Bolivia - Bolivia

Bolivia
Location
Coat of arms and flag
Capital	La Paz (seat of government); Sucre (legal capital seat of the judiciary)
Government	presidential republic
Currency	Bolivian (BOB)
Surface	1,098,581 km²
Inhabitants	8.720.000
Tongue	Spanish, Quechua, Aymara
Religion	95% Catholic, Protestant
Prefix	591
TLD	.bo
Time zone	UTC-4
Website	Government site[link not working]

Bolivia is a nation ofSouth America forming part of the region of Andean states.

To know

Sunset on the Salar de Uyuni

There Bolivia it is an Andean nation with no access to the sea. It borders the Brazil, with the Peru, with the Chile, With the'Argentina and the Paraguay. Along its border with the Peru Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world, extends at an altitude of 3,805 meters.

Nicknamed "Tibet of South America" ​​due to its high plateaus, Bolivia is one of the most isolated states in the Western Hemisphere. It is also the country with the most marked indigenous character: 60% of its population is made up of pure descendants of the ancient pre-Columbian populations.

When to go

Bolivia is located in the southern hemisphere which is why the seasons are reversed compared to ours.

Go to theBolivian plateau in the months of July-August it means finding a climate characterized by cold nights due to the strong daytime excursions. If there is no heating in the hotel, their teeth will be chattering. For the rest, the days are generally sunny, snow makes its appearance annually only at Potosí but these are usually splashes. At most it is the "sourazos", cold winds from the south, that cause annoyance when they blow.

July-August remains the ideal time to visit the lowland. In fact, the humidity rate during the southern winter is less high and temperatures also drop by at least ten degrees.

Bolivia has various climatic regions mainly due to the difference in altitude. The weather is extremely fickle everywhere and in any season of the year.

Territories and tourist destinations

      Bolivian plateau - South of the Titicaca lake and the Cordillera Real (or central) extends the Bolivian plateau. with an extremely dry climate. It is limited by the eastern cordillera that slopes down to the Amazon basin and the western cordillera that falls precipitously on the Chilean coast of the Pacific. There are numerous volcanic cones among which the most impressive is that of Samaja where the international train passes by Chile. The Bolivian plateau is an endorheic basin with numerous lakes whose waters have evaporated, giving way to immense expanses of salt. The best known example is the Salar de Uyuni, which has become a destination for international tourism. It is always on the plateau that the cities of the colonial era, which arose following the discovery of mineral deposits, first of all of the gold that so attracted the Spaniards, meet. Cerro Rico close Potosí is the most significant example of this. In the most remote part of the plateau, in an almost uninhabited area south of the salar de Uyuni and wedged between Argentina and Chile, is there Eduardo Avaroa wildlife reserve of the Andes which includes numerous lakes extending to the slopes of imposing volcanoes such as the Green Lagoon and the Colorada Lagoon. the Eduardo Avaroa reserve is very popular. The appeal of its natural beauties is, in fact, such as to make us forget the difficulties of access and the lack of accommodation worthy of the name.

      Sub-Andean Bolivia

      Bolivian tropical lowlands - The eastern section of the country is an area with a tropical climate, largely flat and crossed by countless rivers, mostly tributaries of the Amazon River. National parks Madidi is Noel Kempff Mercado are among its best known attractions. Santa Cruz, the large Bolivian city at the foot of the Sierra, is the best springboard for the tropical regions of Bolivia. From capitalin fact, access by land is much more difficult. However, nothing prevents you from using the plane to reach Rurrenabaque and other centers on the tropical lowlands, taking advantage of the affordable rates on domestic flights. Unlike the plateau, the lowland remained depopulated until relatively recently. Today, the most dynamic part of the country appears, thanks to the opening of new roads and large-scale deforestation to make way for tropical plantations. The department of Santa Cruz which includes a strip of the Chaco, a region that for the most part passed under the sovereignty of Paraguay, victorious in 1935 from the war with Bolivia.

The eastern territory is instead made up of a lowland crossed by innumerable rivers, tributaries of the Amazon River. The tropical eastern lands, two thirds of the country, divided between the Amazon basin and the Chaco area. The Andes, one third of the country, in the western part, consisting of both the mountain range and the plateau, the tropical lowlands are tributaries of the Amazon and Rio de la Plata. This huge expanse of more than 700,000 km², is covered by rainforests, humid, monsoon and dry tropical forests. In addition, Bolivia has the largest dry tropical forest in the world in the Chaco region. Approximately 250,000 km² are alluvial savannas, marshes and savannah dry. There are also large Amazonian lakes, the largest in the region.The Andean area of ​​the country is located in the western part. It is characterized by a plateau bordered by two mountain ranges: the Cordillera Occidental next to the Oriental one.

