We loved our time in Bolivia – even more than we anticipated. Our total stay was about 3 weeks and there is certainly plenty to do there to keep you entertained for longer. Here is a snap-shot, in no particular order, of our favorite parts, the things we could have done without and of course, the food. Be sure to check out our Best-of-Bolivia Photos too.
The Good
Sunrise at the Uyuni Salt Flats – The perfect finale to an incredible couple of days.- The hike across Isla del Sol – Lake Titicaca’s island gem on the Bolivian side did not disappoint.
- Arizona deja vu – Horseback riding through the desert outside of Tupiza
- Charango purchase – Ted was pretty excited about getting his hands on a stringed instrument and teaching himself how to play it.
- Devil’s Thumb – Our new friend Alejandra (a Colorado friend’s cousin) took us up to a sweet spot near her home with an amazing view of all of La Paz.
Playing euchre and drinking wine with our friends from South Africa on our Salt Flats tour.- Beautiful weather everyday – Literally. It might have been a little cold or a little windy, but the weather was dry and sunny the whole time and that was a treat.
- Road trip – Bouncing around in the back of a Land Cruiser, listening to our Bolivian guide’s entertaining musical selections, learning to chew coca (to combat elevation sickness) and sucking on lollipops while watching the wild landscape go by.
- Making dynamite – Ted learned how dynamite is made and used in the mines (to this day) on the Potosi mine tour.
- Flamingos –Seeing them in the wild was quite a treat. I’m still not quite sure why they are pink, but I know I like it.
The Bad
- Protesting coca farmers – Unfortunately some political decisions and the resulting aftermath interrupted our plans for mountain biking and hiking outside of La Paz while we were there.
The negative buildup – We’d heard several scary warning stories about the crime against travelers in Bolivia that we entered on a bit of a defensive. We never felt any less safe there than anywhere else on our travels and I wish we had never been warned.- Paying to use the public rest room – To be fair, this also happened in Ecuador and Peru. I understand that it is someone’s job and I’m willing to go along with that, however, when I pay I expect a certainly level of cleanliness and some toilet paper to be provided. Oh, and a toilet seat would be nice too…
- Bolivia’s uncertain future. Right now there is huge political conflict between the wealthy and powerful upper class and the country’s first indigenous President, Evo Morales. Though the President’s support of indigenous rights is commendable in theory, he is alienating a huge segment of his population and the future is uncertain.
- Expensive visa fee – As Americans, we were required to purchase a US$135 visa per person to enter Bolivia. That is a LOT – especially in Bolivia where your lunch costs less than $2 and your hostel less than $10.
The Delicious
- S
altenas, saltenas, saltenas – Think empanadas but then think again. These little pockets of baked goodness are filled with a thick stew-like concoction of meat and some combination of potatoes, olives and eggs. The shell is nearly sweet, which sounds weird, but they are oh-so good. They are served for breakfast so if you don’t get one before early afternoon, you will be saltena-less for the day. Not only are they delicious, they are cheap. We had one (or more!) nearly everyday. - Almuerzos – Similar to the inexpensive set-menu lunches that we had in Ecuador and Peru, Bolivia did the same, but even cheaper. We could not get over how much food we were served for the equivalent of US$1.50. Needless to say, lunch was often the big meal of the day.
- Indian food – In Bolivia? Yes. In fact, it is the best (though only) Indian food that we’ve had on our trip so far. We were craving it, a restaurant in the tourist area of La Paz was serving it, and we were not disappointed.
- Family brunch – well, not our family. Through an introduction from a Colorado friend, we found ourselves invited to a Sunday brunch to celebrate a family member’s first communion. There Ted and I were in our fanciest travel clothes (clean jeans and a t-shirt) as we dined on delicious roast beef, drank sangria and dipped repeatedly in the chocolate fountain for dessert. Yum.
- Fresh caught Lake Titicaca trout – Yep. That was good.
The coca plant is a highly utilized and hotly debated substance in Peru and Bolivia (and I’m sure Colombia as well). Of course, it is the raw product that is the basis for cocaine production, a problem that plagues these countries nationally and internationally. However, the coca plant in raw form has many legitimate and legal uses for the indigenous Andean cultures. In addition to being used in religious and cultural ceremonies, it is chewed by many workers as a way to sustain energy and keep awake. It is also known to help curb the effects of altitude sickness. We were often offered coca tea for breakfast which is essentially a couple leaves and some hot water.
Nearly all international travelers to Bolivia have a visit to the Uyuni Salar (salt flats) in their plans. Though there are day trips to the area, we chose to pile into an 8-person 4×4 Land Cruiser and bounce around the “Southwest Circuit” for a 4 day/3 night outing. Beyond Ted and me, our car included our South African friends (Jeff and Romy) as well as our driver, Hugo, and our English-speaking guide, Archie. We were a great group and we were all thankful that there weren’t actually 2 more passengers in our car, as we saw many other groups cramped and it didn’t look comfortable.
The highest we’ve ever been! We were so proud of ourselves when we hiked the 15,000 foot pass on our trek to Machu Picchu and sure enough, we were just sitting in the jeep as we drove over a road with an even greater elevation.
Hot springs in the middle of nowhere.
We had one day in Tupiza, Bolivia before we headed out on the much talked-about salt flat tour, so we decided to do a little horseback riding with our new South African friends, Jeff and Romy.
This is our buddy, Jeff. He’s much more intelligent than he looks in this photo, where he has lit a piece of dynamite on fire and is pretending to smoke it. In reality, there is no danger of this dynamite blowing up, as it requires a few other ignition components to explode. So, our guide told anybody who wanted to smoke some dynamite to go ahead and do so. Jeff was our guinea pig.
After getting outfitted in all the appropriate gear (boots, jackets, pants, hard hats, lamps), we first stopped at the miners market. The only place on the continent where you can buy dynamite and coca leaves with no questions asked, the miners market is where miners go to get supplies, and tourists go to smoke dynamite.