BOLIVIA PRACTICALITIES

Key Fact and Figures

Population: 9,119,152 (2007 Estimate)

Population Density: 8.4/km²

Capital: La Paz (Sucre is still the official Capital)

Area: 1,098,581 sq. km

Time: 4 hours behind GMT

Passport/Visa requirements

Passport valid for six months beyond intended stay. No visa required for British citizens, a 90-day tourist card is issued free on arrival. All other nationalities should contact the relevant Embassy or Consulate for information.

Geography

The Andes are at their widest as they run through Bolivia and split into two main cordilleras. To the west of the eastern cordillera lies the Altiplano, an area of high windswept plain dotted with smallholdings. It runs at an average altitude of 4000m from north to south, the north is more fertile and the southern part is desert home to only a few mining towns. The eastern range houses most of the tallest mountains in Bolivia, well over 6,000m, this is known as the Cordillera Real. The western cordillera separates Bolivia from Chile and is made up of high peaks and a number of active volcanoes. The northern part of the country is Amazon jungle and the far eastern area is lowland savannah, used mainly for agriculture and cattle farming.

Climate

Bolivia has four distinct climatic zones, where the temperature depends largely on altitude. Each zone has a wet and dry season however all span roughly the same time period. The dry season runs from April to October. In the mountains this brings hot dry weather during the day but temperatures can drop to well below freezing at night. Temperatures in the Amazon are a fairly constant 25ºC all the year round but during the wet season, November to April, the humidity increases. The higher you are the lower the temperatures will be especially at night or in the shade but in the sun it can still reach into the 20s. The Yungas and eastern lowlands have an average temperature of 24ºC.

Language

Spanish is the official language but Quechua and Aymara are still widely spoken as the majority of the population are Indian or Mestizo (they have now been given some official status). Many communities in the countryside still speak no Spanish. There are various dialects existing in the jungle region.

Money

The currency of Bolivia is the Boliviano. Try to break down large notes when you can, as it is often hard to do so and change is often scarce. US$ is the only currency that can be exchanged everywhere, dollars cash should be in new notes or ones in very good condition as they are often not accepted by banks if they are torn or marked. The exchange rate is 7.05 BOB to 1 US Dollar (August 2008). Both cash and travellers cheques (AMEX are the best) can be changed at most banks and Casas de cambio. You can pay in dollars in large chain hotels and in some restaurants. Visa credit cards are the most widely accepted (Mastercard to a lesser extent) and you can get cash from certain banks both at the counter and from the cash machines. Credit cards generally are not so good for buying in shops as many charge an extra 8% for the pleasure.

Electricity

110 volts AC, 50 Hz in La Paz, 220 volts AC, 50 Hz elsewhere. Two pin US style plugs.

Brief History of Bolivia

Not a great deal is known about Bolivia’s ancient cultures other than that around 1000BC the Aymara Indians that lived around Lake Titicaca had created an advanced civilization. They built huge stone building and temples and were prolific in textiles, pottery and metalwork. The most impressive site they left behind is Tiuanaco between La Paz and Lake Titicaca. There are several theories why this civilization ended suddenly around 900AD, disease being one of them. However it is then that some archeologists believe that survivors may have moved to the Cusco area and joined or even formed the Inca Empire. The Incas returned around 1200AD to conquer the remaining Aymara who managed to resist until the 1400s.

The Aymara were under Inca rule for less than 100 years before the Spaniards arrived in 1538 and a year later founded the city of La Plata, now known as Sucre. The region soon became one of the most important economic centres in colonial Spain, due to the discovery of the silver mines at Potosí. The area sent a constant supply of silver to Spain and by 1610 Potosí became the biggest city in the Americas. The indigenous population was used to extract the silver from the mines in a system known as Mita. Under the guise of converting and educating them, the Spaniards used the natives as slave labour and many hundreds of thousands died from the harsh conditions and disease. As the deposits depleted the area fell into decline.

