Ciao!

Green (is a Christmas color)

I got to the bus station & jumped on the first bus out to Santa Cruz. I was on the road less than two minutes after falling out of the taxi w/ my bag. The altiplano wasn't too cold, the movie played on the bus wasn't too bad, and the descent from Cochabamba towards Santa Cruz was as green & lush as ever. But a long trip (15+ hours) w/ little sleep.

The change between the two cities is a stark (and welcome) contrast. And not just the weather. I've yet to be hounded by beggars (from Potosí or elsewhere). It's not that there isn't poverty in Santa Cruz, it's just not nearly as obvious.

Sam & I followed our tío Ruben (a civil engineer) to his work projects, supervising a luxury apartment building & a walled-in community. Santa Cruz is constantly renovating, building taller buildings in a once flat landscape. It's remarkable — the sleepy little town I grew up in is turning into a full-fledged modern metropolis.

Tonight we go out w/ some cousins, and then a much-needed sleep. It just started raining, after a slow shift in the wind. It's gonna be a tropical Christmas.

Posted by Miguel at 07:25 PM

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