Santa Cruz Bolivia

Everyday there is a demonstration in Bolivia . When we arrived at our hotel in Santa Cruz the first thing we saw was a group of disabled people protesting just outside the hotel in front of the social heath services . They had set up camp . There was a outdoor kitchen and they had set up a TV for the children they had brought along .
On our first night in the city we went looking for an evening shop where we could buy some beers . We found a small shop a couple of blocks from the hotel which sold beer which was not kept cold . As it was the only shop we could find we bought some and walked back to the hotel . When we rang the bell of the hotel in order to wake up the concierge a cripple with a crutch walked over to us . He said something in either Quechua or Aymara I am not sure . What I do know is that it was not Spanish . We answered that we did not understand him . He pointed at the plastic bag with beers , said something else , shrugged and walked off . Then the concierge opened the door and we went inside ..
The next day we explored the city . Santa Cruz is not especially beautiful but it is interesting to compare it with the rest of Bolivia as it stands out somewhat . It seems more modern and quick paced . In the evening we went to look for a cinema . Now there is something strange with the cinemas in Santa Cruz . Or at least the two we found .The first socalled cinema we got to was named Universal Pictures . When we got inside there were some young people standing in a badly illuminated hallway . Spiderman , I asked them . No Jesus Christ or lord they replied pointing at a statue I could only faintly make out of a man on a cross . We smiled politely and backed out .
The next cinema was called Olympia . It was closed when we got there . When we walked away from the locked doors a girl came over and pointed at a building across the street . The church is over there , she said . We thanked her politely and walked of wondering what happened to Tinseltown in Bolivia .
We went back to the hotel but not before stopping at the evening shop for some beer . At the hotel a little later the cripple was waiting for us . Again he pointed at the bag and said something . Maybe he would like a beer we thought but when we offered he declined , smiled and walked off muttering to himself .
The third and last day we did not do much . In the afternoon we went for a walk and stopped at our usual shop for some beers . At the hotel the cripple was waiting but this time he had brought a friend . The cripple said something to the young man and he translated for us in English . ¨He says that the shop you always go in the evening is shit . The beer is warm and overpriced . There is a much better shop over there . ¨He pointed behind him towards a small alleyway we had not seen before . Then they both laughed and walked away . I could just hear the young man saying to the cripple ´Gringos ! ´.