Revolts against colonial rule started as early as 1661 in Bolivia. However they did not gather momentum until the late 1700s. In 1824 Simón Bolívar’s General, Gral Antonio Jose de Sucre defeated the Spanish at Ayacucho in Peru and headed down towards Bolivia. He won the battle of Tumusia in early 1825 and Bolivia declared its independence.

Since independence Bolivia has not had a very smooth run. Their economy depended largely on mining and tin was their principle export. The demand for tin came from the expansion of the railways in Europe and North America and later on during the world wars. Politically they were very unsettled and in the nine years between 1840 and 1849 there were 65 attempted coups. Attempts were also made to unite Bolivia and Peru but this was vetoed by Chile and Argentina. The War of the Pacific (1879 – 1883) resulted in the loss of a large area of nitrate rich land in the northern Atacama Desert, which crucially provided Bolivia’s only link to the Pacific Ocean. As compensation Chile agreed to a railway line between Arica, on the coast, and La Paz. There was increased political stability after this and in 1899, after a business dispute, the central government moved to La Paz. In 1932 a long running dispute with Paraguay over an area called the Chaco erupted into war. This lowland area of flat infertile plain was important to Bolivia for two reasons; firstly it provided access to the sea via the River Paraguay and secondly the area is rich in oil. Bolivia lost the war and as a result three quarters of the Chaco.

After this there were a series of military governments until a popular revolution overthrew the military government in 1952. The government proceeded to nationalize the mining industry and break up and redistribute the land of large estates. Democratic governments ruled until the death of the then president Barrientos in 1969. After this there was another period of military rule and it has only been since 1982 that there has been democratic rule in Bolivia. A lot of progress has been made in the last decade with the focus being developing a market-orientated economy. (However, that doesn’t negate the fact that 70% of the population are still living below the poverty line.) President Hugo Banzer Suarez was elected in 1997 and was both head of state and head of government. He was from the AND, a centre-right party and has implemented many anti-corruption measures. Currently Evo Morales is in power.

Natural History of Bolivia

Bolivia has a great many different types of landscape from sierra to savannah and jungle, each of which provides an important habitat for the county’s plentiful wildlife. It also has many protected areas and monuments. Some of these are open to tourists, such as the Uyuni salt flats, Tihuanaco, and the Madidi National Park, others are very remote making it hard or expensive for tourists to get there. The highlands provide vast areas of land for llamas, alpacas, guanacos and the rarer vicuñas to roam over as well as ideal habitats for smaller native species such as chinchillas and vizcachas. Condors can also be seen in the Andes. There is also a large tract of Amazon jungle that belongs to Bolivia. This contains one of the best protected national parks in the country, the Madidi National Park, which is partly closed to travel and the accessible areas are expensive to get to due to its remoteness. Hundreds of species of bird, several species of monkey and other large mammals can be spotted in most areas of the Bolivian jungle.

Special Events

Bolivia is fond of its colourful fiestas, the highlands being especially noted for their love of pageantry, dancing and drinking. Many of the festivals are based on religious beliefs, some are Catholic while others, especially in the mountains, celebrate more traditional Indian festivals. Every town and village will have its own fiesta, we have only highlighted a few of the most popular ones here.

Virgin de la Candelaria: Celebrated in the first week of February, around Lake Titicaca, when bands and costumed dancers compete in Devil Dances and enjoy massive processions, dancing and fireworks.

Semana Santa, Holy Week: Easter is celebrated throughout the Roman Catholic Community in South America. The best processions run from the Thursday to Easter Sunday.

Festividad del Senor de Gran Poder: End of May/ early June: the most important festival of the year in La Paz, with huge processions of costumed and masked dancers.

Bolivia Independence Day: 5-7 August

Day of the Dead: This is celebrated in most places in South America, 1-3 November, with offerings and shines in burial sites.

Christmas: A holiday all over South America.

