Comment by sillystuff
16 days ago
Bolivia was a high point in my trekking around S. America. I felt perfectly safe, and had no negative experiences. Beautiful kind people. In La Paz, I asked directions from a random passerby to their electronics market (I wanted to replace a pair of lost headphones), and the man cautioned me that some sellers might try to take advantage of me. He asked me what I was after, and told me what he would expect to pay. But, I had no issues, the price offered, by the first seller I approached, for a pair of Sony ear buds was less than $4-- the headphones only differed in color from the pair I had lost-- I had paid $16 at Target in the US for them.
I was alone, and, when in urban areas, mostly stayed in the hotels in the spaces above street-level businesses that are not geared toward foreign tourists (Spanish required). Except for La Paz, it was less than $10/night and usually between a few dollars to $5. Food was inexpensive and excellent too.
There were amazing historical sites. And, really interesting "hmmmmmm" contemporary things to encounter, if paying attention-- e.g., there was a tribe near Rurrenabaque that spoke Quechua?! (A language you would expect to encounter in central Peru, not there).
The Bolivian high desert is so high that the low hills are topped in ice (14000ft/4000m at the valley floor) and in the low-lands are tropical jungles and pampas. While trekking in the jungle, I saw Tapirs, sloth, jaguar scat/tracks, caiman (alligator/crocodile type animal), spider monkeys, howler monkeys, so many birds... It was amazing!
You will need some level of proficiency in Spanish, unless sticking to tourist places, but even then Spanish will be helpful though not required.
Highly recommend.
(for those unaccustomed to seeing men with guns, you will encounter men with rifles e.g., outside banks, in large cities like La Paz-- so, yes crime exists, but I didn't ever feel that sketch feeling where you decide it is time to leave a place, or not enter it, in the first place-- Bolivia felt very safe to me)
> there was a tribe near Rurrenabaque that spoke Quechua?! (A language you would expect to encounter in central Peru, not there).
Quechuan languages are quite widespread, including over large areas of Bolivia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quechuan_languages
Rurrenabaque is hundreds of miles north of where that wikipedia article is showing the language being spoken (in Bolivia). Speaking with one of the tribal members, he said that there were no other Quechuan speakers within hundreds of kilometers, which matches with the map in the article you linked.
But, I guess I was more surprised hearing Quechua than I should have been. My surprise led to a conversation with a really interesting person, though-- I learned that their tribe's men were known for their archery skills, they had an aggressive encounter (a few years earlier) with a group from another, distant, tribe that almost led to warfare, etc.