Bolivia #4

March 2019 – length of stay 10 days

After weeks of long drives between the Chaco region of Argentina & Paraguay and the Northern parts of Argentina and Chile, we finally made it to Bolivia.

The drives are quite impressive at an average of 4000 meters above sea level but they were long. To be honest, at this stage, we only dreamed about being on a beach with a nice 30 degrees and not moving for at least 4 days. Well, Bolivia wasn’t the right country!

But we were still excited about this country. Solene was excited for the salt flats in Uyuni and Brett’s excitement was the purchase of all the LandCruiser’s parts.

Having said that, we were so glad to have a turbo diesel. On the high snaky roads or the super-steep hills of the Bolivian capital and with the weight we are carrying (I am not talking about Brett) JOKING – LOVE YOU BABOUCHE, we couldn’t have made it without the V8 turbo!

People

They are very smiling people and very easy to talk to. A new quality so far undiscovered in South America, their patience. Even stuck in busy traffic, they didn’t use their horns! Well done Bolivians.

And they are small!

Highlights

Of course, the biggest salt flat in the world; Salar de Uyuni.

La Paz as the highest city on the world – the recent cable cars installation makes it so easy to travel above the entire city.

Lowlight

The altitude! Excuse my French (!!!) but altitude sucks! I (Solene) was sick for 3 days and Brett couldn’t think properly! It really made us tired and we were so looking forward to going down.

Food & booze

Unfortunately, due to altitude sickness, we weren’t on the hunt of food & booze that much. We only went to a restaurant in La Paz (called Popular), although their weekly menu, we still went twice. It was by far the best restaurant we have been to in South America and probably Australia (obviously not counting Samson’s Paddock restaurant in Perth).

@popularbolivia

Camping scene

From where we have been (only the west side of Bolivia), the southern part was quite easy to find good free camps. It wasn’t the case in the North as the landscape is more mountainous.