New Year: Mostly a family occasion.

Music

When it comes to traditional music Bolivia is best known for the Andean sound of the panpipes. The panpipes, quena and charango are the main components of a typical Andean band along with the bombo drum and goats hooves that are used for percussion. A lot of restaurants in the more touristy areas will be visited by busking bands during the evening, some will have their own shows that include typical music and dances. Listen out for El Condor Pasa, it may sound familiar! This type of music is best heard at special bars that cater for live music, known as Peñas.

Getting Around

Bolivia is a vast country and this can make travel time-consuming. Flights are the best option as there are not many train routes and only 5% of the roads are paved.

Taxi: Taxis in the cities and towns will not normally have meters and the price should always be agreed before you get in the car. If you are not sure how much a journey should be ask at the hotel and they will give you a rough idea. Larger hotels will call taxis for you but they can normally be stopped on the streets. For longer journeys, if there are a few people travelling and you are not travelling too far, taxis can be a viable alternative to buses.

Shopping

Bolivia is a shopper’s dream, it caters for all markets, and you can get anything from inexpensive clothing to valuable weavings. Throughout Bolivia’s history weaving has been very important and it has developed a unique style and texture. Llama and alpaca wool items are widely available and you can get some very good value jumpers, scarves and shawls. All vendors will tell you everything is baby alpaca, the softest wool, but as they brush the outside it is hard to tell. The trick is to check the softness of the inside of the item. Silver is also fairly abundant but as with most things you will find the best quality goods are in the more expensive shops as opposed to the less expensive market stalls.

Tipping

Tipping is up to the individual but in restaurants a tip of 10-15% is customary if service charge has not been added to the bill. Give the tip directly to the person who served you do not leave it on the table. For guides it is usually said that for a half-day tour you should tip the price of a beer ($1-2) and for a full days tour the price of a cheap meal ($3-5). Taxi drivers are not normally tipped but porters or bell boys would normally receive 50¢ to $1 per bag.

Health

Medical Emergencies:
Visitors to Bolivia have to pay for any medical attention they receive. This can be anything up to $50 for a consultation, not including medication. There are some good hospitals and clinics in the main towns but out in the countryside even finding a doctor, let alone one that can speak English, is a challenge. Most large clinics in major towns have a 24hr emergency service and most have English-speaking doctors. In La Paz the Clinica del Accidentado, Plaza Uyuni 1351, Tel: 328632/321888 offers first aid and has been recommended. Also Clinica Americana, Av 14 de Septiembre 78, Tel: 783509 and Clinica Santa Maria, Av 6 de Agosto 2487, have both been recommended to us.

Stomach upsets:
An upset stomach is the most common medical complaint when travelling abroad. There can be any number of reasons for it, including change of climate, new diet, change in altitude and local water. There are certain steps you can take that will reduce your risks of spending your whole holiday looking for the nearest toilet! Top of the list is DO NOT drink the local tap water in any country in South America. Also avoid ice (unless it has been bought from a manufacturer in which case the water will have been purified the risk is up to you) and keep your mouth shut while swimming or showering. Always buy bottled water and check that the seal on the lid has not been broken, alternatively take water treatment tablets or drops (iodine based ones are the best).

Food is a tricky one as there are no concrete rules and you have to eat! General rules are that you should avoid salads (although vinegar and lemon tend to kill most things), locally made ice cream (imported ice creams are fine) and juices from fruit that can not be peeled. Avoid eating from local food stalls unless the food is very well cooked.

Altitude sickness:
Almost all the main attractions in Bolivia are over 3000m in altitude, this means the air is thin and people often experience difficulty breathing freely. There is no particular group of people that are worst affected by altitude but most people will feel short of air and you should always take precautions when you first reach a high area. The first thing is to slow down, do not rush around, if you start getting a head ache lie down and take some aspirin. Always make sure you keep drinking lots of (bottled) water and avoid alcohol (or at least excessive consumption of it). Drinking the local coca tea with sugar also helps relieve the symptoms as do Coromina-glucosa tablets (grape sugar) that can be bought in most chemists. If symptoms persist contact a doctor, in worst case scenarios you may need to move to a lower altitude.

