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Adventure Guide to Bolivia (Hunter Travel Guides) PDF

553 Pages·2004·8.73 MB·English
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Preview Adventure Guide to Bolivia (Hunter Travel Guides)

dventure Guide Bolivia dventure Guide Bolivia Vivien Lougheed Assisted in research, writing and survival by John Harris HUNTER HUNTER PUBLISHING, INC, 130 Campus Drive, Edison, NJ 08818 732-225-1900; 800-255-0343; fax 732-417-1744 www.hunterpublishing.com Ulysses Travel Publications 4176 Saint-Denis, Montréal, Québec Canada H2W 2M5 514-843-9882, ext. 2232; fax 514-843-9448 Windsor Books The Boundary, Wheatley Road, Garsington Oxford, OX44 9EJ England 01865-361122; fax 01865-361133 ISBN 1-58843-365-X © 2004 Hunter Publishing, Inc. This and other Hunter travel guides are also available as e-books in a variety of digital formats through our online partners, including Amazon.com and Netlibrary.com. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, elec- tronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher. This guide focuses on recreational activities. As all such activities con- tain elements of risk, the publisher, author, affiliated individuals and companies disclaim responsibility for any injury, harm, or illness that may occur to anyone through, or by use of, the information in this book. Every effort was made to insure the accuracy of information in this book, but the publisher and author do not assume, and hereby disclaim, liabil- ity for any loss or damage caused by errors, omissions, misleading infor- mation or potential travel problems caused by this guide, even if such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident or any other cause. Cover photo: Man in reed boat © Pete Oxford, naturepl.com All interior images by Vivien Lougheed, unless noted. Index by: Nancy Wolff Maps by Kim André © 2004 Hunter Publishing, Inc. 1 2 3 4 www.hunterpubl ishing.com Hunter’s full range of guides to all corners of the globe is featured on our exciting website. You’ll find guidebooks to suit every type of traveler, no matter what their budget, lifestyle, or idea of fun. Adventure Guides – There are now over 40 titles in this series, covering destinations from Costa Rica and the Yucatán to Tampa Bay & Florida’s West Coast and Belize. Complete with informa- tion on what to do, as well as where to stay and eat, Adventure Guides are tailor-made for the active traveler, with all the practi- cal travel information you need, as well as details of the best places for hiking, biking, canoeing, horseback riding, trekking, skiing, watersports, and all other kinds of fun. Alive Guides – This ever-popular line of books takes a unique look at the best each destination offers: fine dining, jazz clubs, first-class hotels and resorts. In-margin icons direct the reader at a glance. Top-sellers include The US Virgin Islands, The Cayman Islands and Aruba, Bonaire & Curaçao. Our Romantic Weekends guidebooks provide escapes for cou- ples of all ages and lifestyles. Unlike most “romantic” travel books, ours cover more than charming hotels and delightful res- taurants, with a host of activities that you and your partner will remember forever. One-of-a-kind travel books available from Hunter include The Best Dives of the Bahamas; Golf Resorts; Cruising Alaska and many more. Full descriptions are given for each book at www.hunter- publishing.com, along with reviewers’ comments and a cover im- age. You can also view pages and the table of contents. Books may be purchased on-line via our secure transaction facility. vi n Acknowledgments Acknowledgments y first acknowledgment goes to my husband, John Harris, for his ac- Mceptance of my obsession for travel rather than him. He claims that he is content to be a possession rather than an obsession. His never-end- ing attention to my comfort and security and his attention to the fine de- tails of English grammar have made this book possible. My next acknowledgment is to Kim André who, even through sleepless nights and endless piles of kid-work, managed to promptly answer my many questions. Her enthusiasm and support are what make the collabo- ration of book writing as pleasant as traveling. Paige Pedersen is always with me on my journeys, sometimes in person and always in spirit. There are others in my life whose voices I often hear when I’m in the desert or jungle looking at things like tarantulas, leaf-cutter ants, capybaras or dung beetles. They are Craig and Carl Blanchard, Levi Chamberlain, Jake MacDonald and Seb Harris. When I’m sticking my crampons into the ice of a glacier or crossing a raging river, I often hear Robin and Kelsey MacDonald encouraging me to chance a next move. I would like to thank Patricia Martinez who translated any Spanish that was too difficult for me to understand. Without her, critical information may have been misrepresented. When we became homesick, Barry and Joy McKinnon brought us some fresh adventures, among which was an escape into Peru during the War of Taxation. They also brought us some Canadian humor delivered with a Canadian accent. A writer can never complete a book without the help of the people in the host country. I would like to thank Sonia Cruz and Oscar Crispe from Co- pacabana for giving us so much insight into the Aymara culture. Rick de Rave and his partner Margarina kept us fueled with their cappuccinos while advising us about things like the dangers of gringos driving in Bolivia or boats that ply the waters of Lake Titicaca. Thanks to Pieter de Raad and his wife Marga Van’t Hoff for their hospi- tality, endless leads and the rhubarb jam that gave John spiritual rejuve- nation halfway through our journey. He liked Marga’s legs, too. I thank Jerome and Lillian Luis