Santa Cruz!

Today we celebrate the 202nd Anniversary of the Independence of Santa Cruz!  In area, it is it largest department in Bolivia and is home to 2.8 million people.  I live in the capital city of the dept, called "Santa Cruz de la Sierra".   Each topic deserves a full post, but the newspaper gave a wonderful overview with pics:

Pre-Spanish era, the area was home to a number of indigenous tribes with no
or little written language so not much known history

The city is arranged in concentric rings. I live between the first and second,
as it gets less safe for foreigners further out in the rings

It's a city of immigrants, with now almost 1/2 million per year
Big populations here include German, Japanese, and Mennonites

This picture appropriately captures the growing urbanization
of the supermarket contrasting the "mercado" in foreground

"The City that Never Sleeps" was the title of this spread. Shown is prostitution, said to be growing,
as well as people preparing the "mercados" at all hours

I didn't escape materialism as much as planned.  As always, it further serves to
segregate the classes, as iPhones run for about $700 as they dont have contracts 

Soccer is big here (vs. basketball in La Paz), and shown is a
court set up in some free space next to a cemetary 

According to the paper, 60% of the regional economy is unofficial,
like this mercado selling used clothes

Despite all this urbanization, outside the city exist houses as such.
These are the houses still at risk for Chagas (contrast with my modern apt building).