Lake Titicaca
We continued to enjoy the lake on the Bolivian side, commuting to Isla del Sol from Copacobana. The island was extremely peaceful and had beautiful views. We found a great little place to stay owned by a tiny, sweet old lady, nestled on the hillside. We could see the snow capped mountains from our bed!
We loved strolling around and finding cheap eats overlooking the vibrant blue water below us. It proved a very relaxing stay. Copacabana itself is a little tacky, scattered with swan pedalos and tourist shops. But we enjoyed the small town vibe and tasty Trucha fish, along with cheap Bolivian prices.
La Paz
Since not having particularly high hopes for the capital, La Paz proved us wrong with it's endless markets and food choices. It had a lively local atmosphere and offered an enjoyable stop off between venturing out to other areas.
A must do whilst in the capital is to bike down "Death Road" between La Paz and Coroico. The 65km long road once served the stomach wrenching journey from Cumbre at over 4000masl to Coroico at 2300masl. The road is now closed off due to the sheer number of deaths that occurred and so now only open to idiots like us who had the urge to bike down it.
Although bumpy, it turned out to be a very enjoyable and scenic trip. Albeit very sad to pass the countless crosses on the roaside representing buses etc that had slipped off course and plummeted into the 500m deep abyss below. Sometimes the path was so narrow it was incredible to believe any large vehicles made it through. No accidents for us though. Around 3 hours later we were stripping down to minimal clothing in the contrasting heat of Coroico and treated to a rewardingly tasty 4 course lunch!
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| La Cumbre |
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| The steep fall off of Death Road |
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| Beautiful views |
Coroico
Since we we finished in the small town of Coroico at the end of death road, we decided to stay for a few nights. It was great to warm up after being refridgerated in La Paz and spend sunny days eating Saltenas (typical Bolivian empanadas) and ice cream. The place had a lovely local vibe to it whilst being in the middle of the countryside. We were lucky to leave a day early, successfully avoiding a week long strike thatnresulted in no buses going in or out of La paz.
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| The usual morning sellers |
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| Views from Coroico |
The Amazon - Rurrenabaque
Bolivia has by far the most diverse and impressive landscape of all countries we have travelled. After hearing pretty awful stories regarding the bus journey from La Paz to Rurrenabaque up in the jungle, we decided to take our first flight since flying Cuba to Mexico. It was a 15 seater and dinky plane.
Despite our best efforts, we struggled to reassure ourselves that we had indeed landed in Bolivia. Perhaps we are blindly ignorant of the exact location of Israel, because for the next 18 hours we were certain we were in it. Besides ourselves (timidly hiding in a corner,) and 2 other locals (also fairly intimidated,) the shack of an airport was jam packed with Israelis. This created just about the loudest noise we have ever had the misfortune to experience. Apparently they finish their civil service and blow off steam in south america. All of them. Together.
We got straight into the jungle with an excellent guide, Emil. He was brought up in the heart of it and so we were astonished by his incredible innate intelligence for the jungle. The bonus was that it turned out to be just us and Emil. We had our own personal Mogli! After a beautiful boat ride down the river Beni, we set up camp before taking our first hike. The density was overwhelming and it felt so great to be in something so vas. We were also officially welcomed into the jungle by Emil by means of a protective ritual. This was extremely personal and meant a great deal to the locals in order to gain safety provided by Pachamama (Mother Nature). The blessing involved a lot of coca leaves which are a sacred asset to the Bolivian lifestyle.
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| Easy to get lost in! |
We absolutlely loved our walks engulfed by the incredibly interesting nature. We learnt about the numerous medicinal properties of the plants and what resources there are hidden in the tree trunks.
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After 3 sweaty days we jumped straight in the river for a cleansing. Our time here had flown by...but with our Pampas tour booked we still had plenty more to see!