There are numerous peaks above 6,000 meters, the highest are Sajama (m. 6,542), Illampu (m. 6,421) and Illimani (m. 6,402).

Urban centers

Other destinations

How to get

Entry requirements

A passport with a residual validity of at least 6 months is required. The entry visa is only required for stays longer than 3 months.

By car

Border post of Villazón

• From / to Peru
  • Desaguadero - Border crossing with Peru, in the Lake Titicaca region. The minibuses coming from the cities pass through it Peruvian of Puno. Cuzco and directed to La Paz.
  • Yunguyo - Border crossing always in the region of Lake Titicaca but in the vicinity of Copacabana. They make you transit courier coming from Puno and headed to La Paz. Otherwise you can pass the gate on foot. There are direct buses to Copacabana, about ten km away.

• From / to Brazil
  • Quijarro - Border post between Santa Cruz is Corumbá. The Brazilian city of Corumbá, in Mato Grosso do Sul it can be reached easily by bus from St. Paul and from other cities in Brazil, after which we will have to get on a taxi or a bus that will take us to customs. After crossing the border on foot, you will board a train or bus for Santa Cruz. Those who do not intend to visit the Pantanal and the Jesuit missions in the department of Santa Cruz will be able to board the flight of the GOAL to Campo Grande for Santa Cruz. The ticket has a negligible price.
  • Brasiléia-Cobija - The two cities are facing each other, separated by the Rio Acre which acts as a dividing line between the two states. After crossing the river you will board a bus bound for Riberalta
  • Guajará-Mirim & Guayaramerín - It sounds like a play on words but the first is a city Brazilian in the state of Rondônia facing his counterpart Bolivian on the other side of the Rio Mamoré.

• From / to Paraguay

• From / toArgentina
  • Villazón-La Quiaca —
  • Yacuíba-Tartagal —

• From / to Chile
  • Visviri-Charaña - The Visviri pass is where the borders of Peru, Chile, Bolivia. The roads are difficult to navigate and should not be taken into consideration.
  • Tambo Quemado - Further south than the previous one. The road is paved and in good condition, It crosses the Sajama National Park. After having crossed the mountain pass of Chungarà at 4660 m. the road goes through the Chilean park of Rio Lauca inside which is the Chilean town of Parinacota (26 km from the border) which is well worth a stop of at least a couple of days to savor the natural beauty of the Lauca park. Beyond Parinacota are the cities of Putre is Arica. The latter is a Chilean port on the Pacific 203 km from the Bolivian border.
  • Colchane - Even further south is the mountain pass of Cerrito Prieto crossed by international buses that shuttle between Iquique is La Paz
  • Salar de Ollagüe - The name of an Andean pass at 5,863 m. It is a railway crossing crossed by trains Oruro-Calama. From the latter locality you then continue by bus to the Chilean port of Antofagasta crossing the Attaccama desert.

On boat

It is common for tourists to arrive in Bolivia with the boats that depart from Puno in Peru plowing the waters of the Titicaca lake.

On the train

There is a weekly international train from Oruro to Calama in Chile. The service is managed by Andean Railway Company. It is undoubtedly a superlative journey as it winds through the arid plateau west of Oruro, scattered with snow-covered volcanoes, before reaching the Attaccama desert but also uncomfortable for any illnesses linked to the altitude and for the intense cold of the night hours, in case of lack of heating. The timetables, which are actually random, can be consulted on this one page^{[link not working]}.

There is a train service from Santa Cruz for Quijarro near the border line with Brazil. Once you get off at the station you will need to take a taxi to reach the border post. Crossing it, it will be necessary to board a bus for Corumbá, the first Brazilian city across the border, an ideal base for visits to Pantanal. The train Santa Cruz for Quijarro is managed by Oriental Railway. The same company operates a train service forArgentina that pass through Villamontes.

By bus

From Puno (Peru) direct buses depart to La Paz.

How to get around

By plane

Using domestic flights for your travels in Bolivia is an excellent idea because it avoids the inevitable inconveniences of ground transport. The rates are extremely affordable. Below is a list of companies that operate domestic flights:

• Aerocon (Aero Comercial Oriente Norte). It serves destinations otherwise difficult to reach by land such as Cobija, Guayaramerin, Riberalta is Santa Ana del Yacuma. It also operates on the airports of La Paz, Cochabamba is Santa Cruz-El Trompillo 
• ^{[link not working]}Aerosur. The best known of the Bolivian airlines serves the major Bolivian cities such as La Paz, Cochabamba is Santa Cruz. 
• Amaszonas, Av. Saavedra Nº 1649, Miraflores, La Paz, ☎ 591 2 222-0848, @[email protected]. It operates on the La Paz-Rurrenabaque route, very popular with tourists wishing to visit the spectacular Madidi National Park. Amaszonas also flies to Trinidad, Guayaramerin, Riberalta, Cobija, San Borja, Cochabamba is Santa Cruz-(El Trompillo Airport). 
• TAM (Transporte Aéreo Militar), Montes n 738, La Paz, ☎ 591 3 352-9669. The Tam has a fleet of small planes flying at low altitudes thus allowing its passengers to enjoy the variety of Bolivian landscapes. Its pilots are very experienced. The only drawback is the rule that prohibits that limits the maximum weight of hand luggage to 15 kg but the information must be verified. Civilian TAM aircraft fly from Santa Cruz to Sucre is La Paz 4 times a week 

