bolivia overview - travel

8/3/2019 Bolivia Overview - TRAVEL

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Overview of Bolivia

Stretching from deep within the sultry Amazon to high atop the mysterious Altiplano, Bolivia is home to some of the most radical

geographic, climatic and cultural disparities on the planet. Considered the one of poorest country in South America, what Bolivia lacks in

economic wealth is more than recouped in its rich culture, vibrant people and countless natural wonders.

A must stop for any traveler is Lake Titicaca. Sprawling across the border of Peru and Bolivia, the worlds highest lake sits at an enchanting

12,500 feet above sea level. Clouds remain suspended just inches above the glassy surface while watery white caps blend with those of the

distant Cordillera Real peaks. Said to be the birth place of the first Inca, Isla del Sol (Island of the Sun) is still home to the ancient Aymara

people and remains an important religious pilgrimage site today.

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From the highest lake to the highest capital in the

world, our next stop, La Paz. Plunging downward from

the high Andean Plateau, this thriving valley of

civilization appears out of nowhere. The city proper

resides in the lowest part of the area with shantytowns

crawling upwards, spilling over top of the natural bowl

in the plateau.

The only thing more breathtaking than the scenery is

the effort to reach it. But don't worry, if you find yourself

winded, the Oxygen Bar serves up cold drinks with

oxygen on the side. Administered through table side

oxygen masks, choose your favorite flavor and breathe

deep.

Translated as The Peace, La Paz is anything but peaceful. The

streets are lined with mazes of street stalls, brimming with

everything from fresh produce to the latest electronics. For more

adventurous shopping, stop at the witches market. Vials of multi-

colored potions, cured animal skins and bone handicrafts crowd the

shelves, amid the rotting stench of decaying baby llama. It is these

stark contrasts that draw you in. The history, mystery, insanity, that is

La Paz.

For adventure junkies, The Death Road promises a bicycling

experience like no other. Starting well above the cloud line, the

11,000-foot descent is defined by narrow, muddy paths and heart-

stopping cliff drops. The road, which has claimed the lives of a

dozen tourists in the last ten years, has become a rite of passage for

many South American travelers. For most Boliviano's, however, the

road remains a formidable adversary, taking the lives of hundreds of

locals every year.

From the concrete jungle and its assorted denizens into the uncharted depths of the Amazon jungle, the small town of Rurrenabaque

provides the perfect jump off point for Amazonian exploration. However, the city, buried deep within thousands of hectares of unruly jungle

and swampy marsh can be difficult to get to.

If you dont mind roughing it for a few days, rudimentary river boats offer an unforgettable walk on the wild side. Cruising north on the

Beni River, passengers can steal a rare glimpse of one of the most biodiverse regions on the planet, Medidi National Park. Home tothousands of birds, insects and large game, the only human inhabitants are the indigenous population. Large scale tour companies are not

permitted to enter this portion of the jungle, so youll need a local tour guide ... and a machete. Enter Pedro.

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With a majority of the day spent on the river, our only

stops were for hunting and sleeping. We dined on

freshly caught piranha the first night. On the second

evening we went on an unexpected hunt for wild boar.

Bathed in a cologne of feces, the boars were easily

tracked by stench alone, and can attract predators from

miles away. Machetes in hand, we quietly maneuvered

across the dense jungle floor, but just as we closed in on

the pack, so did some other hungry would be diners ...

jaguars. Guess we were not the only one's out for pork

that day.

If swimming with wild alligators, hunting for anacondas and

piranha fishing are not high on your list, this next tour is

probably not for you. Seated in a small, shallow canoe, a

leisurely day of alligator and caiman spotting kicked off

the Pampas Tour. Dozens of reptiles lined the nearby

shores. Effortlessly able to count the hundreds of razor sharp

teeth lining their wide grins, 'close encounters' cannot even

begin to describe our vicinity to these man eaters.

The next day, equipped with rubber knee high boots and armed with

the golden rule of snake chasing if you feel something move,

don't step down the adventure began. Trudging through the

spongy marshes, we found two anacondas and its more elusive and

dangerous cousin, the cobra. Pouncing on the cobra from behind,

Oscar (our guide for this leg of the journey) grasped onto the tail,

flailing her into the air. Snapping and writhing for minutes, she

finally relaxed enough for a quick photo op followed by an even

quicker release.

The vast Altiplano showcases countless natural wonders including

smoldering volcanos, gigantic crater lakes and dozens of active

geysers, perhaps the most impressive being Solar de Uyuni,

commonly referred to as The Bolivian Salt Flats. Covering an area

the size of New Jersey, this dried up, ancient sea bed contains over

10,000 billion tons of salt. Emitting a milky white radiance into the

sky, the gap between clouds and salty earth collide into one solid

wall of white. Direction, distance and depth, were all lost in this

natural illusion. Surprisingly, night proved even saltier than day, as

we took the rare opportunity to stay in the one, the only, Salt

Hotel. Bed frames, tables, chairs, even the walls were all

constructed of this multi-purpose seasoning.

After spending several days floating along gator infested waters, the time had come to go beneath them. But before taking the death-defying

dip, we took one safety precaution finding a pod of dolphins. Trapped in the swamps from flooding hundreds of years ago, pink river

dolphins remain the only animal alligators truly fear. So, with my pod nearby, I took the plunge. After braving the dark water for several

minutes, the moment my pod left, so did I, returning immediately back in the boat. Carrying on south to the rugged terrain of Bolivia's high

Altiplano, I was instantly met by bone chilling cold. Due to the regions soaring altitude (over 13,000 feet), temperatures can easily change

from a mild 70 degree high to well below freezing in a matter of hours.

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While there may be tamer ways to explore, the only way to truly experience Bolivias extraordinary culture and untainted beauty is by

taking a chance, tackling what many call the final frontier and discovering for yourself Bolivias true riches.

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