pleasant and we arrived safely in Santa Cruz. The first thing we noticed was the humidity and the heavier air. It was so good to be able to breathe properly again. We were now on the outskirts of the Amazon Basin.
We settled into our hotel and went for a wander around the town. It was pretty much what I thought Brazil was going to look like. Apparently the Bolivians down in the lowlands think of themselves more as Brazilians than Bolivians. The place has that Brazilian feel.
That night we caught taxis to a barbecue restaurant where we had a mega meat feast. The lowlands people like to eat like their neighbours as well. (We found out not long after that, cattle aren't at all scarce in Brazil & Argentina.) It was great to be able to get a decent feed again.
We settled into our hotel and went for a wander around the town. It was pretty much what I thought Brazil was going to look like. Apparently the Bolivians down in the lowlands think of themselves more as Brazilians than Bolivians. The place has that Brazilian feel.
That night we caught taxis to a barbecue restaurant where we had a mega meat feast. The lowlands people like to eat like their neighbours as well. (We found out not long after that, cattle aren't at all scarce in Brazil & Argentina.) It was great to be able to get a decent feed again.
