transportation in santa cruz? "craigslist"-type site there?

hi folks - i'm planning on moving to santa cruz for a year. how is the transportation there? can i get by with buses, walking and the occasional cab and/or rental car? is it easy to buy a used bike?

along that line of thought, i'm a big fan of buying used things on craigslist. (it's a great way to pick up furniture, bikes, cars, ipods, stereos, you name it...) is there a similar internet buy/sell classifieds site there? is that a good way to find housing as well, or are there better ways?

thanks again!
-tiny

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May 19, 2010
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thanks for the tip
by: Anonymous

hey jacob -- thanks for the warning. it's probably good to be cautious as in any fairly big city. though definitely good to hear what to watch out for from folks who are there.
appreciate the offer of more info. i may hit you up. my trip has been pushed out until june, possibly july but i'm hoping june. i'll probably have more questions as i get closer....

also, thanks to the person who posted with the classified sites. i'm forgetting your name right now.

cheers,
tiny

May 15, 2010
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biking & walking
by: jacob

hi I im from bolivia somebody mantion
to run or bike go to a calmer neighbourhood
please just dont go alone
I city center you are OK alone
but in calmer areas there are the thievs
waiting too pull oll your jullery from your body
at gun point
crime is not worst then in canada but just in a different way. you got to watch your pockets too
just have a good friend too travel with
any questions email jacob_neufeld@yahoo.com

Apr 07, 2010
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free classified sites like craigslist
by: Anonymous

here are couple free classified sites that you can promote your business.

www.olx.com
www.backpage.com
www.oodle.com
www.webcosmo.com
www.beatyourprice.com
www.ebayclassifieds.com
www.epage.com
www.pennysaver.com
www.recycler.com

Feb 18, 2010
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gracias
by: tiny

hey everyone,

thanks again -- more great, helpful info!

kenny, that's cool you're planning to go down in may too. are you planning to stay for awhile? that's great you have a friend there now who loves it. i'm getting excited about going there too.

so... of course, one more little question... (ha, as if it were going to be the last)...
are there any places to take dogs off leash there? not necessarily a "dog park", though that would be nice, just wondering if there are dog-friendly areas.

i apologize in advance if this was in any of the parks, living sections. this week has been hectic and i haven't even had a chance to poke around there yet...

okay... later!
-tiny

Feb 17, 2010
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Not there yet :)
by: Kenny

Hi Tiny,

Like you I am still in the planning stages and NOT in Santa Cruz nor have I been there. Sorry for any confusion... I have a really good friend who lives there for 5 years now and tells me how great it is..I am planning on coming down in May as well, though probably mid-may to end of may.

I am heading to work, and will reply more later...You have found the right place for spme great info and services!!

Feb 17, 2010
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p.s. about places to run in bolivia
by: BoliviaBella

I guess if I were going to go jogging I'd go to the big new Parque Autonomico or maybe the more central Parque Urbano.

There are parks and plazas all over the city. Here's our full section on Santa Cruz parks, gardens, plazas, country clubs, water parks and pools and other green areas.

Feb 17, 2010
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more on the cost of living in santa cruz bolivia
by: BoliviaBella

Hi Tiny. You should definitely take a look at my section called Live in Bolivia. It has all kinds of information down to the really nitty gritty, especially for Santa Cruz.

Also take a look at this discussion we had with Kenny (who wrote you below) on our Living in Bolivia forum about housing and living costs.

Also take a look at our Santa Cruz forum - it has some interesting threads.

Gym memberships: there are some really nice gyms here, and some that are very basic. Costs range from about $20 a month to about $80 a month, depending on add-ons (sometimes you get a basic membership and then you pay extra for the various classes). Others include their classes in a scale of membership fees.

Running and cycling are difficult in this city. There aren't any running or biking paths per se (although I've heard there may be some in the works). In the urban center, traffic is awful and drivers are very uneducated. Pedestrians and bikes are not respected at all! To run and bike you'd probably want to go to one of the calmer neighborhoods and pick a spot.

Top 40 things to do in Santa Cruz or read the short version which includes shopping, parks and plazas, eateries, entertainment options, etc. For running, cycling, or swimming, maybe it would help to check out our parks and plazas page?

Feb 16, 2010
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thanks folks
by: tiny

heya!

thanks for all the info. i'll definitely check out the househunter tour. i'll have to see about using the housing service.

- what is the price range on housing? i'm not looking for anything fancy, probably a 1- or 2-bedroom house with a yard (because i'm probably going to bring my dogs/cats down... nutty, i know).

i'm thinking of coming down beginning of may. that gives me a little time to get my visa in order and take care of wrapping things up here before i go. i may do a trip there to find a place, apply for the resident visa, then go back to california to pick up the critters. i'll have to see what makes the most sense.

kenny, how long have you been down there? what are you doing there?

-- more questions -- on the exercise tip --are there public pools? good places for running? (of course there is always the street)... cost of a gym membership?

thanks so much for all the help!

-tiny

Feb 15, 2010
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urban transportation in santa cruz bolivia
by: BoliviaBella

There's nothing similar to Craigslist here in terms of its size, but there are small sites that attempt to be. Here are some examples (there are others):

www.tumomo.com

http://bo.clasificados.st/

http://www.compra-venta.org/bolivia/

They aren't the greatest place to find houses. Right now rentals are going like hotcakes. Usually only the most expensive houses and apartments go online, and most of them are for sale. As part of our new Expat Services unit, we'll be offering housing classifieds (but in a different way) soon but not immediately. Real estate agents also publish some homes online but their sites usually only have a very few. There is no such thing as a Real Estate Listing as we know it in California.

Transportation is very inexpensive here (in comparison to the US). Micros (small city buses) are often crowded by they are everywhere! They run every 3-5 minutes at a cost of just Bs. 2 per route (that's about 28 cents). Taxis are more expensive but not at all by US terms.

Our city is built in concentric rings (sort of like Houston). Base price is about Bs. 7 ($1) within the city center (inside the first ring) and about 1 boliviano per ring as you move outward. People don't usually share taxis here.

We also have Trufis which are taxis that only along the rings - around and around the city. In trufis you pay less because you share. People just get in an out and you circle the city. Basically, on a trufi you get off at the stop nearest your destination and walk the rest of the way since they have a fixed route.

There are several ways to find a home.

a. Classifieds (if you can read them in Spanish).

b. Drive around (many people just put a sign on their house and don't bother advertising)

c. Hire an "inmobiliaria" - real estate agents charge to help you find a rental here. Lately they are charging between 50% and 100% of the equivalent of one month's rent. For example, if you rent a house for $500 a month, you could find yourself paying them $500 just for showing you the house. Read about my latest house hunting adventure just last month.

d. Take our House Hunter Tour before you start looking so you'll get to know our neighborhoods and know where to look and where not to.

e. Expat Services House Hunting Service can help you find a home to rent. See what our service includes that inmobiliarias don't and why.

I'd like to hear what others have to say on this topic.

Feb 15, 2010
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Hey Tiny
by: Kenny

The best classifieds I have found so far have been on eldeber.com, the local newspapers website. I have looked on the craigslist there and it there was no too much listed, just go to "craigslist bolivia". Maybe someone who lives there has some more places, I am interested to hear if there is anymore as well. But I am thinking you can get good deals on the street also just due to not everyone has a computer.

If you look under the "Santa Cruz" section of the forum there are alot of good threads that discuss transportation and fares, and costs of living.

When are you planning to head to Bolivia?

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