Santa Cruz is not what it was
I just returned from 8 days in SCZ, my 6th visit.
It is no longer a recommended city for our hobby.
Airline and better hotel prices have skyrocketed since I was there 6 months ago.
The Wall Street Journal, Aug 1, 2012, describes a major influx of drug money is changing Bolivia for the worse.
Thugs roam the streets looking for white men who have cash in their pockets.
Asking prices for full service encounters have, in many cases, nearly matched prices asked in Manhattan.
The federal government is now obscenely anti-American and the change is palpable.
Revisit of Santa Cruz, Bolivia
[QUOTE=Hotman 666; 1396428]Hi, I ws in Santa Cruz for a few days in December. I really used to enjoy my trips there a few years ago but not so much now. The "freelancers" seem to have disappeared from the area around Plaza Principal (it used to be my happy hunting ground) but virtually impossible to find anything nowadays.
The porter at my hotel called a Chica for me a couple of evenings but I did not think that the quality was quite as good as before.
I would be interested to hear how your trip went as I have to go again later this year.
Hotman[/QUOTE]I was just in Bolivia for almost 10 days, with most of the time in Santa Cruz where it rained like the dickens. The upsurge in crime, by armed thugs, kept me away from the main square after dark and away from several of the markets during the day. This was on the sound advice of local friends in the area. The drug situation is also getting out of hand.
There is widespread political unrest with ongoing road blockades of the major cities, LP, SCZ, CBBA and Oruro. Because of the violent nature of the protest, I left Bolivia earlier than planned.
Last week, a report on CNN online revealed that in a listing of those nations of the world most UNfriendly to tourists, Bolivia was rated the absolute worst. Worse than Iran?
In the Andean highlands, locals are overtly hostile to outsiders of European stock and will charge you more and give you inferior or damaged merchandise. In SCZ, the situation was only slightly better.
Negotiating though the traffic is a nightmare especially with a good chunk of the taxis in severe disrepair; most are without seat belts. Hotel and airfare prices continue to climb. The better restaurants are the only good deal in town. They are safe too.
This was not a good time to look for chicas.
The golden days are gone.
I will not return.
Tips for my firts journey in Santa Cruz?
Hi everyone,
I will visit Santa Cruz for first time in a few days. And I sure plan enjoying mu stay not only by visiting museums and other places described in tourist guides! .
Can you guys give me some tips / advices like :
- where to go to meet some hot and beautiful girls?
- can I bring girls in my hotel without trouble?
- how much will it cost?
- other.
Thanks for your help! .
Raf1978