Follow Bolivia is a country of amazing contrasts! From the rugged, rocky and cactus covered terrain of Tupiza where Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid
once roamed to Uyuni where you will find the worlds largest salt flats to the jungle areas of Rurrenabaque, Bolivia has it all. Bolivia is
not only one of the most authentic of South American countries, it is also the cheapest! I was in Bolivia 4 times during 2008/2009 and again in 2011, each time entering and exiting at a different place. I passed through again during 2012 and
in 2015 enjoyed another 3 weeks here. In 2019 I have come to Bolivia to live for the year and do much more travel in the country so there will be a lot
of new posts and photos coming throughout the year! Here are my experiences and story.
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Turning up in Trinidad on a flight from Riberalta and being one of the only travelers in town didn't faze me. I was determined to do a
tour here, even if it was going to be by myself! Trinidad is located on the southern edge of the Amazon basin in the Beni region with
Rurrenabaque located further to the west. Moredate: April 2019
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Puka-Puka and Tarabuco are located 64kms from the center of Sucre and make a great day trip out of the city. The altitude is 500m higher
than Sucre at 3300 meters above sea level. It's easy to come here as there is a regular Sunday tour, the bus leaves from beside the cathedral
at the main plaza in Sucre. Moredate: June 2019
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Riberalta in the north-east of Bolivia, where the main pastime and activity of the locals is riding their motorbikes around and around the
main plaza. They ride side by side having full-on conversations and ride to be seen by the people they should be seen by. Moredate: April 2019
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The border crossing in Cobija on the northern frontier of Bolivia offers an opportunity to travel 5hrs south-west to Puerto Maldonado in Peru
via Assis (Brazilian border town) and Iñapari (Peruvian border town) (350kms) or 3hrs north-east to Rio Branco in Brazil (232kms from
Brasileia - the Brazilian border town across the river from Cobija). Moredate: April 2019
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Sucre is the official capital of Bolivia, it's a lovely city full of white colonial arquitecture. For this reason it also known as the white city
and is a photographers dream. 8yrs after I first visited Sucre I've come back to live here with my family for the year, that's this year - 2019. Moredate: October 2011, Feb-Nov 2019
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The beautiful city of Tarija is situated in the south of Bolivia, east of Tupiza and 2-3hrs north of the border of Argentina. Tarija is in the heart
of wine country and is a great place to spend a few days or more. A 55min flight from Santa Cruz brought me here and I enjoyed 4 days exploring the
city and enjoyed a wine tour also. Moredate: Sept 2015
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My first time in Bolivia in 2008, I had spent roughly 7hrs on a bus from Salta in Argentina up to the border town of La Quiaca and crossed
to the Bolivian border town of Villazon from there. The bus had left Salta at 10pm and it was now around 5am, it was freezing! 'Bienvenidos
A La Republica De Bolivia - Villazon - Altitude 3497 (meters above sea level)', the sign said. Moredate: April 2008, November 2011
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Tupiza will remind you of the scenery you have seen in the wild west movies, it is surrounded by the Cordillera de Chichas, a rugged, rocky,
mountainous area of jagged edged hills and dusty canyons of cactus. Things to do here include horse riding, biking and hiking, there a few
tour operators with guides around town. Moredate: April 2008, November 2011
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After a day horse riding in Tupiza I made an early start towards the bus terminal just a few minutes walk away from my hotel. I intended on getting a bus but it was full up,
so the other and better option was to go by jeep. There were enough people who couldn't fit in the bus to fill the 10 spaces available in the
jeep pretty quickly. Moredate: April 2008
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The Uyuni salt flats is one of the best things to do in Bolivia and South America! Trust me I have been here 3 times now. The 3 day
tour is the only way to go, do not waste the opportunity and only go on the 1 day tour. I have done the 3 day tour now twice and did the 1 day
tour once also. Moredate: Apr 2008, Nov 2011, Jul 2019
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La Paz, what an amazing place it is! I came in and out of La Paz about 4 times in 2008-2009 entering and exiting from and to different
places and stayed here for 6 weeks in 2011 and was back in 2015 and again in 2019. I have spent well over 2 months here all together. Moredate: Apr/Aug/Oct 2008, May 2009, Oct 2011, Jun 2012, Sep 2015, Jun 2019
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I have travelled this leg in both directions 4 times in all, it is a nice bus journey that includes crossing Lake Titicaca briefly (Strait of Tiquina). It takes
up to 3hrs. The bus doesn't leave from the main terminal in La Paz, it leaves from up the hill quite a bit, take a taxi there. Moredate: Apr 2008, Apr 2009, Sep 2011, Jan 2019
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Copacabana is a little paradise on the shores of Lake Titicaca just 2 and a half hours north of La Paz or 2hrs 30mins south-east of Puno in Peru.
The contrast between Copacabana and La Paz couldn't be greater. I have stayed in Copacabana on 4 occasions in 2008, 2009, 2011 and 2019 for 7 nights in total. Moredate: Apr 2008, Apr 2009, Sep 2011, Jan 2019
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Going to Rurrenabaque and going on the pampas or jungle tour sounded like an awesome experience from what I had heard and read about it. A
friend and I decided we would go on the pampas tour of the wetlands. We booked the tour in the foyer of Loki Hostel at Kanoo Tours in La Paz,
it cost $1200 Bolivianos and was for 3 days and 2 nights. Moredate: May 2009
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Cochabamba is located in the middle of Bolivia between La Paz and Santa Cruz and is a central hub for flights and travels around the country.
