Category: Bolivia

Potosí is located in the south of Bolivia and is a city in which many people depend of the harshness of the mines to make a living. It has an elevation of about 4,090 meters, making it one of the highest cities in the world.

After an almost 3-hour bus ride from Sucre, we reached Potosí at night. Friends of us recommended Koala Den Hostel and that’s were we stayed. It’s a simple yet convenient hostel with reasonable prices and located close to the main plaza of the city (Plaza 10 de Noviembre).

Through the hostel, we were able to do the mine tour with Koala Tours at the next day. Most of the tourists did the guided tour in English and our guided tour in Spanish was more personalized. It started at around 8:30am and the first stop was to get the equipment for each person (helmets, flashlights, boots, jackets and pants).

The next stop was at the miners market. We were advised to buy some gifts to them as in good gesture since they were letting us in the mines. It’s a crowded market where you can pretty much find everything.

After this, we did a quick tour of the mineral factory in which you learn the process of mineral purification after its extracted from the mines.

Finally, the group went up the hill where the mine was located. Just outside of the mine, many miners were about to do the ritual in which llamas are sacrificed. The blood of the llamas is spread on the bodies and faces of the miners and inside the mine. Some organs are buried to honor the Pachamama or mother earth in order to be prosperous and to be safe when working at the mines since accidents can occur. This ritual is not something that I would not have liked to witness but it was part of the experience.

Once inside the mine, you realize how hard and sad the conditions are for miners to work there. They risk their lives everyday day in return of a low wage but at the end of the day, that’s how they make a living and bring food to the table. It’s a good idea to bring handkerchiefs or something to cover your mouth and nose as the mine has a lot of dust.

Our tour guide himself was a miner and he explained to us how some miners can purchase small sections of the mine. This will give a miner the opportunity of being the only one who can extract minerals from that particular section.

Inside the mine, miners perform rituals to ask “El Tio” – a statue that looks like a demon – for protection. The miners would try to make El Tio happy by talking to him and giving him some gifts. He told us how each miner would try to take care of his coworkers. If one of them had family problems or was somewhat depressed, his coworkers would not let him inside the mines as full concentration to work is needed and there is no room for mistake.

As we kept going forward after a tiring walk and finally saw the light at the end of the mine, I could only think the respect that I have for these miners. The mine tour in Potosí is definitely a tough experience for anyone to see but it’s a reality for many people who struggle and risk their lives at work everyday.

Next stop: Salar de Uyuni.

As the historic and constitutional capital of Bolivia, this city is abundant with colonial style streets, churches and chapels.

After a 11-hour bus ride from La Paz, we finally made it to Sucre. The bus terminal was located just 15 minutes away from Kultur Berlin hostel in the historic center of the city. It’s mid May and the weather is warm during the day, so we decide to walk around the main plaza of Sucre where you’ll find the Metropolitan Cathedral, museums, shops and restaurants.

Our First stop was a “Casa de la Libertad” museum. This museum is a must for those who like history as this is the place of Bolivia’s birth where the declaration of independence was signed. At the museum you’ll also find portraits from Simon Bolivar (liberator of Bolivia) to Evo Morales, the current head of state. The entrance fee is 15 bolivianos or $2 USD and the guided tour can be completed in less than an hour.

After having some decent pizza at Pizzeria Napolitana Restaurant (I say decent because with pizza it can always be better!) we took a long walk to the top of Sucre to visit La Recoleta Museum. Rather than recommending visiting the museum that even today still serves as a convent, Plaza Anzures is definitely worth visiting as you’ll find great views of Sucre while having a snack at Café Gourmet Mirador.

As I mentioned in my previous Bogota story, going to a soccer or football game in South America is a must! Usually most league games are played on the weekends but sometimes there are games during the week as well. We went to see the local team Universitario against Nacional Potosí at Patria Stadium and although the stadium wasn’t packed, many goals were scored as the game ended 3-3!!

Sucre is a beautiful city with lots of history and it can easily be covered in a day or 2. Is the perfect example of a colonial style city in South America.

Next stop: Potosí.

At an altitude of around 3650m above sea level, La Paz is one of Bolivia’s most populous cities that is home of the central government. Is a city that seems to move quickly with people living their own fast paced lives, vendors crowding the thin streets and car and buses stuck in a never ending traffic. Yet, the location of this city surrounded by the altiplano, its people and buildings makes it a unique and incredible place from a touristic perspective.

After a 4-hour bus ride (including a 20-minute ferry ride) from Copacabana to La Paz, we arrived in the main terminal of the city. We grabbed a taxi and made it to our hostel late at night. Based on our good Cusco hostel experience, we decided to stay at Wild Rover La Paz. A twin room with a bunk bed started at 198 bolivianos or around 29 USD. The hostel is located close to some of top tourist attractions in La Paz.

