Bolivia - The Rough Guide to South America on a Budget - page 207

Destinations Cochabamba (hourly; 10-12hr; connections
to La Paz, Oruro & Uyuni); Potosí (2-3 daily; 18hr); Sucre
(4-5 daily; 15hr); Trinidad (4-5 daily; 12hr). There are also
daily departures (at 7.30pm) to Buenos Aires.
By train Trains to Quijarro, on the Brazilian border, leave
at 11.45am on Tues, Thurs and Sat. There's also a more
expensive daily service (Mon-Sat) at 7pm; these are run
by the Ferroviaria Oriental company ( W ferroviariaoriental
.com). Trains can be chilly, so wrap up. From the station
in Quijarro, it's a 5min taxi ride to the border town of
Corumbá (B$5/person).

Residencial Ikandire Sucre 51 T 03 3393975,
T 75021954. The building hails from Santa Cruz's early
days and has real historic charm, with high ceilings,
original doors and a well in one courtyard. The grounds
are teeming with local plants, trees and faux naïve art
depicti ng Santa Cruz's history. Breakfast included. Doubles
B$160

2

EATING
Santa Cruz's relative wealth and cosmopolitanism are
reflected in the city's wide variety of restaurants.
El Bibosi Independencia. A B$30 all-day buffet very
popular with locals, the atmosphere is of eyes-down
feeding but the selection is wide and the environment
spick-and-span. Daily 11.30am-10pm.
Café 24 Plaza 24 de Septiembre. A cool, old-fashioned,
European-style bar with Campari posters, bottles of
Pernod, low-hanging cloth lampshades and wooden
tables. Mains are overpriced so come for the wi-fi and
coffee, which is pretty good (B$12 for a con leche ). Daily
8am-1am.
La Casa del Camba Av Cristóbal de Mendoza 539. The
best of the many traditional Cruceño restaurants on this
stretch of the Second Anillo, and a great place to enjoy
moderately priced parillada (barbecued meat), keperi
(spicy, marinated brisket beef ), majao de charque (rice
with dried meat, fried egg and bananas) and pacumutu
(massive shish kebab). Daily 11am-1am.
Kiwi's Bolívar 208. The narrow front leads into a big, airy
space with a slightly hippy vibe (that's the power of a few
carefully placed shisha pipes) and wi-fi access. Salads are
good value at B$30 - try the “Samurai” of chicken, beef or
tofu with greens, crispy noodles and sesame seeds, or the
hefty burgers (B$38) served with excellent fries. Mon-Sat
3pm-midnight.
Ì República Bolívar 175 W republica.com.bo. Contem-
porary photography and paper sculpture on the walls,
well-chosen music, and just-so cooking, with excellent
pasta (from B$35) and salads (B$30). The exterior courtyard
has a bar. Tues-Sun 10am-midnight.

INFORMATION
Tourist information Santa Cruz's tourist o ce (Mon-
Fri 8am-7pm, Sat & Sun 9am-noon & 3-5pm) is in the
government building on the north side of Plaza 24 de
Septiembre.

ACCOMMODATION
Most budget accommodation is conveniently located in or
close to the old city centre.
Alojamiento 24 de Septiembre Santa Bárbara 79
T 03 3321992. Centrally located with very basic facilities
and shared shower s in a clean, if not especially appealing,
courtyard. Doubles B$60
Alojamiento Santa Bárbara Santa Bárbara 151 T 03
3321817, E [e-mail]. No-frills budget
option. The rooms, set around a courtyard, are clean but
ultra-ba sic an d equipped with threadbare camp beds.
Doubles B$60
Amazonas Hotel Junín 214 T 03 3334583, W hotel
amazonasbolivia.com. Just off the main square, this wi-fi-
enabled hotel offers good-value rooms with cable TV and
private bathrooms with powerful showers. Doubles B$160
Ì Jodanga Hostel El Fuerte 1380 (near Parque Urbano)
T 03 3396542, W jodanga.com. If you lug your bag here
from the bus terminal rather than taking a taxi, you might
want to jump straight into the small but appealing pool.
A lovely hostel where they cook your eggs to order in the
morning, it's recently been renovated and guests have
access to a k itchen, T V room, wi-fi and loads of local info.
Dorms B$70 , doubles B$170
Residencial 7 de Mayo Av Interradial T 03 3489634.
A gleaming modern establishment directly opposite
the new Terminal Bi-Modal de Transporte. It's fine, but
defini tely more convenient than characterful. Doubles
B$60
Residencial Bolívar Sucre 131 T 03 3342500,
W residencialbolivar.com. Long-standing backpackers'
favourite with helpful staff and small but clean dorms and
rooms (with fan and private or shared bath) around a cool,
leafy patio with hammocks and a resident touca n. Prices
include a generous buffet breakfast. Dorms B$85 , doubles
B$175

Ì TREAT YOURSELF
Yorimichi Busch 548 T 03 3347717.
A cool, modern space with a Japanese
garden built into it, you can splurge here
in a way that's rarely possible in Bolivia,
with portions of sushi reaching beyond
B$200. But it's worth it, and if you tend
towards the soups and bento box-style
platters, that will keep costs down
- many of them include a sushi sampler
anyway. Mon-Sat 11.30am-2pm &
7-11.30pm.