Being a large city there is quite a lot to see if you are prepared to do some serious walking. I walked 19kms in one day around Cochabamba
looking for things to photograph! I've been here 3 times now and each time there are new works of street art to be discovered. Moredate: Aug 2008, Sep 2015, Jul 2019
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2012 The quickest way from La Paz to Peru is through Desaguadero, the trip takes just 2hrs in a minivan. 2hrs 40mins including passport control to step
into Peru. Desaguadero is a joint Bolivian / Peruvian town with the border crossing running straight down the middle of the 50m bridge over the river. Moredate: June 2012, Sept 2015
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From Tarija you have 3 choices of border crossings into Argentina and I have done all 3 in fact! You have Villazon in the south-west, Yacuiba in
the south-east or Bermejo / Aguas Blancas more or less directly south. Yacuiba is a little out of the way so there's not much point taking that
route - I crossed at this crossing on an 18hr bus from Salta (Argentina) to Santa Cruz back in 2008. Moredate: Sept 2015
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The first time I came to Santa Cruz was on a long 18hr bus haul from Salta in Argentina. I knew Santa Cruz was known as the 'city of rings' and that it would
be quite warm, but that's about all. I stayed at a great hostel away from the center of town that had a pool and nice areas to hang out and relax. Moredate: Aug 2008, May 2009, Jun 2012, Sep 2015, Apr 2019
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The Death Train (Ferroviaria Oriental) was due to leave Santa Cruz mid-afternoon and would take about 15hrs through the night and arrive at the
border in Quijarro first thing in the morning, it cost between $15-20USD. The journey was quite comfortable and fun, the seats were not bad and
there was food onsale on the train, some nice little chicken and rice meals for about $20 Bolivianos. Moredate: May 2009
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I have visited Oruro now twice! From La Paz it takes 3hrs 30mins to travel to Oruro by bus or from Uyuni 7hrs by train.
There are quite a few budget hotels and hostels around the center as well as some great places to eat. The city holds a few surprises as far
as sights go, there are indeed some things worth checking out while you are here. Moredate: October 2011, July 2019
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After my 2nd time in Uyuni I finally left after being held up for 3 days because of roadblocks near Potosi which had been set up by the miners
who were protesting against something. This is very common in Bolivia, roads can be blocked for weeks on end, letting traffic through only at night
or during weekends. Moredate: October 2011, July 2019
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I spent nearly 3 weeks in Potosi in late 2011, partly as a tourist and partly because I was waiting for a new passport to be sent from home to
replace my now expired old one. My stay in Potosi was broken up with a trip to Sucre and Tupiza before I returned to continue waiting. Moredate: October 2011, May 2019
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When I crossed the border from Salvador Mazza in Argentina to Yacuiba in Bolivia, it happened to be Bolivia's National Independence Day. The
streets were jammed with parades, a stage, marching bands, onlookers, stray dogs and chaos. The bus stood still for 4hrs before we were allowed to
pass through the town, but we did get off the bus and walk around to watch the celebrations. Moredate: August 2008
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The Trans-Chaco road from Paraguay north / west up to Santa Cruz is now paved and takes a lot less time than it used to. I boarded the bus in Pozo
Colorado which is 5hrs north of Asuncion at around 11pm, by around 6am we crossed the border into Bolivia on highway 9. Moredate: June 2012
Purple face, yellow horns and small tusks, the Devils mask from 1990, the history of carnival at the Anthropological Museum in Oruro.
A handsome turtle sits on a wooden log at Santa Cruz zoo.
Colors and designs, beautiful items for sale in La Paz.
A woman sells hats to the hat ladies of La Paz.
Terrain that looks like the moon below the great Ollague Volcano in the salt flats of Uyuni.
Big mustache, mask called Ana Ndechi Ndechi, El Arete dance, Musef museum, La Paz.
Caiman Yacare, they live until 70 years old, Santa Cruz zoo.
Plaza and church in Yacuiba.
Club Social Progreso (1919), the social club building beside the plaza in Riberalta.
The nice plaza beside and behind the cathedral in central Santa Cruz.
A 3 level boat moored at the port on the river in Trinidad, smooth waters.
A scary but cute creature with sharp claws, covered in grass in the gardens of the main square in Oruro.
Bolivar Park, a beautiful place with paths to stroll along in Sucre.
Man with his plowing cows, monument in Cobija.
Red tiled roofs and white buildings and houses for as far as the eye can see in Sucre.
The sunset over Lago Titicaca from the mountain top.
Morena costume from 1980, woman in a black hat, she has pink wings, Anthropological Museum, Oruro.
Front side of the church in Cobija, built in 1930, beside the main plaza.
Gentleman with a hat, sculpture in the plaza in Samaipata.
Through the mountains to Uyuni from Tupiza by jeep.
Trees on the cliffside in the hills and valleys around Samaipata.
Jesus with outstretched arms, painted on to a plant pot in the plaza in Bermejo.