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Lessons from Bolivia

Yea, my trip was a disaster but I still can record some lessons for next time.

  1. If you’re traveling on a American Passport, you will need a Visa. It can purchased at El Alto International airport, and I suspect all international airports and border crossings. It will cost you $160, and you will need cash. Bring a copy of your flights into and out of Bolivia, along with a copy of your hotel/tours.
  2. ATMs were basically a miss for me. Every one I tried, my bank rejected. I called my bank in advance to let them know I’d be in Bolivia, but they informed me that Bolivia was a high risk country. In the end, because of my accident, I didn’t need the cash, I suspect some ATMs would have worked but bring cash. On the flipside, all my credit cards worked easily.
  3. If you’re going to bike down Yungas Road, make sure you’re comfortable on a bike and buy Traveler’s insurance, around $20 a day. A clinic visit in Bolivia will easily cost you $500, if not $800 which is what it costed me.
  4. The food is not spectacular in Bolivia, unlike say its neighbor Peru. But try the gin, two versions, one with spices from the Andes and the other with spices from the Amazon.
  5. I’m not sure if this was a product of the hotel I was staying in, but I absolutely didn’t need power adaptors or plug adaptors to run my American fitted electronics. But I’d bring some just to make sure.
  6. If you want to travel to Copacabana from La Paz, be aware that you will need to cross Tiquina, around 2 hours from La Paz, and this closes at 7:30pm. In other words, don’t expect to get into Copacaban super late. Also be aware that there are frequent strikes and barricades. On the positive side, a bus leaves everyday.
  7. Hiring a car with a driver is not an expensive proposition in Bolivia. Around $150 a day, if there is a group of you, this could be a fun and ‘VIP’ way to experience Bolivia.
  8. I felt that the people were very honest, and didn’t feel taken advantage of as I did in other Latin American countries. I was more or less quoted the local rate for taxi fares, even though they very easily could have tricked me into paying 2-3x the price.