#lemkebolivia

While in Santa Cruz, I tried to be open to trying new things. So when two Bolivian students, Neyi and Miguel, took me and my reporting partner AnneDella Hines to a Bolivian barbecue place, we were open to trying the traditional foods.  

When we walked up to the building, the first thing we saw was the cook in the front, cooking on a large grill with different types of meat on it. When it came time to order, Miguel asked us if we wanted something specific or if we wanted to have different types of meat. We decided to get multiple meats, not knowing what that actually meant.

The cook grilling the meat right as you walk into the restaurant. 

The meat was delivered to our table on a mini grill heated with coals. The first thing that both Neyi and Miguel said was, “Don’t ask what you are eating, just try them all and then we will tell you.”

The mini grill our assortment of meat arrived on that was heated with hot coals.

After we tried each one, enjoying some, but not all, of what we tried. They told us we ate the cow’s small intestine, heart, udder, and sausage.

A cow's heart in the upper right corner of the grill.

I am glad I got to try something I will probably never get a chance to try again. Also, the whole experience of being able to watch the cook grill all the different types of meat made the experience even more authentic. 

Indigenous students find a new life in Santa Cruz colleges

Reporter: Alex Golden

Coming to college is not easily attainable for indigenous Bolivians, but some make it work.

Bolivian student Jose Gonzales and University of Arkansas students Blythe Nelson and Amanda Simmons contributed to this report.

Number of foreign and national tourists to Bolivia (2003-2012)

Reporter: Rachel Yeager

Bolivian tourism has increased in the last decade, especially since 2008.

Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística de Bolivia

Santa Cruz government increases efforts to attract national and foreign tourists

Reporter: Rachel Yeager

The Santa Cruz regional government is launching new programs to encourage tourism. The Bolivian national government has recognized the economic potential and started closely monitoring tourism as well, tourism official Deysi Saldías said.

Serafini: An American agriculture dreamer in South America

Reporter: Rachel Yeager

A former research assistant professor at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville moved to Santa Cruz, Bolivia, and started two farm and two irrigation companies. He lives three months of the year in Fayetteville and the other nine in Bolivia in order to be able to farm on a mass scale.

University of Arkansas student Daniel Caruth contributed to this report.

This story is part of the 2014 Lemke Abroad program for the Walter J. Lemke Department of Journalism at the University of Arkansas.

The Neapolitan cake, which is made with wafer cookies, filled with dulce de leche and topped with powdered sugar, was one of my favorite desserts in Bolivia. Costing just a few dollars, this sweet treat is offered at Dumbo, a local ice cream shop located just a few blocks off the main square, and is just the right size to share with a friend.

By Jaime Dunaway

For those of you who know me well, you know I love sweets, and during my time in Bolivia, I made sure to sample several desserts to see how they compared with some of my favorites from home.

During my other travels abroad, the desserts have never been quite sweet enough. I guess I’ve developed a tolerance for rich foods and a high sugar intake over the years, but luckily for me, Bolivians shared my love for super sweet treats.

A common ingredient in many desserts was a filling called dulce de leche. The filling is used throughout South America and is made by slowly heating sweetened milk. The end result is a thick spread that tastes like a mix between butterscotch and caramel. I particularly liked the cream when it was sandwiched between two shortbread cookies and covered with coconut shavings. This seemed to be a standard treat throughout Bolivia, and I had it several times as an afternoon pick-me-up during a long day of reporting.

Bolivians also frequently used wafer cookies in their desserts. At the local supermarket, a whole aisle was nearly filled top to bottom with different brands and flavors of wafer cookies. There were traditional flavors like chocolate and strawberry, but also more exotic choices like dulce de leche and guava. One of my favorite desserts was a wafer cake filled with dulce de leche that I shared with a classmate at a local dessert shop named Dumbo. The cake was deliciously topped with powdered sugar, and as the cookie layers crumbled, I dipped it in the cherry flavoring that decorated the plate.  

By Amanda Simmons

            SANTA CRUZ, Bolivia – One thing a new arrival will notice in almost every country: attitudes about transportation are the same.  In other words, everyone hates traffic.

            Santa Cruz is no exception. The city is laid out in rings that surround the center, making a road map of the city resemble a spider web. 

            It’s chaotic, messy, and makes Manhattan look good. There are normal things like stop signs, lights and speed limits. The difference is that many people view them as optional. Drivers ignore lanes, the bus system is a mystery, and there is no such thing as “taking turns” at a four-way stop.

            People new to the city and trying to maneuver public transportation could find it to be difficult, especially if they don’t speak Spanish. Using landmarks won’t help either because in Santa Cruz they are everywhere. The easiest form of transportation is walking. Strolling through the central plaza is very relaxing.

          A Landmark in Santa Cruz, Bolivia near the Café Alexander

            Watch out for buses, though. They are big and don’t stop for anything – unless it’s to pick up a passenger. A bus costs only two bolivianos or b’s, which is about 30 cents. It picks and drops people off on its route but people can enter and leave wherever they want. Someone could literally step off a bus into the middle of a busy intersection. 

            Take time choosing a bus because the only way to know where it is going is by the numbers and signs listed on the front. There isn’t a map and most Bolivians just learn from experience.

            Taxis are the most common in Santa Cruz. They can be seen on every street and unlike a New York cab, they won’t break your bank. On average, a taxi costs about 15 b’s, which is a little over $2.

            Then there are truffi’s. A truffi is a mix between a taxi and a bus. It circles only specific rings and is in either a minivan or a car. You can look for one by spotting its sign on top. It has specific stops and people will get in and get off at them. People could prefer a truffi if they are going somewhere relatively close. It also is only two to three b’s, but is a much tighter fit. The driver will try and get as many people in as he can.

 The middle car is a first ring truffi, which travels the circle around the heart of Santa Cruz.  Truffi drivers can cram as many passengers as they want into the vehicle which also can be a van or small bus.

UA Alumni

Reporter: Nellie Ashley