By car

Many secondary roads are not paved. A four-wheel drive vehicle is particularly suitable for crossing the plateau and the Amazon basin. Remember that carriageway changes are frequent in mountainous regions, in order to give the driver a better view of dangerous gradients.

An international driving license is required, but in * most * of the cases, anyone who has a driving license from a member country of the European Union turns a blind eye. Police checks on the roads are frequent and you have to pay the toll for the use of the roads.

On the train

Abandoned locomotive in the train cemetery a Uyuni

Many railroad routes are very interesting for those who have time to spend but the timetables are uncertain and none of the employees know for sure when a train leaves or arrives. The network is not properly maintained and is in decline as evidenced by the nearby locomotive graveyard Uyuni. Despite this, it has been calculated that around 1,000,000 people board Bolivian trains every year.

Andean Railway Company operates a daily train service on the line Oruro-Tupiza which is very beautiful as it passes through Salar de Uyuni with its amazing landscapes. The times are on this one page^{[link not working]}.

Oriental Railway instead it operates passenger trains that run on the Santa Cruz-Quijarro (border with Brazil) and the Santa Cruz-Villamontes line, then continuing on to Argentina.Quijarro it is interesting for those wishing to visit the Missions established by the Jesuits. In fact, the train stops at one of these, San José de Chiquitos.

There are two types of trains and 3 or 4 classes. The distinction in classes is given by the wooden and upholstered seats. Anyone who has purchased a lower-class ticket travels to 1st-class carriages without anyone batting an eyelid. There is no reservation service except in La Paz and possibly Santa Cruz. Long queues form early in the morning at the station box offices. On trains traveling at night on the plateau you suffer from a freezing cold while on those traveling in the Amazonian lowland (Santa Cruz-Quijarro) the heat is hellish. So be careful not to get on a dilapidated train and make sure that the carriages are equipped with a functioning air conditioning system.

By bus

Suburban buses are a popular means of travel and are therefore always very crowded.

What see

What to do

Bolivia is certainly one of the best destinations for outdoor activities. Many local agencies offer tours in mountain bike, ascended to glaciers, trekkingTours can be arranged at horse to discover the Andean valleys, descending on slow navigable rivers, rafting, climbing and more.

Currency and purchases

The national currency is the Bolivian (BOB), pegged to the US dollar. It circulates in banknotes of 200, 100, 50, 20 and 10. The coins are in pieces of 5, 2 and 1 Boliviano and also in 50, 20 and sometimes 10 centavos (cents). At the "casa de Cambio" it is worth bargaining as the competition between the agencies is fierce.

Below are the links to know the current exchange rate with the main world currencies:

American dollars and euros are however accepted in hotels and major shops.

TO Potosì alpaca scarves, sweaters and artifacts are worth it - they are cheaper than a La Paz. In any case, it is good to keep in mind that in La Paz prices drop significantly in the market compared to tourist shops in calle Sagarnaga.

TO La Paz the "Witches Market" is interesting, located in the center, near Calle Sagarnaga. There are for sale for less than 1 USD figurines and amulets of little value (it is colored chalk) but of interesting workmanship.

Always a La Paz (area of ​​the cathedral) there are the "Toritos", a pair of oxen that are traditionally placed on the roofs of houses for ornamental purposes.

In Bolivian villages, beautiful pottery of simple workmanship and hand-made rag dolls are on sale.

For the more curious, it is possible to buy and try coca leaves, as well as tea. To this day it is forbidden to bring any quantity of coca leaves to Europe (even tea bags) as the plant is included in the list of narcotic substances and there is a risk of drug trafficking charges.