After the 3 hour bumpy journey, having to push our mode of transport out of the mud on numerous occassions, we arrived to hop on our tiny boat. This area of the jugle is underwater and so the whole tour was by boat. It was beautofully bright and peaceful floating along and around the rivers. We saw numerous types of wildlife during the day and nigt outings.
One morning we swam with the pink river dolphins which play with you, nibbling at your feet. We also fished for Piranhas to make a tasty dinner, followed by successfully searching for Anacondas.
The only issues were the abundance of mosquitos that erupted at 7pm exactly and the swealtering heat during the night. For some reason camping in the jugle was nothing like this. However, we enjoyed our lazy days boating around and seeing such fantastic wildlife.
Salt Flats -Southwest Bolivia
After a night bus that allowed no sleep, we arrived in Uyuni. This town was not at all impressionable, pretty much lacking life in general. It merely provided a gateway to tour the infamous salt flats.
We chose to leave on a 3 day tour and were lucky to have some great other people in our jeep. Our first stop was at the old railway complete with abandoned trains, originally used in order to transport minerals to Chile or Argentina. The rest of the day was spent on the salt flats stretching as far as the eye could see. We had fun taking silly pictures with the lack of size perspective.
Our first night was spent in a surpringly cosy salt hotel. All buildings were made entirely out of salt. After our stay, we departed early the following morning to see more of the landscape. We essentially had a tour of the whole of southern Bolivia, touching the Chilean border. We saw numerous beautifully coloured lagoons filled with pink flamingos. The landscape was so impressive that despite driving for long durations, we never got bored of it. The volcanoes, wierdly shaped, colourful rocks and amazing viewpoints kept us enticed. At sunset we stopped at the geisers which were puffing out sulferous steam.
Our final day involved driving back from the border of Chile all the way back to Uyuni. We had various stops at viewpoints to break up the journey. Each stop was as impressive as the last with so much variation. We especially loved the llamas where we stopped for lunch!
Both extremely happy with our experience, we returned to "ghost town" Uyuni to sleep before our bus out in the morning.
Sucre
As soon as we arrived we loved Sucre. Our objective was to find an easy going town to stop and rejuvenate post our activities. Here we found the perfect hostel and enjoyed some relaxing and easy days in the warmer climate. The "traffic wardens" dressed up as actual Zebras at zebra crossings were pretty entertaining!
Sucre's architecture was also notably impressive, with pretty white colonial buildings surrounding multiple social plazas. The main market was another good'n providing everything you never thought you needed. The town was a perfect place to relax while having everything at your convenience.
Here we were also fortunate enough to meet up with old friends and celebrate the easter weekend. We shared some great evenings together, in addition to some great english style home cooked dinners.
Potosi
On our way south towards Argentina we decided to stop in one of the highest cities on Earth. At 4090masl, Potosi is a cute and characterful stopover. Albeit small, the city had a charming atmosphere with the usual markets and plazas. It is also home to the large mines, once responsible for making Potosi an extremely wealthy spot in South America. Now the silver has gone, it is merely a small city with a large history. Mining tours are a tourist activity here, however we didn't like the idea of visiting people's awful working environments and exploiting their misfortune.
Tupiza
Close to the border is the town of Tupiza. The surroundings are incredible, surrounded by dusty, red rock mountains. Chilly at night but hot in the day, we felt engulfed by the desert like landscape. We wandered around the edges of the town to see the canyons and see the mountains from view points upon canyon edges.
Could Bolivia be our favourite country in South America.....? With so much diversity and culture we would be tempted to say yes!
Practical Information
Accurate from April 2014.
£1 = 11 bolivianos.
After the 3 hour bumpy journey, having to push our mode of transport out of the mud on numerous occassions, we arrived to hop on our tiny boat. This area of the jugle is underwater and so the whole tour was by boat. It was beautofully bright and peaceful floating along and around the rivers. We saw numerous types of wildlife during the day and nigt outings.
