Going to Bolivia, what should I know?
August 4, 2010 4:13 PM Subscribe
My sister is planning a trip to Bolivia to do voluntary work with a feline restoration project for some weeks (perhaps even longer). I really want to help but South America is a blind spot on my map with regards to knowledge. Could I ask you to fill me in; what does she need to know about travel and living in Bolivia?
Best answer: The CDC Travel Health site list what vaccinations she should get for visiting Boliva.
I have printed this info out for several countries, and taken it to my doctor, and gotten all the shots - and I have never gotten sick or bad Montezuma's revenge when traveling in Latin America.
There is a lot of good health safety info worth reviewing on the CDC info site.
posted by Flood at 5:57 PM on August 4, 2010
I have printed this info out for several countries, and taken it to my doctor, and gotten all the shots - and I have never gotten sick or bad Montezuma's revenge when traveling in Latin America.
There is a lot of good health safety info worth reviewing on the CDC info site.
posted by Flood at 5:57 PM on August 4, 2010
Best answer: As HeyAllie says Bolivia is a beautiful country and your sister should travel round it if she gets the opportunity. You don't say where your sister lives now and whether she has experience of living outside of the "first world". Assuming she doesn't there will be an element of culture shock.
She may well be going without what we in the West would consider basics, such as warm water showers, flush toilets or heating. Make sure she takes plenty of whatever lotions and potions she uses. Whilst a lot of Bolivia like La Paz is very high (3,500m) there are also lower, jungly parts of Bolivia and depending on where she goes she will need to prepare differently (high = cold, low = warm, muggy & mosquitos).
If she doesn't already speak Spanish and can learn some before she goes it would not only help, but would be a much better experience, Bolivians are a friendly bunch, reserved at first but chatty once they get going.
And a small pedantic point, te de coca is made from coca leaves, mate is made from yerba mate. For altitude I would actually recommend slowly chewing and storing the leaves in a cheek with bicarbonate of soda like the locals do. It really does help with altitude.
posted by jontyjago at 5:59 PM on August 4, 2010
She may well be going without what we in the West would consider basics, such as warm water showers, flush toilets or heating. Make sure she takes plenty of whatever lotions and potions she uses. Whilst a lot of Bolivia like La Paz is very high (3,500m) there are also lower, jungly parts of Bolivia and depending on where she goes she will need to prepare differently (high = cold, low = warm, muggy & mosquitos).
If she doesn't already speak Spanish and can learn some before she goes it would not only help, but would be a much better experience, Bolivians are a friendly bunch, reserved at first but chatty once they get going.
And a small pedantic point, te de coca is made from coca leaves, mate is made from yerba mate. For altitude I would actually recommend slowly chewing and storing the leaves in a cheek with bicarbonate of soda like the locals do. It really does help with altitude.
posted by jontyjago at 5:59 PM on August 4, 2010
Best answer: I have been living and working in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, this summer and it has been a wonderful experience :D Like others have said, it is important to know whereabouts in Bolivia she is going to be.
One quick thing regarding travel to Bolivia: the visa costs $135 USD when you arrive at the airport and they really only accept pristine bills - she should be prepared.
Regarding living here: there really isn`t that much to say, I was actually sort of surprised at how similar the lifestyle is here compared to the US. She should be prepared with any sort of medication she might need (including that for upset stomach). It is generally best to stay away from food on the street but after living here for awhile she can venture and eat pretty much most anything.
She wants to make sure all her medical and financial needs are set before going. Call the bank, credit card, and insurance and make sure to thoroughly go through all the details.
Buy a travel book for South America. It is fairly easy to travel here (with the exception of the somewhat frequent road blocks) and the country is very diverse so she should take the time to see it.
Other than that, not many other suggestions off the top of my head. Message or respond if you need anything clarified / have specific questions!
posted by masters2010 at 6:30 PM on August 4, 2010
One quick thing regarding travel to Bolivia: the visa costs $135 USD when you arrive at the airport and they really only accept pristine bills - she should be prepared.
Regarding living here: there really isn`t that much to say, I was actually sort of surprised at how similar the lifestyle is here compared to the US. She should be prepared with any sort of medication she might need (including that for upset stomach). It is generally best to stay away from food on the street but after living here for awhile she can venture and eat pretty much most anything.
She wants to make sure all her medical and financial needs are set before going. Call the bank, credit card, and insurance and make sure to thoroughly go through all the details.
Buy a travel book for South America. It is fairly easy to travel here (with the exception of the somewhat frequent road blocks) and the country is very diverse so she should take the time to see it.
Other than that, not many other suggestions off the top of my head. Message or respond if you need anything clarified / have specific questions!
posted by masters2010 at 6:30 PM on August 4, 2010
Best answer: She should get the Lonely Planet country guide, even though she's not travelling independently. Even on the "beaten path" of the tourist trail, Bolivia is very radically removed from first world experiences, and the Lonely Planet guide is a good nitty-gritty intro to such basics as how to operate a Frankenstein-switch shower, what the locals typically eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, where to change money, how to get laundry done, or what are the latest ruses that the scam artists are using. There is also a wealth of cultural knowledge, history, and current politics that will help illuminate her experiences, and the Lonely Plant guide will at least touch on some of these topics. Also, the climate varies significantly depending on what part of the country you are in (and what time of year).
posted by drlith at 6:34 PM on August 4, 2010
posted by drlith at 6:34 PM on August 4, 2010
I don't know a whole lot about bolivia, and it depends on where you will be, but I will say that the government can be pretty volatile.
posted by TheBones at 8:01 PM on August 4, 2010
posted by TheBones at 8:01 PM on August 4, 2010
Response by poster: Thanks for all your answers! She is going to a place not very far south of La Paz (vicinity of Beni Biological Station Biosphere Reserve). We live in Sweden and she is well aware of the lack of drinking water and hot/humid climate. I think culture shock might be more serious than any other living standards difference, no matter the size.
@Flood, thanks for that link, our government does not require yellow fever vaccination, but it seems like a good idea anyway.
@masters2010, she will be mostly living in one area only. Do you have any advice on things like courtesy and social manners? I have met some Bolivian football players as part of a job for some years, but they were more or less globetrotters and well aware of international conventions. So I am thinking more about the indigenous people.
@drlith, @jontyjago, @HeyAllie, thanks all, she will be going there in October.
posted by Niklas at 3:01 AM on August 8, 2010
@Flood, thanks for that link, our government does not require yellow fever vaccination, but it seems like a good idea anyway.
@masters2010, she will be mostly living in one area only. Do you have any advice on things like courtesy and social manners? I have met some Bolivian football players as part of a job for some years, but they were more or less globetrotters and well aware of international conventions. So I am thinking more about the indigenous people.
@drlith, @jontyjago, @HeyAllie, thanks all, she will be going there in October.
posted by Niklas at 3:01 AM on August 8, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
Bolivia is a beautiful country: It has the highest indigenous population of any South American country. It is the poorest country in South America. It has the highest capital in South America. If she can, she should go to Lake Titicaca.
If she's in La Paz, she will need to be prepared for high altitude living and consider drinking some of the mate tea (derived from the coca leaf - yes, that coca(ine) leaf. All natural and really works.
posted by HeyAllie at 4:20 PM on August 4, 2010