At the table

• Desayuno - Breakfast
• Almuerzo - lunch
• Dinner - dinner

Typical Bolivian dishes

• Chupe soups in meat or vegetable broth.
• Chaque -
• Lechon
• Fritanga - Pork based
• Chicharron - Fry, it can be pork (de cerdo) or chicken (de pollo).
• Lechón al Horno
• Fricasé
• Silpancho - very rich dish, consisting of rice, potatoes, breaded meat, eggs, tomatoes and onions.
• Salteña - pasta filled with meat and vegetables, similar to empanada argentina.
• Charque - dried llama meat

Local fruit

• Ambaiba
• Marayau
• Ocoro
• Quapomo
• Paquio (Hymenaea courbaril)
• Quaypuru
• Sinini (Annona muricata)
• Chirimoya

Drinks

Villazon, December 2008 - A cup of "mate de coca"

• Mate de coca - herbal tea of ​​coca leaves
• Mate de manzanilla - chamomile
• Bees corn-based drink (white, purple or mixed)

Alcoholic beverages

• Batida
• Beers - Paceña, Autentica and Huari are the most famous and popular.
• Chicha
• Singani - brandy typical of the plateau
• Chuflai - Singani-based cocktails and tonic water
• Wines

Tourist infrastructure

Accommodations are available at more than reasonable prices, also considering the favorable exchange rate applied to Western tourists.

• Bolivia Hostels. The reference site for those looking for cheap accommodation in Bolivia. 

Events and parties

As in much of the South America the celebrations of Carnival (February) are among the most colorful and engaging events. The carnival of the city of Oruro was declared intangible heritage of humanity.

The parades in traditional costumes and dances of the Gran Poder and of University entrance, both from La Paz.

On 21 June a Tiwanaku It is on Titicaca lake on the occasion of new year aymara a large crowd gathers to celebrate, stargaze, drink and celebrate.

Safety

In general, Bolivia is considered a country with a relatively low crime rate in comparison to other South American countries. However, there are organized groups specialized in tourists which unfortunately contribute to the bad image of the country.It is absolutely not recommended and dangerous to get into a taxi with other people, at least as much as using ordinary taxis or truffles (collective taxis). In recent years, lightning kidnappings have been increasing. The procedure foresees that the kidnappers suddenly get into the tourist's taxi, to threaten him (usually with edged weapons) and take him into the taxi itself, in agreement with the kidnappers, in an isolated area. The purpose is to get the ATM / credit card code to drain the unfortunate's account. It seems only once has one of these cases been resolved with the death of the kidnapped German tourist couple. However, it is an experience that no tourist would want to try.

Another fairly common trick is to pretend to be plainclothes police. If you are approached by a self-styled policeman who is not uniform, ask to be taken to the nearest station. Given the frequency of scams against tourists, in fact, plainclothes policemen have specific orders not to make contact with tourists. Furthermore, no official policeman will ask you to check your documents or money in the open and outside the plant!

In the case of long journeys, especially by bus, it is of course essential to never lose sight of your luggage, which is sometimes loaded on top of the vehicle.

Health situation

Mosquito and insect repellents are necessary if you intend to visit the Amazon basin, even during the dry season. Italian vaccine centers generally advise against malaria prophylaxis unless long stays (over 10-15 days). Anyhow, even in the case of malaria vaccination, is to be considered basic behavioral prophylaxis.

In general, no vaccinations are required for the high plateau areas. It may be a good precaution to carry out the vaccination against yellow fever, as, despite the Bolivian legislation often changes on the subject, it can be requested if you come from countries with endemic risk. It should be borne in mind that although coming from Europe, a stopover in Lima makes it fall into the category as coming from an endemic country.

A final consideration is necessary for the altitude sickness (soroche). A good part of Bolivia, including La Paz, Potosí and allplateau, is found abundantly above 3000m s.l.m .. Upon arrival and for the first 3-5 days it is not advisable to undertake efforts such as hiking in the mountains or sports. In general there are no problems for a person in good health, but the thin air implies a period of adaptation. You will notice a rapid heartbeat and breathing. Headache and dizziness are the first symptoms in the most sensitive people or in those who, before acclimatizing, face physical exertion. It is good to remember that walking around the market area of ​​La Paz, due to the endless ups and downs, is to be considered one physical effortIt is a good idea especially for the first few days to remember to drink a lot, to counteract the dehydration caused by accelerated breathing.

For those who intend to tackle mountain sports, such as challenging climbing or trekking, acclimatization is essential. In any case, if the headache and nausea or dizziness continue the only remedy is to go down to the valley. It is dangerous to tackle climbs and ascents without the right precautions as there is the risk, for demanding efforts such as the ascent of a glacier, to incur in pulmonary or cerebral edema, potentially lethal.

Respect the customs

How to keep in touch

Telephony

From March 16, 2010 it is required by law to register your mobile phone, providing your passport (a copy) at the time of purchase. The aim of the new regulation is to reduce the thefts of mobile phones, which used to be very frequent.center of llamadas) practically on every street corner, in vendors' kiosks.

Internet

Also in big cities it is very easy to find internet points, even if the connection is not always the fastest.

Other projects

• Wikipedia contains an entry concerning Bolivia
• Commons contains images or other files on Bolivia