One morning we swam with the pink river dolphins which play with you, nibbling at your feet. We also fished for Piranhas to make a tasty dinner, followed by successfully searching for Anacondas.
The only issues were the abundance of mosquitos that erupted at 7pm exactly and the swealtering heat during the night. For some reason camping in the jugle was nothing like this. However, we enjoyed our lazy days boating around and seeing such fantastic wildlife.
Salt Flats -Southwest Bolivia
After a night bus that allowed no sleep, we arrived in Uyuni. This town was not at all impressionable, pretty much lacking life in general. It merely provided a gateway to tour the infamous salt flats.
We chose to leave on a 3 day tour and were lucky to have some great other people in our jeep. Our first stop was at the old railway complete with abandoned trains, originally used in order to transport minerals to Chile or Argentina. The rest of the day was spent on the salt flats stretching as far as the eye could see. We had fun taking silly pictures with the lack of size perspective.
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Our first night was spent in a surpringly cosy salt hotel. All buildings were made entirely out of salt. After our stay, we departed early the following morning to see more of the landscape. We essentially had a tour of the whole of southern Bolivia, touching the Chilean border. We saw numerous beautifully coloured lagoons filled with pink flamingos. The landscape was so impressive that despite driving for long durations, we never got bored of it. The volcanoes, wierdly shaped, colourful rocks and amazing viewpoints kept us enticed. At sunset we stopped at the geisers which were puffing out sulferous steam.
A huge highlight to our Salar de Uyuni tour was the evening at the second night's accommodation. After dinner, we were treated to a relaxing dip in the thermal springs next to our hotel. The idea of anything "thermal" proved very enticing as, despite the outside temperature sometimes reaching -25°C, everyone jumped in! Our group were the only people there and loved warming up in the middle of nowhere beneath the brilliantly starry sky.
Our final day involved driving back from the border of Chile all the way back to Uyuni. We had various stops at viewpoints to break up the journey. Each stop was as impressive as the last with so much variation. We especially loved the llamas where we stopped for lunch!
Both extremely happy with our experience, we returned to "ghost town" Uyuni to sleep before our bus out in the morning.
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| Our lunch spot with llamas. |
Sucre
As soon as we arrived we loved Sucre. Our objective was to find an easy going town to stop and rejuvenate post our activities. Here we found the perfect hostel and enjoyed some relaxing and easy days in the warmer climate. The "traffic wardens" dressed up as actual Zebras at zebra crossings were pretty entertaining!
Sucre's architecture was also notably impressive, with pretty white colonial buildings surrounding multiple social plazas. The main market was another good'n providing everything you never thought you needed. The town was a perfect place to relax while having everything at your convenience.
Here we were also fortunate enough to meet up with old friends and celebrate the easter weekend. We shared some great evenings together, in addition to some great english style home cooked dinners.
 |
| Beautiful architecture. |
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| Friendly and colourful market. |
Potosi
On our way south towards Argentina we decided to stop in one of the highest cities on Earth. At 4090masl, Potosi is a cute and characterful stopover. Albeit small, the city had a charming atmosphere with the usual markets and plazas. It is also home to the large mines, once responsible for making Potosi an extremely wealthy spot in South America. Now the silver has gone, it is merely a small city with a large history. Mining tours are a tourist activity here, however we didn't like the idea of visiting people's awful working environments and exploiting their misfortune.
 |
| Old but pretty town. |
Tupiza
Close to the border is the town of Tupiza. The surroundings are incredible, surrounded by dusty, red rock mountains. Chilly at night but hot in the day, we felt engulfed by the desert like landscape. We wandered around the edges of the town to see the canyons and see the mountains from view points upon canyon edges.
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| View from the canyon ridge. |
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| Great picnic spot! |
Practical Information
Accurate from April 2014.
£1 = 11 bolivianos.
