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:

Team Flamingo Does Southern Bolivia

Salar the Uyuni, the world’s largest salt flat, is one of the most popular attractions in Bolivia. In the austral winter it is dry and the perfect spot for fun perspective shots. In the summer (now) it is covered with 30cm of water, is often impassable, but if you’re lucky and the winds are low, becomes the world’s largest mirror.

Potosi

At 4,000 meters above sea level, Potosi claims to be the highest city in the world, but its actual claim to fame is Cerro Rico, a mountain where silver was discovered in 1546 and put Potosi on the Spanish Crown’s map. The wealth of the Empire actually seesaw’ed with the output of the mine and the Pirate activity in the Caribbean. It is even said that the Spanish have more wealth under the sea than in the country (definitely true for today’s Spain).

Sucre

Sucre, the town where Bolivia’s independence was proclaimed, is still in the constitution as the capital of the country, but La Paz is actually the seat of government and treasury now. It is everything La Paz isn’t–beautiful, well planned, located at a tolerable altitude, quiet, and safe.

Paz Out

La Paz — the city where aesthetics go to die and adrenaline junkies go to live. This place has something for everyone from rock climbing and trekking the neighboring volcanoes to biking, abseiling, and just general merriment for those who like night life. La Paz looks like it has tried in the past to beautify, but now the random piles of rubble just make you wonder whether it is in the process of construction of destruction. Having said that, amidst the mess, there are a couple decent looking colonial style buildings and one street you might even describe as cute (Jaen, where the museums are). While we didn’t have any trouble, La Paz does have its share of tourist touts and many people had a story of mugging (not violent) so it is prudent to be careful, especially after dark. I didn’t leave the corner of Wild Rover/Loki past nightfall and am pretty happy with my decision.