The World By Road

TWBR Guides and Insights:  slightly random, somewhat subjective but always helpful. 

Although Bolivia is completely landlocked in the heart of South America it contains three very distinct geographical regions; the Altiplano, Sub-Andean and the tropical lowlands, each with their own specific draw for visitors.  The Altiplano sits almost entirely above 3,500 meters where it houses many of the “world’s highest”: Navigable lake (Lago Titicaca at 3,805);  City (Potosí at 4,090) and capital city (La Paz at 3,660).  What this means is that if you haven’t already been traveling at altitude, there is a real chance that you will experience symptoms of altitude sickness, most noticeably dull to severe headaches.  Coca leaf tea (either loose or in bags) is readily available literally anywhere does a the trick as does ample rest upon arrival to acclimate.  However with all the natural beauty from the Bolivian Amazonia to the great Salar de Uyuni, the real adventure and experience occurs every single moment of the day as you realize that what you are witnessing is the unquestionable, natural way of life for Bolivians.  

Bolivia is simply ridiculous and the fact that you are considering going there simply by looking at this page means that you, sir, are awesome!  We beg you to go there and cherish it deeply all the while praying for your life.  And for whatever reason, it is just the way it goes and the moment you leave the country with everything intact you are ever-more grateful and can breathe a great sigh of relief!  For how charismatic and loving that Bolivians are, they have a tendency to be, well, simply wreckless, which is what it all basically boils down to. For example, it is believed that how the two buses that collided head-on in the middle of the vast salt plains (carrying a total 9 tourists) because the drivers (one or both) took a snooze while placing a cinder block on the gas pedal, which is apparently common practice on the salt flats. There are many questions here, but the fact that that situation was even a possible suggested cause for losing the lives of more than a dozen is what you are dealing with in Bolivia.  That being said, while you may find yourself semi-scared sh*tless, most times there is nothing you can do but take  whatever seemingly absurd situation is unfolding in front of you with a grain of sail and then hopefully find humor it.  But I digress, and do beg you to go and have the time of your life!       

Here are some of our suggestions for things to think about seeing and doing.

La Paz

Without a doubt the madness of this amazing city will blow your mind!  It is an absolute must and no one should tell you otherwise.  

*There are plenty of hostels throughout town but we wholeheartedly recommend The Adventure Brew Hostel, which is just up from the main bus terminal.  The owner, a seasoned brew master makes three types of his beer, Saya, which you can purchase at their bar after you finish the free one that they give each guest daily!  Also free is the morning pancake breakfast.  On top of those two enticing factors both buildings of the hostel (we recommend staying at the Annex) are exceptionally well run by a knowledgeable, friendly, multi-lingual staff.  Oh yeah, every night you can sign up to buy a wholesome homemade dinner which will be one of the best meals you will have on the road and for only 35 Bolivianos.  And if all that isn’t enough maybe the draw of having a spa on the roof in a warm bath of the house brew for its therapeutic properties will lure you in! 

*Our choice for the Death Road ride that is also a must is hands-down Vertigo Biking Co.  Pablo Paz, the young, charismatic owner grew up biking the Camino de los Muertos and knows it like the back of his hand.  He loves mountain bikes and this one road so much that he is usually always leading the pack…none of the other big name companies can say the same.  He is also one of the raddest dudes in the whole country.  While there is obvious risk involved, Vertigo will deck you out in full mountain biking safety gear.  Just make sure to bring a change of clothes (especially if it’s the rainy season) for when you arrive in Coroico and don’t forget your camera either as the vistas are stunning! 

*From La Paz, head up to El Alto on Sundays or Thursdays for the craziest market experience in almost the whole world!  You can literally find almost anything if you look hard enough.

*There’s a lot of buzz around touring the city jail.  Its infamy for producing and selling cocaine within the jail walls is intriguing and witnessing it will cost you anywhere between 200 and 300 Bolivianos, so it’s not cheap and some tour “guides” charge extra for taking photos.  In order to take part wait in the park across the street (it’s better to arrive between 11am and 1pm) and someone will approach you.  The two more known “guides” are a South African woman and a big black man from the States, so you should also recognize them when you see them.  Once inside your security is the accompaniment  of a group of inmates that will answer your questions with rather candid responses.  Again, like everything in Bolivia, you are at your own risk but the inmates are raking in the dough and would hate to see that gravy train grind to a halt.  

*Be sure to check out the affluent neighborhood Zona Sur, as most tourists rarely make it over there or even know of its existence.  There’s boutique shopping as well as tons of cafes, bars and delicious restaurants. 

*For going out in La Paz, Ram Jam Pub and Bar (Presbitero Medina 2124) and Sol y Luna (C. Murillo, at the corner of Cochabamba) are two of the more major spots two go, both of which carry Saya, the beer brewed at Adventure Brew Hostel.  Expat owned British style pub, Mongos (Hermanos Manchego 2444 at the corner of Pedro Salazar), is also a popular spot. 

