Bolivia

Seems like spending two weeks per country has been our norm, and Bolivia was no exception. It is truly the Wild West of South America, a land of surreal landscapes, questionable infrastructure, and baby llama drama. Oh and the country is cheap, which is music to this backpacker’s ears. We hit up most of the main tourist spots–entering overland via Copacabana on Lake Titicaca, and exiting overland as well into San Pedro de Atacama, Chile. I think if I had some extra time (and in non rainy season), I would have tried to see Tupiza for the landscapes and Tarija for the wine, but neither is a regrettable miss at is point.

So here is our journey:

La Paz — stay near the bus station, do crazy things (interpret at will)
Sucre–stroll pretty streets and eat well
Potosi–see the silver mines
Uyuni–don’t stay more than a night, only enough to prepare for the trip south to the Salar, Lagoons, etc.

Transport

You can fly into La Paz from main South American cities and within Bolivia, take Amaszonas or TAM (not the Brazilian airline but the military airline). There is a railroad, but I cant vouch for trains–most destinations are minerals-related. Buses connect pretty much everything and are decent. Go with more expensive (aka splurge the extra $1; it will be worth it). Night buses typically make several unannounced stops for inexplicable periods of time, often with searches of the bus (I guess in case we are smuggling things?). There are a couple drug checkpoints too, but not really stringent ones. La Paz to Uyuni I would recommend Todo Turismo and for other long journeys, ask the hostel for the best bus. Approximate trip times: La Paz-Sucre 12-14hours overnight, La Paz-Uyuni 12 hours overnight, Sucre-Potosi 3 hours frequent trips, Potosi-Uyuni 4hours around noon and 630/730pm.

Lodging

La Paz–Wild Rover, Loki, and others close to bus stations
Sucre–Gringos Rincon–beautiful house, but kitchen is small if you want to cook (eating out is cheap though)
Potosi–Koala Den–can’t make an online reservation, but there is wifi at the hostel and a comfy TV room
Uyuni–people recommended Piedra Blanca, but it was booked up, so we stayed at Hostal Marith, which is a few blocks from center, but you get to be awakened by military band practice across the street.

Tours

To bike Yungas Road, I would recommend Gravity, Altitude, Vertigo–basically one of the more expensive operators. For Potosi silver mines, tour at Koala Den or Greengo. For salt flats etc., Red Planet, Tupiza Tours (heard great things about this operator from from Tupiza).