Mariposas y Estrellas
Above the highway hovered what at first I
thought were falling green leaves. But
as we got closer, I discovered it was a swarm of pale green butterflies,
welcoming me to the lush mountain forests of Eastern Bolivia.
For the next few days, as I prepare to revisit Samaipata, I decided to repost my second visit to this pretty little town. It filled me with so many great memories. I had fun. I laughed. And I discovered that I could write for hours if give n the chance. So here goes!
Friday, October 28, I headed out again as soon as school was out. Thursday, I told Mariela that I wanted to visit her house in Samaipata again. I was thinking closer to mid-November, but she gave me the keys. In my box, at school, before I left was a note that said “relax, sleep, breathe, restore, and be inspired.”
At noon, I found a trufi, a group taxi, heading to Samaipata. It costs about $4 for a 2 ½ hour trip. In Santa Cruz, it was getting hot. I ate a snack in the car and drank some cold water, but the heat put me to sleep. I slept until Angostura.
When I awoke, we had passed the flat lands
and straight road out of Santa Cruz. We
were now in the foothills of the Andes Mountains. The roads twisting and turning between hills
and overflowing with lush vegetation. A
river was along our left. At times the
road was well-paved. At other times, it
was bumpy or filled with potholes. There
are even stretches with no pavement at all.
A sign said, “geologically unstable.” That makes you comfortable.
That is when I noticed them. Butterflies. They were everywhere. Yellows and whites alone or in pairs. Glimpses of reds and greens. There was what at first I thought were falling leaves, but it was a swarm of about 100 pale green butterflies, hovering over the highway. I was feeling welcomed to the mountains.
Soon there were landmarks I recognized from my visit a month before. A colorful house graced with peacocks. The waterfalls by the road. A house that looks like a lighthouse. We had made it to Samaipata.
I found Fernando and Mariela’s house with no
problem. I changed clothes, because it
was cooler than Santa Cruz. I went
looking for food and found some nice spaghetti at the 1900 Restaurant. I shared part of it with a stray dog. The owners thought he was mine. When I said he wasn’t, they brought out a
plate of food for him. I like this
place.
Life is quiet here. You can walk down the middle of the street, something that would get you killed in Santa Cruz. There are about as many cars as motorcycles, but there are just not that many.
After dark, I walked a road on the edge of
town up a mountain. It was dark except
for an occasional street lamp. I was
looking for the Milky Way. I could see
it, but it was dim. I could barely see
the road at my feet, so I decided to head home.
Getting close to the house, I noticed that the sky seemed
extraordinarily clear. I went into the
house and turned off all the lights.
Standing in the middle of the garden, I clearly saw the Milky Way, a
white swath of stars across the sky.
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