Blogs from La Paz, La Paz Department, Bolivia, South America

Le circuit des routards en Bolivie est assez classique ; si on arrive du Sud, comme moi, on commence par le circuit du Sud Lipez avant d’aller vers Potosi, Sucre, La Paz, le lac Titicaca. Même s’il existe quelques variantes, ce circuit fait que l’on retrouve à intervalles plus ou moins réguliers, selon la durée de leur séjour dans chaque ville, des voyageurs que l’on a vus précédemment. Des amitiés fugaces se forment, on est content de se revoir, on échange les impressions, les bons plans que l’on a récoltés d’autres routards, on voyage un peu ensemble, partageant les taxis, les repas, les visites aux musées. Depuis Uyuni (8 mai), je passe ainsi pas mal de temps avec un groupe de 4 personnes, composé de Juan, un Argentin, Ida, une Suédoise, Dorus, un Néerlandais de 19 ... read more

Writing from a small island in Honduras it's hard to think of what to say about Bolivia. It wasn't untill we were on the plane that I realised Central America probably wouldn't be the same, and it's not. Being in La Paz you could feel Bolivia was a bit behind the other countries in S.A. Bolivia seemed to have a little less money and a little less infrastructure but more political spirit and drive to improve every difficulty they face as a collective people. Within two weeks there was 2 seperate strikes and this wasn't a bunch of C.N. workers sitting under a tarp with some Tim Hortons coffees and a box of doughnuts. They had firecrackers and small pieces of dynamite (which we were told were harmless) that rattled windows and set off car alarms ... read more

I spent my last evening in San Pedro de Atacama visiting the incredible Valle de la Luna at sunset, a huge dry valley that looked a little like the place where Luke Skywalker grew up. I then got back to my hostel, packed my things and took a night bus to Arica, on the Chilean border with Bolivia. I stayed in Arica for only a few hours, hanging out at the shabby bus terminal and eating some questionable soup with the local drivers, before taking a comfortable bus over the border to La Paz. This took me through the unbelievable scenery of the Bolivian altiplano, a huge high-altitude plateau between two mountain ranges. After about an hour driving through El Alto, the sprawling surrounding city, a huge valley was revealed with thousands of buildings clinging to ... read more