Sucre

Is a quaint and quiet beautiful colonial town that is easily accessible from any major city.  There are several major Universities there meaning there are lots of young students from all over.  

*With all the students and travelers, several expat run bars and discos have opened up, but none corner the market as well as Joy Ride Cafe.  Here you will find a huge menu with everything from a Mediterranean platter (delicious) to Caesar salads and nachos.  You will also find every gringo in town and a surprising amount of locals partying late into the night in the upstairs lounge.  They also have a tourism center which offer local city walking and market tours, horseback riding, hiking as well as more extreme adventure sports like mountain biking, climbing and paragliding. 

*Sucre is known for several things, besides being the official capital of the country, most notably chocolate and salteñas.  Salteñas, essentially and empanada but with more flavor to it’s fillings and much juicier a.  They can be found throughout the country, but they truly are the best in Sucre and are generally eaten as a mid-morning snack so head over to El Patio at San Alberto 18 early before the sell out around 1pm.  Chocolate shops, like salteñeras can be found dotted throughout town, but check out Taboada, right on the Plaza 25 de Mayo.

For the best almuerzo, Las Bajos at Loa 759 is where to go, and the packed patio full of locals should speak for itself.  

After you save your money on the $0.50 salteñas or $1.50, you should take a cab up to Cafe Gourmet El Mirador at Pasaje Iturricha 297 Mirador de la Recoleta for a great view of the city below. 

As for where to stay there are plenty of options from super budget hostels like Amigo Hostel (from $4-$11), to mid range hotels like Hotel Independencia ($30-$70, the latter price for the suite is worth every penny). 

*It is also an excellent place to stay for a week or two, or more if you’re interested in taking some Spanish language classes, which a lot of travelers tend to do as the prices are the lowest around.

Potosí 

Is the highest city in the world sitting at about 4000 meters.  It was founded in the mid 16th century after rich silver tracks were discovered in what quickly became the mountain known as Cerro Rico (Rich Mountain).  It is a quintessential boom-bust town, as miners (now up to 17 levels deep) were continuously excavating the silver for nearly 300 years.  While the silver is believed to be long gone there are still thousands of cooperative miners working for tin and other simple elements while still hoping to strike it rich.  The vast majority of the 10,000 miners work in cooperatives of up to 15, meaning if one hits a vein of any of the goods, the monies received are distributed accordingly.  However they do not receive anything until this happens and therefore work in extreme conditions for very long hours with little supplements aside from the ever-demanded coca leaf, black tar cigarettes and 96% potable drinking alcohol.  If this sounds like something you might be interested in, then swing by any number of the tour operators to see which one you think you will feel most comfortable with during the 2-3 hour tour.  It’s quite the experience, and only 80 Bolivianos at most, but like most “tours” you take in Bolivia, you’ll be really glad when it’s over and no longer 5 levels underground in a mountain that more closely resembles swiss cheese!  But seriously, do it and plus you’ll also have a chance to purchase the aforementioned supplements at a market to distribute to the miners (or whomever you like). 

Between touring Cerro Rico and it’s Spanish colonial charm left over from the silver rush days, Potosí is well marked on the Bolivian tourist trail.  This means that there are plenty of well priced hostels, bars and eateries.  La Casona is generally the bed of choice for budget travelers.

Uyuni

Is a dusty little blip on the world scale, and for that reason is worth checking out so you can see who lives here as you wonder why.  The locals pretty much turn a blind eye to the tourists although they are more than used to their presence as tens of thousands of toursists come through annually on their pit stop to Salar de Uyuni.  Also because of this, there are several pizza places and rather over the top “party” bars catering to non-Bolivian tourists.  

*While there are no real youth hostels, you shouldn’t have trouble finding a bed at any one of the family run residence inn’s for usually $6 a person, for a shared room with private bath and cable TV.

*There are literally dozens of tour operators, if not closer to one hundred running both day and overnight tours.   It’s a big country, but hiring a car even for a partial portion of your trip could be the way to go.  Some of the most beautiful places in the country are pretty remote and otherwise only accessible through group jeep tours leaving from Uyuni.  From what we have heard and read they can either be a total blast, or the exact opposite.  Just the thing in Bolivia, you never know what you’re going to get…and since the Jeeps are always fully packed, they can also be beyond unreliable (a Spanish couple spoke of how the tire came off theirs while they were traveling 80k/h on the salt flats!).  The tours will take you to all the hot spots, but they appeared hurried and rushed and all the Jeeps have a tendency to arrive at the same sites at the same time…where as we were able to camp two nights on Isla de Pescados and Termas de Polques hot springs and have the sites all to ourselves.