We decided to start the next day with “Mi Teleferico”, an aerial cable car that can take you all the way up from La Paz to El Alto. There are 3 lines, Red, Yellow and Green. The yellow line was our choice and once you are at the top, you’ll see some of the most incredible views of the city.

Our next stop was at the crowded Plaza San Francisco. There are walking tours that leave from here every hour for only 20 bolivianos per person.

The walk started at the Witches Market, a place like I’ve never seen before. It’s a market around different streets where you can find traditional crafts, souvenirs, medical plants, ingredients and dried llama fetuses that are used for rituals. I must say that it was a bit shocking and disturbing to see the dried llama fetuses yet it’s a normal tradition for locals to perform rituals where they bury the llamas for good luck under new homes or business to the goddess Pachamama or “Mother Earth”.

 

The next stop was at Plaza Murillo. As we were approaching the plaza, we saw many police personnel with riot gears and barricades surrounding the plaza. Our group was able to get in because we were tourists. The protest was from disabled people demanding a monthly subsidy of 500 bolivianos from the government.

Arguably Bolivia’s most important plaza, its surrounded by the presidential palace “Palacio Quemado”, the Cathedral of La Paz and the national congress.

San Pedro prison was the next stop of the tour. A prison like no other, it’s known for having a society within the walls, where inmates can live with their families while they do their sentences. Although we did not go inside for obvious reasons, the prison is also known for having “wealthier” and “poorer” areas within the prison.

The final stop was at Apolinar Jaen street. The most beautiful street that we saw in La Paz, is narrow yet rich in colors and surrounded by shops and restaurants.

Although we did not have time to cover other important places like “Death Row” or the Moon Valley, we were able to have a good grasp of this unique city in 1 day.

Next Stop: Sucre.

As our Peru adventure in Cusco and Machu Picchu took an end, a new one started in Bolivia.

The bus ride from Cusco to Copacabana is around 8 hours with 1 hour and a half lay off in Puno. You have the option to see Lake Titicaca both from Puno (Peru) as well as Copacabana (Bolivia) but we chose the latter based on friend’s recommendations.

Many countries don’t require a tourist visa for Bolivia but depending on your nationality, a visa on arrival might be applicable. After crossing the border to Bolivia and going through immigration for about 40 minutes, we finally made it to Copacabana!

Our first stop was at Manchester United café, located in front of Lake Titicaca and the docks. I highly recommended the traditional Trucha (a la diabla). After lunch, we walked around town and the central market and bought bus tickets to La Paz for the next day in a travel agency (there are many around the shops and restaurants) for 25 bolivianos each or about 3.60 USD.

We were told by the travel agency not to pay for boat transportation in advance so we walked around the dock and received different prices for one way tickets to Isla del Sol north (400 bolivianos at one point! This is obviously way overpriced). We ended up paying 40 bolivianos each (6 USD), a very reasonable amount. The point is to ask around to find the best available prices, don’t just buy it from the first person that offers you a boat ride!

Isla del Sol has a south side and north side and we decided to stay in the north side. The boat ride to Isla del Sol north was about 2 hours and during the ride, you can see the beautiful Andes on the background. We finally arrived to the island late in the afternoon during the sunset.

Isla del Sol north is a relatively small in terms of infrastructure and population, with just a couple of hostels and restaurants. We saw some people that would camp by the shore with their own tents, so that’s another option that you have. We decided to settle with Hostal Cultural. A clean room with a private restroom and 2 beds started at 40 bolivianos or about 6 USD per person.

The next morning and after a quick breakfast, our 4 hour walk from the very north of the island to south was about to begin. The boat from the south side was leaving to Copacabana at 3:30pm so we started the walk the earliest possible.

As you walk up the hill, some of the most amazing views are there for you to contemplate throughout the trail.

Once you make it to the very end of the north side, you’ll stumble upon some ruins that worth checking out for a bit. Throughout the trail, you’ll be charged with fees when going to the ruins and crossing from the north to the south side. So it’s a good idea to carry some bolivianos with you.

After walking for a little over an hour through the trail, you’ll start seeing changes in vegetation that provide a perfect contrast of the lake and the island.

The walk is long depending on your pace but I would say that the average time is about 3 hours and a half. It took Jose and I about 4 hours because we were carrying all of our backpacks (you can leave your luggage in a storage room in Copacabana, some hotels provide this service). Make sure to carry sunblock, plenty of water, a hat and comfortable clothes.

As we finally arrived in the south side, we felt relieved, yet we knew that the long and tiring walk has been worth it.

When we took the boat back to Copacabana at 3:30pm, our bus was scheduled to depart at 6:00pm to La Paz, our next destination.

Contemplating Lake Titicaca from Isla del Sol is a truly beautiful experience that I hope to repeat it one day.

Next Stop: La Paz.

Cheers!