"Some Volunteer Work, and Interaction with Locals" Santa Cruz de la Sierra by glabah

This is probably the last page on earth you want to come for information on Santa Cruz. Much can change over the course of 8 years, and it has been that long - or at least nearly so.

I visited the city in November of 2001 as part of some volunteer service at a small church well outside the city center. Since I did not come to visit tourist attractions, and most of my time was spent doing things other than tourist activities, there isn't too much I can offer with regard to advice on this city.

a typical roadside market outside central downtown

I can tell you that in the Santa Cruz I visited in 2001:

+ While fairly nice, the core central downtown area has a few agressive money seekers near the main city plaza. While they won't get extremely violent if you refuse to give them something, you may expect some mild pranks, such as hiding behind objects and yelling at you to surprise you and make you jump.

+ There are a few nice memorabilia stores near the main plaza downtown.

+ The big Roman Catholic church near the main city plaza is a fairly nice place to visit, but it is also fairly dark. You don't want to use a flash in there either, as it is a holy place. Your best bet is probably a tripod and film camera, and leave the shutter open for a 5 or 10 minute or more exposure. Like I said: it's dark in there, and long exposure time is about your only recourse in there.

+ The city does have a zoo, with a number of South American animal species in it. It is not an especially nice zoo (at least it wasn't when I was there) but considering the lack of money for their operation, it is OK.

+ Once you get outside the core central downtown area, you will find that a number of city streets are simply not paved - or don't even have a good gravel or dirt surface. Some of them are almost soft sand.

+ If you are riding a public bus, it is not unusual for child to get on, play or sing a song of some sort, and then expect payment from the passengers for the entertainment provided.

+ Loans to build buildings are almost impossible to obtain by most people. Therefore, many people and organizations construct buildings piece by piece as they money and time to do the work are available. You can see such an uncompleted building in the photo at the top of the page.