How to avoid being bitten:
Staying at altitude is one way, as there are not nearly as many biting insects that can survive so high up, certainly not malarial mosquitoes! More sensible and practical ways are to wear long trousers and long sleeved shirts even though you may still find you get bitten through your clothes in areas where the mosquitoes are particularly ferocious. Apply a DEET-based repellent with as high a content as possible, Jungle Formula or even 100% neat DEET are advised. You should cover all exposed areas of skin, avoiding your mouth and eyes, and for extra protection you can apply it under your clothes as well. Environmentally friendly products like those based on citronella are ok but not as effective as DEET products. Sleep under a good mosquito net, most of the hotels used by Trips will provide them free, (Strong concentrations of DEET can be fairly corrosive and damage leather and some plastic goods, keep it in a non-glass container and wrap it in thick plastic bags.)

Communications

Post:
Bolivia’s postal system has improved recently but it still takes 1 -3 weeks for a letter to reach the UK. The main office in La Paz: Correo Central, Av Mcal Santa Cruz y Oruro open Mon-Sat 0800 – 2000, Sun 0900-1200 but can be very expensive.

Telephone:
ENTEL is the national Telephone Company. They have offices in most large and medium size towns, the larger offices will have fax and even email facilities. You can make international calls from the offices or from certain phone boxes. If you use a phone box buy a phone card first as the phone boxes only accept small coins or ‘fichas’ (tokens). A call to the UK will cost approximately $2.10 a min. BT Charge card calls are available direct to the UK.

Email:
There are a number of Internet cafes around Bolivia now especially in the major towns. They tend to come and go so ask locally for the nearest one. Costs are roughly $2-3 an hour.

Useful number:

From Bolivia to the UK: 00 + 44 + area code minus the 0 + number.

To Bolivia from abroad: 00 + 591

Media

There are many local papers produced in Bolivia but they are only useful if you want to find out what local events are happening. The main daily newspapers are Presencia, La Razon and El Diario. There is also a weekly English language paper The Bolivian Times.

Food and Drink

A lot of tourist restaurants serve international food which often means large amounts of chicken, pasta and pizza but Bolivia has some interesting dishes for the more adventurous eater. Bolivia is the home of the potato and they have many local dishes that liven up the humble potato! In the highlands ‘Sajta de pollo’, a type of spicy potato and chicken stew and ‘parrillada’ a kind of Bolivian mixed grill are specialties. ‘Salteñas’, which are corn flour shells filled with meat or chicken, are a popular snack everywhere also ‘Empanadas’ which are the South American equivalent of a cheese pastie. There is often a side bowl of chili sauce to spice up any dish but be careful as they vary in strength from place to place. Fruit is another abundant foodstuff, especially in the north as it comes up from the jungle. Both fruit and fruit juices are readily available on local stalls, in markets and in cafes. Beer is the popular alcoholic drink and the local highland brew is called Chicha, look out for the plastic bags on poles outside houses which means it can be obtained within.

Warnings

Bolivia is a poor country and has some dangerous areas, these are mainly in the shantytowns on the outskirts of the cities but care should also be taken in city centres. You should be aware of your surroundings while in crowded places and leave any valuables in the hotel, preferably in the safe. Most crime in Bolivia is opportunist theft so can be avoided by not leaving your luggage unattended and being vigilant when in crowded areas such as bus and train stations and markets. There are a few tricks to be aware of as the thieves often work in twos or threes to distract your attention. Spilling paint, ketchup or putting chewing gum on you and then pretending to help get it off to distract you while they lift your wallet is quite a common ploy. Hopefully this will not scare you but just make you more vigilant.