Yesera; get-together at Merieke's cabin

Awhile ago my dutch friend Merieke, invited me to a get-together and party at their cabin. Her husband's family has a cabin in the country side, close to the village Yesera. It is about a 45 min ride south of Tarija.
The cabin is located in the country side, with beautiful views of the surrounding hills. Their property borders a river.
Overall, it was a wonderful relaxing afternoon, with Merieke's family, friends and neighbors from the area. For the neighborhood children, they organized some traditional games (see photos of the big poles with colored ropes) and handed out gifts to them.

< Click on the photos to enlarge them >

Children playing in the river, on the drive up to Yesera

The BBQ area

The cabin (Merieke in the middle)

Jan, Merieke's son, and his grandpa

Their property bordering the river. The river eroded a lot of land the last rain season

The neighbors house

The traditional way of drying grass, etc. for cow feeding - up in trees

A traditional game for children; they wind the colored ropes in different patterns around the pole.

Around and around, around we go.......

Isabel handing out drinks to the kids

And this is one of the end results.....

Bella Vista; a drive through the country side

On Sunday, 2 weeks ago, Mauricio and I went on a little drive through the country side near by Bella Vista. It was a lovely afternoon of driving, taking photos and catching up. We plan to go more often on little trips on Sundays.

Here are some of the photos and VIDEO.

< CLICK ON THE PHOTOS TO ENLARGE THEM >

Mauricio is figuring out his new camera

A lot of little creek crossings, here we even had to follow the creek to get back on the trail.

 

Beautiful light in the late afternoon

 

 

 

 

 

Panoramic view of the ride home. To the right you can see lake "San Jacinto"

Entre Ríos

Last weekend Isabel and I drove down to Entre Ríos, as many people told me it is a beautiful tropical place to visit. The climate is much more tropical than here in Tarija.

Entre Ríos is the administrative center of Burnet O'Connor Province. It is located at 1,230 m at the confluence of Río Tambo and one of its tributaries, 100 km and a three-hour ride east of Tarija, the departmental capital. 

It was a beautiful drive through the mountains, and my first long off road driving trip (240 km in total). However, the road was quite dangerous, as tons of crosses along it indicated.

The road creeping up along the mountain sides, like a snake....

Just before you drive into Entre Rios, a nice German couple, Astrid and Torge Platzer, rents out 2 nice cabins. Their resort is named "Soluna" ("Sol" and "Luna" is sun and moon in Spanish). 

From the cabins, you have a beautiful view of the river below and the beautiful green jungle.

 

Short "siesta" after the 3 hour drive

The view from the breakfast table

A little pool, a nice little terrace, BBQ, etc. is all available

But the best is the beautiful view and the silence

From the cabin you can walk down to the river.....

...... where locals built an ingenious fish trap using bamboo

Bamboo fish trap

View of the valley and the river

The local attraction, the Jesus statue that is ;-)

Entre Rios in the background

Local fauna

Drive through the valley

Making way for local transport

And off we go again, following the curvy road along the river

With views like this it is hard to keep your eye on the road

Isabel

Little church in the village "Los Naranjos"

Crossing the river "Salinas" to get to hotel “El Paraiso del Tordo”. The "route" is indicated with stones in the water

The ethnoecological hotel “El Paraiso del Tordo” (“The Blackbird's Paradise”) located in the heart of Valle del Medio. People from Tarija come here to experience the fascinating world of the surrounding nature and its different cultures.
“El Paraiso del Tordo” provides board and lodging as well as many opportunities for recreational activities nearby. You can choose from a wide range of rides, hikes, guided tours and sportive activities, or just enjoy fresh air, water and sunshine. “El Paraiso del Tordo” in the picturesque Valle del Medio sits on the bottom of a green hill and is only 300 m from the river Salinas. Beautiful Valle del Medio is part of southern Bolivia, 118 km from the city of Tarija. The region lies 1150 m above sea level and is known for its countless rivers and streams with clear water and a rich flora and fauna – ideal for many outdoor activities. 
The hotel “El Paraiso del Tordo” was built on the foundations of a former colonial house.
Since we had little time, we only drove up to the hotel for a coffee and to check out the place.

Hotel "El Paraiso del Tordo" (pretty much in the middle of nowhere. This hotel is also run by former Germans.

An old lazy dog hiding from the camera

And of course, a Dutchman can't live without his coffee

Beautiful "entranceway" from the hotel to the river

Most of the road is like this, except this is the wider part

You have to stay focused on the road, even though the views are spectacular

Sunset and weather change