:''Were you looking for the Peruvian archaeological site of

Pampa Grande :''Were you looking for the Bolivian community known as Pampagrande?'' Pampa Grande is an archaeological site located in the Lambayeque Valley, in northern Peru, situated on the south shore of the Chancay River.Shimada, Izumi 1976 Socioeconomic ...

?'' Pampagrande (also Pampa Grande),

Bolivia , image_flag = Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg , flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red, yellow, and green from top to bottom) with the coat of arms of Bolivia in the center , flag_alt2 = 7 × 7 square p ...

(18°05′50″S 64°06′58″W) lies about 200 kilometers to the West of

Santa Cruz de la Sierra Santa Cruz de la Sierra (; "Holy Cross of the Mountain Range"), commonly known as Santa Cruz, is the largest city in Bolivia and the capital of the Santa Cruz Department (Bolivia), Santa Cruz department. Situated on the Pirai River (Bolivia), P ...

in the foothills of the

Andes The Andes, Andes Mountains or Andean Mountains (; ) are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range is long, wide (widest between 18°S – 20°S ...

at an altitude of 2000 meters. This tiny community on a river of the same name suffers from financial hardship. The majority of the streets are made of earth, and until recently, there was no plumbing, telephone or electricity in the community. There are a handful of shops and one eating house in the town. Local farmers grow maize and watermelons where conditions allow. There is a splendid, masonry, single arch bridge over the Rio Pampagrande on the outskirts of town. Image:Pgstreetscene1.jpg, Only the streets around the Plaza are paved. Image:Pgstreetscene2.jpg, Pampagrande is not a wealthy part of Bolivia. Image:Pgstreetscene3.jpg, When it rains the streets become a sea of mud. Image:Pgstreetscene4.jpg, Few people here can afford a car or a truck. Just as well! Image:Pgplazaweddingparty.jpg, A wedding party arrives at the plaza Pampagrande. Time for celebration. The surrounding country is termed "Medium Altitude Semi-desert". Image:Pgcampo1.jpg, The arid landscape is dominated by giant cactus and thorny scrub. Image:Pgcampo2.jpg, To wrest a living from the land around here is a Herculean task. Image:Pgcampasinosha.jpg, Nevertheless, for some there is no alternative. Campasinos near Pampagrande.

''Hermano'' Andres Langer

Locally famous is ''Hermano'' (Brother) Andres Langer a Dominican friar who originates from East Germany but has been resident in Pampagrande for thirty years. In that time he has raised the standard of living of his parishioners, obtaining the bridge, piped water, electricity and telephone for the town. There is still no drainage system, consequently all toilet facilities are of the "pit" variety. Image:Pg_parishionerha.jpg, Hermano Andres, thirty year resident of Pampagrande, chats to one of his parishioners. An expert in local

ornithology Ornithology is a branch of zoology that concerns the "methodological study and consequent knowledge of birds with all that relates to them." Several aspects of ornithology differ from related disciplines, due partly to the high visibility and th ...

(including the endemic

red-fronted macaw The red-fronted macaw (''Ara rubrogenys'') is a parrot endemic to a small semi-desert mountainous area of Bolivia. It is a critically endangered species; it has been successfully bred in captivity, and is available, if not common, as a pet. It ...

) and

herpetology Herpetology (from Greek ἑρπετόν ''herpetón'', meaning "reptile" or "creeping animal") is the branch of zoology concerned with the study of amphibians (including frogs, toads, salamanders, newts, and caecilians (gymnophiona)) and rept ...

(

reptiles Reptiles, as most commonly defined are the animals in the Class (biology), class Reptilia ( ), a paraphyletic grouping comprising all sauropsid, sauropsids except birds. Living reptiles comprise turtles, crocodilians, Squamata, squamates (lizar ...

), Brother Langer is commemorated in the scientific name of a species of snake, '' Clelia langeri'', which is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

to Santa Cruz Department."''Clelia langeri'' ". The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org. He often makes time to show visitors around as part of his travels about his parish. He also runs the only accommodation in town, a simple bunkhouse next to the church. There are no restaurants in town, just a simple "eating house" not far from the town centre. Shared taxis, locally known as "trufis", as well as coaches run several times daily between Santa Cruz and Pampagrande.

References

{{Authority control Populated places in Santa Cruz Department (Bolivia)