Upon arrival
You may arrive at either the airport,
where you will be welcomed and taken to your hotel
by private airconditioned
minivan/bus. If you are arriving
by bus, you will again be welcomed and transported
to your hotel. Take things easy for the first few
days in La Paz, because the altitude will have you
feeling breathless in no time. La Paz is a very easy
city to orientate oneself in. There is only one major
road that runs through the heart of the city with
all other streets somehow connecting to it.
Food and drink
Drink only bottled water. Pasteurised
milk is widely available. Avoid dairy products that
are likely to have been made from unboiled milk. Avoid
street food vendors and the cheaper restaurants.
What to eat
To try some typical foods, here is a selection
of what we recommend.
Salteñas - meat, chicken or vegetable ball
shaped pastries.
Marraqueta – A La Paz bread with a crusty exterior
and a soft centre.
Llaucha pacena - A cheese bread
Empanadas – Meat/cheese pastries
Humitas - maize pie
Pukacapas - Spicy cheese pie
Silpancho - Fried breaded meat with eggs, rice and
bananas
Panankalla – A very sweet corn / caramel mixture
Papas rellenas - Stuffed potatoes
Trout from Lake Titicaca is a specialty in Copacabana.
Tojori - An oatmeal-mixture of mashed corn, sugar
and cinnamon
Tawa-tawas – A donut made in Potosi
Breick chocolate
What to drink
Chicha - A fermented maize drink. Some versions are
alcoholic.
Api – A drink made with cloves, cinnamon, lemon
and sugar
El Inca - The local dark, sweet beer
Mate de coca - Coca leaf tea
Highlights
La Paz
Museums - Calle
Jaen - A beautifully restored colonial street where
you can visit the Museo de Metales Preciosos Pre-Colombianos,
the Museo del Litoral, the Museo Casa Murillo and
the Museo Costumbrista Juan de Vargas – All
of these can all be visited in one day
Museo de Etnografia y Folklore
- Located at the corner of Ingavi and Calle
Genearo Sanjines offers exhibits of the costumes and
artistry of many Bolivian ethnic groups Museo de Arqueologico
de Tiwanaku - is a good place for history and archeology.
Closed on Sundays
The Witch Market -
Found on Calle Linares between Sagarnaga and Santa
Cruz. You can buy charms, herbs and potions.
Mercado Negro - (Black Market) -
Located at Calle Graneros and Eloy Salmon, this is
a good place to
buy imitation goods. CDs, tapes, electronic goods,
imitation designer clothing are all for sale at ridiculously
cheap prices
Mercado La Ceja (Thursdays
and Sundays) - found at Plaza 16 de Julio, this market
stretches across the
main thoroughfare and is a great place to get out
and meet the local people.
Around La Paz
Valle de la Luna - (Valley
of the Moon) - About 10km away, it’s not actually
a valley but a myriad of fossilized cacti that give
a futuristic landscape. Wear shoes with a good grip
as there are some steep rocks
to climb.
Muela del Diablo –
Is an extinct volcanic plug. You can hike
to its base on trails that offer spectacular views
of La Paz.
Valle de Las Animas - (valley
of the spirits) offers much the same eerie
landscape as the Valle de la Luna, but on a grander
scale. There are a couple of good hiking routes you
can take.
Bolivian Amazon Although not as accessible or developed
for tourism as Peru, Bolivia nevertheless boasts some
spectacular rainforest areas such as the Madidi Reserve.
The close by Pampas is also an astonishingly wildlife
rich natural area. There are many tracts of Amazon
still very much unexplored allowing for Bolivia to
be able to offer a true wilderness experience.
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