I arrived in Nuestra Señora de La Paz (Our Lady of Peace) with little time to spare. My 2012 journey across South America, from Uruguay through Argentina, Chile and now Bolivia was drawing to a close. The time crunch was due to a scheduled trip into the Peruvian Amazon. Before leaving the semi-tropical warmth of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, I posted a message on Facebook … [Read more...] about La Paz in Under 24 Hours
Bolivia
Relaxing in Santa Cruz de la Sierra
[A] week after my fingertips began to feel the effects of the high altitude on my trip through the Bolivian Altiplano, I finally touched down in semi-tropical Santa Cruz de la Sierra (Elev: 416 m or 1,365 ft). My flight from Sucre arrived at the smaller, older El Trompillo Airport which just so happened to be closer to the city center where I would be staying. Later, I would … [Read more...] about Relaxing in Santa Cruz de la Sierra
Sucre: Bolivia’s Constitutional Capital in Photos
[T]he constitutional capital of Bolivia is Sucre, though the power of government has since shifted to La Paz, which most people now think of as the country's capital. The Supreme Court is still located in Sucre, and unlike La Paz, Sucre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. I wasted no time departing Potosí after my silver mine tour. Me and a few others from the hostel shared a … [Read more...] about Sucre: Bolivia’s Constitutional Capital in Photos
Bolivia’s Cerro Rico and the Silver Mine Tours in Potosí
Thwaaaack! The force of my hard plastic helmet smacking against a wooden crossbeam in the dimly lit tunnel left me momentarily stunned. Only seconds earlier, Julio, a former miner, and our tour guide had warned us to look up, not down as we entered a working mine in Cerro de Potosí, better known as Cerro Rico ("Rich Hill"). GO, GO, GO! I had no … [Read more...] about Bolivia’s Cerro Rico and the Silver Mine Tours in Potosí
Escape from Uyuni, Bolivia
Despite getting stuck in the mud for an hour and a half at the start of our day on the Bolivian salt flats, our driver made sure we arrived in Uyuni on schedule at 3 PM. If the Immigration office was normally open on Sundays, it was closed by the time we arrived, so I had no choice but to spend the night in Uyuni and pay the $135 visa fee the next morning. Only then would … [Read more...] about Escape from Uyuni, Bolivia
