Oye Como Va

For my last night in Santa Cruz before I head out to La Paz to report on Bolivia's lithium mine infrastructure, Viviana brought me to a small blues bar on the edge of town. Every now and then it's comforting to enjoy the infusion of US pop culture they have in other parts of the world. Last night especially felt like home when the band took stage and the soulful vocalist walked up to the microphone wearing a throw-back Thornton Bruins jersey. The band opened up with a bang as the guitarist hit the ground running and dominated three Santana hits like a true Latino guitarist. I was in heaven. Then the second set continued with an even more thrilling line-up, including "Dream On" and a tightly coordinated "Time/Another Brick in the Wall" montague. As professional crowd pleasers are almost obligated to do as a bar closes, the band topped off their set with the late night favorites of Journey and Bon Jovi.

This was another great night in Santa Cruz. I'll surely miss the city, but I should be back in two short weeks as a published development planner. ¡Chao Santa Cruz!

Update: Another bus drivers strike has forced my travel plans back a couple days. I now hope to catch an overnight ride to La Paz on Monday.

Oye Como Va