A month through Bolivia
Bolivia has it all - 6,000m Andes mountains, a large part of the mighty Amazon Rainforest, sparse deserts, the worlds biggest salt flat, the world’s highest town and the friendliest of people. Being a landlocked country, it doesn’t have beaches but it does have 40% of Lake Titicaca (Peru has the other 60%) which has more appeal than many beaches I’ve come across.
One month in Bolivia flew past and on departure my heart begged to stay just a little longer. Unfortunately we’d already overstayed our visa and got hit with a fine upon exit (oops) - it was worth every additional Boliviano.
Our journey through this colourful country all started when we crossed into Bolivia over the Andes mountains from San Pedro Atacama, Chile. It took us to some tiny towns, across the country to bigger cities, into hillside retreats, up the river to the Amazon Rainforest then across to mystical Lake Titicaca.
The tally
Buses: 14
Beds: 17
Gondolas: 4
Days with salmonella: 6
Death roads cycled: 1
Hours delayed by striking: 6
Amazon canoe rides: 5
Andes to Amazon scenic flight: 2
Salt flat photo shoots: 16
Highest altitude: 5,065m
Dinosaur footprints seen: 5,000 plus
Stairs climbed to Jesus: 1,552
Saltenas devoured: 23
This was our Bolivian adventure.
Atacama, Chile to Uyuni, Bolivia
A 3 day journey through mountains, across deserts, next to lakes, past volcanos and to the world's largest Salt Flat. Read about it here.
Potosi
Welcome to the worlds highest town - 4,090m. It’s a pretty place, once steeped in grandeur thanks to the silver mining boom in the 1800. But it’s a place with much sadness. Over 8 million people have lost their lives mining silver here. yes, you heard right - 8 million people. That’s the population of NSW. Today, the mountain is still being mined for very little reward and a extremely short life expectancy. Conditions are appalling and thousands of children still work in the mines.
DO
A mining tour if you dare. We did not, choosing not to participate in the voyeurism.
Watch The Devil's Miner documentary exposing the horrific mining conditions
EAT & DRINK
loved cafe La Plata for hearty meals and pretty views over the central square
Central Mercado serves up tasty soup
SLEEP
Hostal Casona - it’s ok. Central, free breakfast and a nice place to meet people.
Potosi - one of the world's highest towns at 4,090 metres
Freshly made soup from the markets - yum
Sucre
UNESCO listed Sucre is Bolivia’s capital city, despite all financial and business activity now being run out of La Paz. It's in this pretty city where Independence was declared - a moment of great pride for the country.
DO
Wander the streets taking in the beautiful buildings
Walk up the hill to the impressive Indigenous Art Gallery
Go and see the dinosaur tracks (read our post about it)
Visit Tarabuco markets (Sunday only) 1.5 hours by bus.
EAT & DRINK
The Central Mercado is unbeatable for freshly blended juices, buying fruit and vegetables to snack on or chowing down on a chorizo sandwich
Coffee from Metro Cafe overlooking the town square
SLEEP
La Dolce Vita a beautiful B&B three blocks from the centre - a home away from home.
Storytelling through weaving
A piece of fabric takes around 5 months to weave
Samaipata
Changing gears, we headed sleepy Samaipata perfect for chilling out and trekking into the surrounding hills. Blink and you’ll miss it - it’s only 3 blocks by 3 blocks!
DO
El Fuerte ruins - preInca site. We walked the 20km return trip but it’s a cheap taxi.
Pick up a tour to parque Nacional Amboro and stay at Refugio Volcan for some of the best hiking in Bolivia. Sadly, our budget could not extend to do it despite my best negotiating skills.
EAT & DRINK
La Boheme little expat bar with rooftop
La Cocina for homemade burgers and falafels
La Chakana for healthy salads and tasty, cheap menus of the day
Art Cafe for coffee and homemade cakes. The cafe is run by an artist so it's a feast for the eyes and mouth
SLEEP
Hostal Samaipata - brand new, squeaky clean, huge rooms and delicious breakfasts.
Our 20km walk to the ruins
The main drag
Cochabamba
A great place to break up a killer bus journey from Santa Cruz to La Paz - which is about 17 hours. Other than that, Cochabamba is missable.
DO
Get close to Jesus - climb 1,500 steps to reach Jesus who stands up on the mountain at 2,800m. 44cm taller than Rio's than Jesus. We did it for the exercise. A tip: we ran their from our hostel, up the stairs and took the road down. The road added an extra 4km - you’ve been warned.
Explore Palacio Portales, a wealthy Bolivian family estate
Check out the local farmers markets
EAT & DRINK
Menta: unbelievably fresh vegetarian food and super fresh juices. A very welcome change!!
VacaFria for wholesome ice cream - dig into the coco Dulce de leche
Paprika for a contemporary Bolivian restaurant with a huge menu.
SLEEP
Running Chaski Hostal is fabulous. We had a TV in our room, such a novelty!
Historic Palacio Portales
While missable, the Cochabamba square is pretty
Coroico
Tucked away in the mountains behind La Paz, Coroico makes a nice change of pace from the hustle and bustle of La Paz. A favourite weekend getaway with Bolivians, it is definitely worth a visit. For us, it was a perfect spot to recoup after becoming violently ill in La Paz.
DO:
Avoid the weekend
Hike to the trio of waterfalls 5km one way
Walk to the local afro-Bolivian community
Hike up to the top of the mountain for views over the valley
EAT & DRINK
Love Carla’s pub for hearty food and lovely garden setting
SLEEP
Hostal Chawi, lovely breakfast, great views
La Paz
What a city - high as a kite, busy as bees and laced with a big dose of salmonella. Read about our time in La Paz here.
Riding the gondolas above La Paz
Highway strike causes chaos for us on the way to La Paz
Why take a bus to La Paz when you can hike the highway
Bolivian Amazon
The Amazon Rainforest is so big that you can take your pick of countries from which to launch into it. We chose Bolivia - this was our journey from Rurrenabaque into the Amazon over 5 days.
Lake Titicaca: Copacabana & Isla del Sol
Some places are sacred - Lake Titicaca tops that list. Our final destination in Bolivia will never be forgotten. It has a magical appeal where you can stop by for a few days and end up staying for weeks.
DO
Day trip to Isla del Sol - read about our experience
Sunset drinks by the lake
EAT & DRINK
Down by the lake there are a handful of market stalls all selling fresh trout; grilled with rice, salad and papa frittas only BOP$25 (under $4)
SLEEP
Los Casa del Sol, AU$15per not get for private room wth shared bathroom. Gorgeous place with a lovely garden run by a family and a super friendly cockaspaniel.
If you’re into weird shaped hotels, Los Olas ( $50 per night) is shaped like sea shells and has a beautiful position on the hill.
Thank you Bolivia - you were gentle on our wallets and made a big impression in our hearts.
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