Boats from Copacabana to Isla del Sol leave at 8:30 and 13:30. 20b one way. To the North or South of the island. 2 hours. They return from Yumani at 10:30 and 16:00.
There are tons of places to stay in Yumani, the best at the highest points with views. All 30-40b per person.
Hourly buses go from Copacabana to Cemeterio in La Paz, 20b, 4 hours. Includes a boat crossing, 2b.
Madness downhill were great for Death road biking. 350b al included. Very nice shower and lunch at the end. Perfectly decent front suspension bikes. Can be dropped in Coroico.
Collectivos to La Paz airport pass by opposite San Fransisco plaza, 4b, 1 hour. But often seem all full. Taxi 50b.
Flights to Rurrenabaque cost around £50 each way and can be booked late. Re-confirm the day before. Buses take 20+ hours and often don't run in rainy season.
Max Jungle offer fantastic Jungle tours. At least 3 days is recommended. 1000b.
Pampas tours all seem to do the same so companies do not vary much beyond the lodge and guide. Although in the cheapest you risk going with many loud Israeli's. 3 days is recommended because of long travel times to reach the Pampas.
Hospedaje Milenio is great value for La Paz, 70b for matrimonial.
Buses La Paz to Uyuni cost 100b, only night buses, 13 hours. Very bumpy for the 2nd half of the journey.
Red Planet offer a fantastic and reliable 3 day tour of the Salt Flats and Southwest Bolivia. 1100b each.
Buses from Uyuni to Sucre go via Potosi, in and out of different stations. 60b, 8 hours.
Tupiza is 6 hours (40b) from Potosi, 9 hours from Sucre (20b more).
Border crossing from Bolivia to Argentina - collectivos often run 1.5hours to Villazon. Walk to the border. Better exchange to black market rate pesos available on Bolivian side. No fees. Walk to bus stop in La Quiaca. Roughly hourly buses head south. 62 pesos to Tilcara in 4 hours.
Complete budget example - £17 per person, per day. Although, easily the most affordable country in South America, the Salt flats and Amazon trips will stretch the budget.
There are tons of places to stay in Yumani, the best at the highest points with views. All 30-40b per person.
Hourly buses go from Copacabana to Cemeterio in La Paz, 20b, 4 hours. Includes a boat crossing, 2b.
Madness downhill were great for Death road biking. 350b al included. Very nice shower and lunch at the end. Perfectly decent front suspension bikes. Can be dropped in Coroico.
Collectivos to La Paz airport pass by opposite San Fransisco plaza, 4b, 1 hour. But often seem all full. Taxi 50b.
Flights to Rurrenabaque cost around £50 each way and can be booked late. Re-confirm the day before. Buses take 20+ hours and often don't run in rainy season.
Max Jungle offer fantastic Jungle tours. At least 3 days is recommended. 1000b.
Pampas tours all seem to do the same so companies do not vary much beyond the lodge and guide. Although in the cheapest you risk going with many loud Israeli's. 3 days is recommended because of long travel times to reach the Pampas.
Hospedaje Milenio is great value for La Paz, 70b for matrimonial.
Buses La Paz to Uyuni cost 100b, only night buses, 13 hours. Very bumpy for the 2nd half of the journey.
Red Planet offer a fantastic and reliable 3 day tour of the Salt Flats and Southwest Bolivia. 1100b each.
Buses from Uyuni to Sucre go via Potosi, in and out of different stations. 60b, 8 hours.
Tupiza is 6 hours (40b) from Potosi, 9 hours from Sucre (20b more).
Border crossing from Bolivia to Argentina - collectivos often run 1.5hours to Villazon. Walk to the border. Better exchange to black market rate pesos available on Bolivian side. No fees. Walk to bus stop in La Quiaca. Roughly hourly buses head south. 62 pesos to Tilcara in 4 hours.
Complete budget example - £17 per person, per day. Although, easily the most affordable country in South America, the Salt flats and Amazon trips will stretch the budget.
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