Bolivia
A lot of people say that travel changes you as a person, and I could not agree more. With each passing day, the experiences that you have and the different cultures that you come into contact with, it is inevitable that there will be some sort of change within you. Whether it be a certain conversation with a random person that triggers something within you or a certain situation that you find yourself in, can suddenly influence the way you look at life from there on out. Everything that you have seen, felt or thought about, throughout your travels will come to the surface and open your eyes to what really matters. I have changed drastically as a person since I first set out travelling, and I have witnessed countless amounts of jaw dropping moments that have changed the way I think, but above all, I would say that Bolivia has had the biggest impact on me. As cliche as this may sound, I truly believe that I left this country a much better person than when I first crossed its borders. Bolivia is an eye opener in so many ways.. One of the poorest countries on the continent but still, one of the richest in culture and diversity. A country blessed with natural beauty, from the incredible Salt Flats and the southern plains, to the highest navigable lake in the world, the highest capital city in the world, and of course the Amazon in the north
among many others.
Nestled between the more heavily developed countries of Peru, Chile, Argentina & Brazil. Bolivia at first glance, can scare some travellers away with the huge culture shock, but if you dig that little bit deeper, you will quickly fall in love with this indescribable land and the people that live within it.
Planning a trip to Bolivia?
Crossing the border from Peru, passing by Lake Titicaca, our first stop was the lake side town of Copacabana (Not the Copacabana that you're thinking of!). A beautifully, quiet little town that most travellers seem to skip or at least only visit on day trip to visit Lake Titicaca and Isla Del Sol. We were lucky enough to stay in the incredible La Cupula Hostel, this is somewhere that would not look out of place in Santorini, Greece. Staying in our beautiful room with a wood fire to warm the cold nights and an faultless outdoor hot tub, to relax in under a blanket of stars overlooking Lake Titicaca. What more could you want? Copacabana is also home to some nice walks and viewpoints, with the most rewarding being Cerro Calvario. But lets not beat around the bush, whilst you are in Copacabana, of course the main attraction is the lake.. Sitting at 3800m above sea level, Lake Titicaca is the highest navigable lake in the world! Explore Isla Del Sol, a 2 hour boat trip from the shore, a mysterious island seeped in indigenous culture and beauty is a must visit!
Our next stop was the monster that is La Paz, sitting at 3640m above sea level, it is renowned as the highest capital city in the world! (Even though technically Sucre is the official capital of Bolivia).
This city is fascinating, some people will hate it, some people will love it, its one of those. Me personally? I loved it. In its own weird way, La Paz is captivating, full of weird and unusual quirks and is in no way perfect, but it does have its own charm. Exploring the city you will no doubt come across quite a few markets, whether it be, getting your bread from the lady on the street corner or sifting through endless amounts trainers on a full street dedicated to shoes, or getting lost in the food market that is more like a multi-storey car park and you will definitely stumble across the freakishly named Witches Market, double taking at the many llama fetuses and natural medicines for all to see.
One of the main attractions in La Paz, is El Alto. A city in its own right within the capital, with a population of 1.5 million people! El Alto offers incredible views over La Paz and more importantly, it holds a weekly market that is by far the biggest that I have ever seen in my life. Spanning throughout the whole city and attracts everyone and their dog, cat, guinea pig, cow, llama (yeah you get the idea, I mean EVERYONE). You can literally find ANYTHING here, from animals, to car parts, to fruit and veg, to clothing, to old TV sets and remote controls and if you have been unfortunate enough to have had anything stolen from you in Bolivia, do not worry, because you will more than likely find that here to!
During our time in Bolivia, we also had the opportunity to volunteer with Up Close Bolivia, a community that is based just outside of La Paz, in the small rural towns of Jupapina and Mallasa. This was the real eye opener for me, working and living side by side with the most incredibly kind and inspiring people. Spending each day working within the many different projects within the community. Such as, the local nursery/school that was founded to aid struggling mothers who could not afford to give their children the education that they needed. With most of children previously being somewhat malnourished, they now have a place to go to get the education that they need and they also get their breakfast, lunch, drinks and snacks provided for them everyday.
The second project is set up as a rehab centre for women who have come from torrid pasts, through drug abuse, domestic violence and so on. The children of these women also live at the rehabilitation home, and therefore our job was to visit the children and prepare activities to help bring happiness to their day. I have to say that these children, not even taking into account what they have been through, are the kindest and most inspiring children that I will ever come across and I have nothing but admiration for each and every one of them.
The third project was working with horses at an equine therapy centre, helping young children with disabilities rehabilitate through riding the horses and interacting with these amazing animals. The forth project was working with a local football team, and this was the project that was the closest to my heart. Although the other projects meant so much to me, I was fully in my element coaching football to these kids and this was one of the most rewarding experiences that I will keep with me. Engaging with each child that could only speak Spanish, was a big challenge but one that I thrived on and I have to admit, I learned as much from them as they did from me. There are other projects within the community such as, helping out with the local zoo and teaching English to young children and adults. I will be writing a full blog post about our time here, so please keep an eye open for it!