in Tupiza for their information about the area and especially about Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. I thank Hanne Inners for her skill with horses that helped make me look like a seasoned cowgirl. Acknowledgments n vii Louis Demers in Sorata is an inspiration for everyone who visits that area and his dedication to Bolivian tourism is unsurpassed. Things in the mountains change rapidly, but Louis kept me informed on all the latest trail information. Manuel Español from Santa Cruz gave me more information about the Pantanal than I could have gathered in a month of travel there. He was eager to help and paid scrupulous attention to detail. I would like to thank Susan Bryan and Andrew Watts, a couple of young Canadians, who helped us on a horrific hike out of Tupiza. They boosted my morale. Thanks also to Harry Muller, now known as Piraña Harry, for his humor and understanding when on the Yacuma River with us. Alex Shand, who runs SpeakEasy in La Paz and is part of the editorial team for Llama Express, has supplied me with countless details on Boliv- ian politics and history. I hope she becomes the first female mayor of the city. Her information was supplemented by details from the now-defunct Bolivian Times, thanks to the cooperation of Peter McFarran and his wife Wendy. Thanks to Tomer Weingram, a volunteer at Villa Tunari animal shelter, for the corrected details he gave me about the shelter. Due to roadblocks, I was unable to get into Villa Tunari. Thanks to Martin Recardo in Cochabamba for his recommendations about good places to eat in the city. I would also like to include Norma Da- vid Peña and David Carbonell for their contributions about places to visit, many of which have never before been described in guidebooks or tourism publications. Elva Alfaro in Sucre helped me make more informed recommendations about travel in the Potolo area. Rick and his Dutch partners at Joy Rider took us on a great cycling excursion out of Sucre, and fed us excellent cap- puccinos and breakfasts. I also want to thank Dr. Hugo Barrios and his wife Damiska for their help and assistance in the mountains. Their jeep and driver were a great help, too. Without them we would not have seen some of the climbing sites that we saw around La Paz and Sorata. My final acknowledgment goes to Eunice, who shared her intimate knowledge of adventure destinations and possibilities. I am sure there are many more people I have forgotten to mention. For that I apologize. You know who you are. When I’m back in a few years to write the next edition, grab my notebook and write your names in block letters. DEDICATION This book is dedicated to Susan Goose (Picklyk) in appreciation for her gift of freedom. Contents INTRODUCTION + History. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Before the Spanish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Conquest and Colonization, 1532-1809. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Potosi Period . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Napoleon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Independence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Post Independence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 The 20th Century . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 + Government . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 + Economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 + People & Culture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 + Geography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 + Climate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 + Plant Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Coca & The Drug War . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 + Animal Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 + National Emblems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 + Bolivia’s Top Destinations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 TRAVEL INFORMATION + Facts at Your Fingertips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 + When to Go . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Seasonal Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 National Holidays & Celebrations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 + What to Take . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Required Documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Packing List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 + Health Concerns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 + Money Matters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 + Measurements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 + Dangers & Annoyances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Emergency Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 + Communications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 + Culture Shock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 + Shopping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 + Food . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 + Selecting a Place to Stay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 + Getting Here . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 By Air . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 By Car . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 Other Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 Border Crossings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 Outfitters Who Do All the Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 + Getting Around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83 Air Travel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84

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