Leave your idealism at home

I recovered quickly from my illness and was ready to get out of La Paz. I had been there for 4 days at the time of my departure. I hopped on an overnite bus to Santa Cruz - a city that is the jumping off point for exploration into the surrounding jungles and continuing journeys to the pantanal of Brazil. The bus was fine other than some 7 AM, wake-up, latino rock. Santa Cruz was sunny and warm - a nice departure from the high-elevation, cold of the rest of Bolivia.
When I arrived I went straight to a mini-bus colectivo stand to catch one to the small town of Samaipata. A small pueblo known for several reasons: UNESCO ruins, gateway to Amboro national park, proximity to the site Che Guevara`s death.
I met a strange Swiss woman and her tiny dog at the Samaipata taxi stand. She was a self-proclaimed "Modern Che." She fought with the colectivo drivers for a lower fare and, when rebuffed, convinced me to come with her to find a lower fare to Samaipata. She talked a thousand words a minute in Spanish at me.
Found a lower fare. Showed me pictures of Che done with Eucalyptus leaves. She proclaimed "Me encanta niños (I love children)" as she awkwardly tried to give some coins to a child washing his father`s car - a reward? a handout? She chastised a local woman who threw her trash on the sidewalk. Everyone just stared at her in disbelief. I didn`t want to be associated with this woman.
On the road to Samaipata now.
Stopped. A landslide had blocked the road. Everyone piled out and faux-Che found some fellow Fench speakers. She cursed the Bolivian people as worthless. What is this Chihuahua-toting, idealistic, communist-wanna-be doing here and why am I stuck next to her?
Arrived. Thank you Jesus.
Samaipata is a beautiful town of 3000 residents, nestled in the Cordillera Oriental. There are, of course, a few Germans living here and even a couple of Texans. Their accent warmed the cockles of my heart.
I went with a group of Americans to the nearby Parque Nacional Amboro - a huge tract of land with some of the last untouched cloud forests in the world. Giant fern trees and wild guinea pigs. Like a Jurassic Forest - minus the Goldblum.