Throughout our time in La Paz I was also lucky enough to visit the Estadio Hernando Siles to watch the local futbol derby 'Clasico Paceno' Club Bolivar vs The Strongest, and a World Cup Qualifier between Bolivia and Brazil. I have always been obsessed with the South American passion for football and throughout this trip I have tried to get to as many matches as possible, and I have to say that the atmosphere in Bolivia was incredible!
Another major attraction in Bolivia is the infamous Death Road, a cliff edge road that has taken so many lives in the past, is now a tourist attraction! Tourists flock to death road, to cycle down the worlds most dangerous road, passing by cross after cross for that crazy adrenaline rush and of course THAT Instagram picture. BUT, please do not just turn around and head back to La Paz, after the rush of death road, make sure to spend a few days in hillside town of Coroico. A tiny town blessed with lush green surroundings, is the perfect place to relax and wind down after the smog of the big city. Grab a beer, swing in your hammock, take a yoga class or set out on the many treks around the town and make sure that you head out to the waterfalls!
Now for the main event, Salar de Uyuni! This has been on my bucket list for a long time now, and my expectations were very high. What I wasn't prepared for was the breathtaking landscapes of southern Bolivia, this part of the world is truly incredible. A three day, 4x4 ride from Uyuni through the salt flats and passing by the flamingo filled lakes of the southern plains, crossing the border into Chile. This place will blow you away with its beauty and will leave you begging to stay longer.
How ever much time you plan for your visit to Bolivia, you will need more! There are many more places to visit here that we did not have the opportunity to see, so here are the best of the rest;
- Cochabamba.
- Rurrenbaque (The Amazon).
- Santa Cruz
- Samaipata.
- Potosi.
- Tarija.
- Tupiza.
- Sucre.
- Torotoro.
Getting around..
Like the rest of South America your main mode of transport will be buses, and for the long journeys that will be an overnight bus. Now I am in fact a big fan of the overnight buses, not only does it save a nights accommodation but you do not waste a full day travelling from place to place, you can fall asleep in one town and wake up in a city 13/14 hours away (That's if you have got your ear plugs with you!). Again, La Paz is worth a mention here, although it isn't the most developed of cities, it does have teleferico's (Cable cars). These cable cars are an absolute god-send to the city of La Paz and the surrounding areas, helping the locals to get around the city and it has opened up a whole new world to people who otherwise would never have had the opportunity to see certain parts of this incredible city. Make sure that you take the teleferico up to El Alto to see the mammoth Thursday market from a birds eye view!
Here are some of the bus companies that we used or heard about;
- Trans Copacabana
- Todo Turismo
- Bolivia Hop
A useful website to use is busbud.com!
Our Route..
Useful Info
- Capital City: The country with two capitals! Officially this is Sucre, however La Paz is also commonly regarded as the capital.
- Time Difference: GMT minus five hours.
- Language Spoken: The official language is Spanish but a few indigenous languages such as, Quechua & Aymara are also spoken throughout the country.
- Local Cuisine: Although a country not famed for its food, Bolivia had some of my favourite snacks! Try some of these; Papas Rellenas (Fried potato stuffed with meat or cheese), Saltena's (Fried pastry filled with meat, veg and plenty of juice! Have a napkin ready!), Empanada's (Similar to the saltena but not as juicy!), Pan de Chola (pork sandwich), Cuy al Horno (Roasted Guinea pig.. Yes that's right, the small animals that we call pets, are a delicacy in this part of the world!), and my personal favourite is the Anticuchos! (Flame grilled cow's heart, served with potatoes and peanut sauce). There is all-sorts of other weird and wonderful (OK, more so just weird) dishes in Bolivia but I will let you find that out for yourself!
- Local Beers & Drink: There are a few Bolivian beers that you can try such as, Huari & Pacena but my favourite has to be the Cordillera! & if you feel up to it, I am sure that you will sample some Singani.
- Visa: Generally not required for stays up to 90 days but certain countries such as the US do need to pay for a Visa! So make sure that you check this out.
- Entrance & Exit Fee: No fees required for British citizens but certain countries may need to pay reciprocity fees.
- Currency & Exchange rate (Aug 2018): Bolivianos ($b) £1 = $8.70 $b / $1 = $6.90 $b
- Useful prices to note;
- 1 night in a hostel (Dorm Bed) = $35- $87 $b / £4 - £10 / $5 - $12.70
- (Private Double Room) = $70 - $307 $b / £8 - £35 / $10.15 - $44.40
- 1 local beer = $8 - $25$b / £0.90 - £2.85 / $1.15 - $3.60
- A typical meal for one = $12 - $25 $b / £1.30 - £2.85 / $1.70 - $3.60
- Average cost of a 4 hour bus journey = $40 / £4.50 / $5.75
Bolivianos ($b) / British Pound (£) / US Dollar (USD)
Our must visit place..
This is not an easy decision, our time in Bolivia was very special, and although not really a tourist destination, the small villages of Jupapina & Mallasa will forever be our favourite places within the country. However, I will say that our must visit place in Bolivia has to be LAGUNA COLORADA and the landscapes of the south!
