Why I Went There?
I wanted to visit the Salar de Uyuni and Potosi. It was also the natural route to take to go from Peru to Argentina overland.
Where Did I Go?
La Paz, Salar de Uyuni, and Reserva Nacional de Fauna Andina Eduardo Avaroa.
Expenses
Total Days: 11
Total Expenses: 718 USD
Average: 65 USD/day
Bolivia is the cheapest country in South America (maybe only Venezuela rivals it if you do the black market exchange rate of dollars), but being there for only 11 days, and doing a 3-day tour brought my average per day up. Hostels are usually around 10 USD or less per night, and street food can be incredibly cheap.
The total expenses include a 135 USD visa fee for US passport holders.
My Other Blog Posts on Bolivia
Desaguadero Border Crossing and Bolivian Roadblocks
Stuck in La Paz
La Paz to Uyuni, the Bus Ride from Hell
Salar De Uyuni and Reserva Nacional de Fauna Andina Eduardo Avaroa
Stuck Again in Uyuni
Crossing the Villazon-La Quiaca Border into Argentina
How Is It to Backpack in Bolivia?
Just like Peru, Bolivia also has a Gringo Trail, usually including Lago Titikaka, La Paz, Sucre, Potosi, and Uyuni.
In general, the standards are lower compared to other South American countries when it comes to transportation, hostels, food, and toilets.
The constant roadblocks make planning ahead very difficult, as one might be stranded in a place for many days.
Favorites And Not So Favorites
Favorite Places: La Paz, Salar de Uyuni and the places around it.
Favorite Moment: Seeing the Salar de Uyuni for the first time.
Favorite Food: Tucumanas y Salteñas (fried and baked empanadas).
Most Annoying Thing: The constant roadblocks making bus travel very difficult. Sometimes you can get stuck in a town for days.
My Recommendations
Red Planet Expeditions for the Salar de Uyuni tour.
Conclusion
Bolivia can be hard to travel in and requires a lot of patience from you. Roadblocks can prevent buses from leaving to your next destination for days. I really wanted to visit Sucre and Potosi but after waiting for 3 days to go there from Uyuni, I decided to give up and head towards the Argentina border instead. The natural beauty of the country, however, makes it all worth it.
This was my second visit to Bolivia, and while I liked it the first time, I found the experience more interesting this time around, in spite of the setbacks.
My Favorite Pictures
