Adventure Guide to Bolivia (Hunter Travel Guides)

553 Pages·2004·8.73 MB·English

by  Vivien Lougheed

dventure Guide
Bolivia
dventure Guide
Bolivia
Vivien Lougheed
Assisted in research, writing and survival
by John Harris
HUNTER
HUNTER PUBLISHING, INC,
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732-225-1900; 800-255-0343; fax [phone]
www.hunterpublishing.com
Ulysses Travel Publications
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Windsor Books
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01865-361122; fax [phone]
ISBN 1-58843-365-X
© 2004 Hunter Publishing, Inc.
This and other Hunter travel guides are also
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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
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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