Backpack Mack

If your only reference point for Bolivia is the United States press you may be wondering why on earth I would want to visit such a place. If you don’t know much about Bolivia at all let me give an ultra condensed history and shed some light on why I would want to visit. 

First thing to understand is the history of coca and cocaine. Indigenous tribes throughout the Andes (especially in Peru and Bolivia) who live at high altitudes use the coca leaf in teas, candies, and chew it straight in order to alleviate altitude sickness and headaches, to perform rituals and recreationally to catch a little buzz. In Bolivia there is a very strong indigenous culture (predominantly the Aymara people) and is distinctly unique from other Spanish colonized countries like Mexico or Guatemala. This culture places a very heavy emphasis on rituals,  shamans and spirits and the coca leaf has been integral to that for hundreds of years. 

In addition to its cultural and ritualistic uses, coca can also be processed into cocaine which is certainly done in the country as well. In 2006, Evo Morales was elected as Bolivian president with goals to empower and enrich the Aymara people, which included legalization and production of coca. In 2008, President George W. Bush saw this as a narcotics threat to the United States and made changes for more scrupulous monitoring of the country. Bolivia saw this and many other moves as an attempt to meddle and undermine their sovereignty, and the United States pointed to Bolivia’s relations with Venezuela among others as an additional threat.

This more recent coca conflict occurs on top of an already tense landscape from the United States’ 1950s era intervention against South American nationalist movements and anti communist efforts. There is evidence that the United States manipulated and influenced government balance based on Bolivia’s dependent economic relationship. 

All this to say, the history between the United States and Bolivia is fraught with conflict, but what is severely underrated is Bolivia’s natural landscape. The country is rich in natural resources (like minerals, silver, salt, and more) and contains breathtaking wonders like a 3,900 square mile salt flat, mountains dyed multi colored by mineral deposits, lagoons filled with flamingos and wild roaming vicuña (a llama species). The reputation of the country being dangerous is misplaced as it is currently rated by the US State Department with a travel advisory of “Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution” on par with countries like Mexico and Costa Rica. (The ranking system includes: (Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions, Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution, Level 3: Reconsider Travel, Level 4: Do Not Travel). 

As a side note here, Bolivia also made the headlines recently for their attempted government overthrow. Purportedly, a top military general in Bolivia attempted to overthrow the government accompanied by armed soldiers. According to the news they stormed the governmental palace and rammed the door with an armored vehicle calling for a list of demands. The failed coup was put down quickly and the general was arrested. But according to Bolivians this was mostly performative and some even suspect it was planned by the current regime to show their strength and/or resolve to the people. They say it was a weird morning but not violent or disturbing to daily life. Travelers who were there also reported that this was a blip on the radar. It really makes you think about the power of the press and the sensationalization of news in general… I considered canceling my stop here based on the news. I am so glad I did not. 

Getting to Bolivia does require a degree of planning for United States citizens. US citizens must obtain a visa to visit Bolivia, something I discovered is not mandatory for Europeans, South Americans, Australians, New Zealanders and more. The visa cost is $160 and can be arranged on arrival or beforehand online. I was required to show the following: 

• Passport with 6 months validity
• A full blank passport page (they will place a sticker in the page)
• Proof of onward travel out of the country
• Proof of where you are staying in the country
• Proof of funds (at least $10,000 in your bank account)
• A copy of your passport
• *Online it also said to bring a passport photo so I got one done ahead of time at Wallgreens but this was not necessary during my crossing
• *I had also heard beforehand that this visa must be paid in US cash but they only accepted card at the airport crossing; this may differ at the land border. I have also heard some stories about some dollars being declined for small tears or blemishes so to be safe I would carry a little over $160 in crisp bills 

Given time constraints for my trip I arranged to fly from Cusco, Peru to La Paz, Bolivia but it is also quite common on the traveler circuit to take a bus from Cusco to Lake Titicaca and then onward to La Paz. This is a long trek in an overnight bus which is obviously less desirable than a one hour flight if you don’t plan on spending time at the lake. 

My plan for Bolivia is as follows: 

• Three days (two nights) in La Paz
• An overnight bus from La Paz to Uyuni
• A three day group trip through Bolivia the includes the Salt Flats, Eduardo Avaroa National Reserve, the high plateau lagoons, the Siloli desert, the Sol de la Mañana geyser field and the Polques hot springs and ultimately terminates in the Atacama Desert Chilean land border 

In Part 2 I’ll detail how the trip went!