Bolivia 101

We have been out of Bolivia for approximately two weeks and I have now had a chance to process that which was Bolivia. Here are some tips to make travel through Bolivia a more enjoyable experience:

1. Be patient. About everything. Internet is slow. Don't buy from the first person you talk to. Even if that person is really smiley and has silver teeth. We didn't listen to this advice and we ended up spending an entire day sitting in a jeep in the hot and dusty plaza of a very small Bolivian village, waiting for a waterpump (or a 'bomba' in Spanish) for a 1989 jeep instead of going to hot springs and seeing flamingos.
Lesson learned.

2. Altitude sickness is no joke (have I mentioned this already?). Walk slow, don't eat too much, definitely don't drink too much. I heard, through the grapevine, hangovers are worse when there is less oxygen. Who knew?

3. Never go anywhere without tissue or TP and hand sanitizer. If you are lucky enough to find a bathroom there likely will not be TP or soap. Or running water, for that matter. Small change is also a good idea because you often have to pay for the pleasure of using these
bathrooms that are sometimes clean, but more often are a toilet without a seat.

4. Breathe through your mouth. Bolivia is an assault on most all of your senses, most notably your sense of smell. This skill definitely comes in handy in the aforementioned bathrooms, but
also is handy in the streets, and in the very stinky markets.

5. When someone tells you to take a plane because the road is 'feo' ('ugly' in Spanish), definitely listen. Particularly if that person is Bolivian. We didn't follow this advice either and spent one terrifying night on an old bus rambling down bumpy dirt roads through the mountains, driven by a man who may or may not have been drunk. We don't know for sure but it is extremely common in Bolivia. They also don't always have a driver's license. We flew the
next leg, and it was lovely. 49 minutes, instead of 20 hours. And, in that time they gave us a snack. We were clearly not in Canada.

6. Do NOT touch (or feed, or look at for too long...) dogs that are not on a leash with an owner that does not look sketchy. Unless, of course, you are interested in rabies.

7. If you are a fellow veggie, don't tell anyone unless you absolutely have to. It hurts the
heads (and hearts) of the people in this meat crazed continent. People just don't get it.

8. If you decide to eat at the market stalls, choose your vendor wisely. I would suggest you avoid eating from ones where they are picking things off each other's heads with tweezers. I have no idea what they are picking, but really, is knowing going to make it any better?
Didn't think so.

9. Try the soup! Bolivians make really good soup!

Come with an open mind and a sense of adventure (and these handy dandy tips!) and you are bound to have a wonderfully chaotic, colourful and exciting experience. Bolivia is a beautiful country.