Hidden just outside the city center , if you head along Avenida Velarde, around the 6th ring you will see an un obtrusive sign reading “Parque Nacional Las Lomas de Arena”. Translated – the national park is literally the dunes of sand. This amazing misplaced desert is an extremely popular spot for locals on weekends, replacing Bolivia´s distinct lack of beaches and especially during the baking hot summer months of November through to January.
You need to go there in a 4WD – or be prepared to walk. While taxis and normal vehicles (even micros head there) make it to the park entrance – the fun starts about 2 kms further in where you are met with a series of lakes and small dunes. If you have the stamina to walk a further 2 hours through the dunes, you will arrive at the largest dunes in the park for sandboarding.
Las Lomas natural beauty is a changing work of art – each year when wet season (Jan to March) makes trips to Las Lomas impossible (an undesirable!) even by 4×4, the rain clears in April to reveal the new lakes formed by the water – the location changes every year. Las Lomas makes not only for some cool photos, it is a fantastic active day trip for swimming, sandboarding and kiting or just sunbaking if you prefer, and hunting for snakes and frogs if your game! It’s so close to the city – you must make an effort to see something different when you visit Santa Cruz.
As you can see things have been a bit slow on the posting front recently (i.e. it has grond to a halt). Ive been sooooo busy Ive put this blog on the back burner but certainly never planned to abandon it. Luckily fate has a funny way of kick starting things again and for this blog it arrived in the form of an email from another expat living in Bolivia called Lauren who, after reading the site, liked the idea of helping create a resource about Bolivia that provided some things a little bit different to the guide books and typical travel sites and offered to do some guest posts. Even better is that Lauren lives in Santa Cruz so is knowledgeable about that area in particular - something I am far from an expert on. So here is the first of (hopefully) many posts from lauren about the Santa Cruz area - i’ve already learnt some stuff and have plans to visit these places later this year if I can. Hope you like the posts and thanks Lauren.
Ps - if any wants to guest blog on here, just a one off or a series of post, please let me know - if you can write about interestings places around Bolivia,from off the beaten track attractions to simply just a good restaurant youve found - anything that a visitor to Bolivia might find useful - then I might find it helpful. Send me an email to let me know.q
Introduction by Lauren - Hidden Gems of Santa Cruz
There are far more attractions to Bolivia than just those written about on the Gringo Trail, and for those of us who really like to discover something new the ones least written about are the far more appealing! The axe in everyones stone however, is a time limit for their trip well in this series of blog entries I am going to tell you a few little secrets from a gringa who´s been living in Sunny Santa Cruz for a year and has discovered many of the locals secrets. But Shhhhh…. The guidebooks haven´t found out yet!!! For more information on independent travel through the region of Santa Cruz visit my website www.backpackingbolivia.com, my Squidoo lensmaster profile or come and visit me in our hostel in the city of Santa Cruz www.jodanga.com
This small privately owned museum is most likely frequented by foreign tourists more than locals as the cover charge is quite pricey at 15 Bolivianos for such a small collection. The collection displayed in this small basement is well worth a visit though if you are interested in photography or simply wish to see how La Paz looked before all the high rises appeared.
The museum consists of two small rooms containing a collection of old photographs mostly taken by explorers at the beginning of the 1900s. In addition to historic photographs there are old business cards from photographers and an excellent collection of antique cameras and accessories.
Explorers such as A. Posnansky and A. Stubel took such interesting images of Tiwanaku, Isla del Sol & Isla del Luna and the Chipaya before they much was known about them and you can see them on display here. The photos of La Paz in the 1930s show a quiet peaceful place with the mountains visible from Prado above the colonial buildings. There are also slightly cruel pictures of tiny pygmy men from the amazon they have been stood next to a ruler or placed on toy horses
Whilst only 20 minutes is required to browse this museum it offers an interesting window into the past of Bolivia highlighting how dramatically things have changed but also how many things remain the same.
Museo Nuñez de Arco
El Prado 1615 - Downstairs below Cafe La Terraza
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There is nothing like a chifa (Chinese Restaurant) for good cheap filling food and there are plenty to choose from in La Paz. The most famous in La Paz is Chifa Emy which has a few restaurants around the city but in my experience whilst the decor and ambiance is passable, the food is quite tasteless.
For a no thrills, down to earth dining experience complete with arguments in harsh sounding manderin right next to your table, but most importantly, with good tasting chinese food I always head to Chifa Yu Mei (not sure if that is spelt right!).
This small family run place is close is just one block off El Prado near the main Cinema next to Dumbos (directions below). Popular with locals at lunch time they offer the usual chinese fare plus a few bolivian favourites such as huge portions of fried chicken and chips. For veggies there are meatless dishes and tofu options and if they understand your spanish (the staff are recent chinese immigrants) they will make any dish on the menu minus the meat if you ask. Number 121 - fried tofu and veg in a spicy sauce - is always a good choice.
Mains cost around 12 to 15 bolivianos and the portions more than enough. Those with lesser appetites (or budgets) could easily share a main.
Directions
Chifa Yu Mei (selling may not be right for this but it is pronounced as ‘You - Mee’)
It is on the corner of Calle Bueno & Calle Federico Zuarzo. To get there from Prado turn down Calle Bueno by the side of the Cinema next to Dumbos (about mid way along Prado). One block down just around the corner and you will find a shabby looking glass and wooden fronted restaurant next door to a small pharmacy. Opposite is a few food stalls.
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One of the great things about travel in foreign countries is meeting to locals and learning about their culture, language, food and hobbies. South America is one area where it is really possible to get to know people as the language barrier is less than other countries like Thailand for example. Its not so difficult to pick up a little spanish and you often find that locals want to practice english.
The best way to get to know a place is to have a local show you round, you wont just see the touristy side of things and you can get to experience the ‘real’ side of the country. Bolivia is no exception. Having lived in La Paz for some time I know there is so much more to the city than most tourists see and this will be the same for every town and city here.
An easy way to meet locals is over the internet and AMIGOS.COM is the perfect site to find someone to show you the real Bolivia. Is totally free to sign up and there are thousands & thousnads of people from Bolivia that would love to meet up. In AMIGOS.COM there are also CHAT ROOMS if you just want to ask some questions about the nightlife, best restaurants or local attractions so its great for justing gathering information about Bolivia or any other country in South America.
I recommend signing up for this site for anyone who want to see the real Bolivia and get to know its people. Its free after all so why not give it a try? AMIGOS.COM
If you want to go striaght to the chat rooms click here : CHAT ROOMS
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This little museum is hidden away up an alley off Calle Linares aka ‘Gringo Street’ due to all the travel agencies and clothing or crafts shops. Whilst tiny in size it is bursting with information about the little green leaf that has been held sacred in the Andes for centuries. The displays themselve look a little worn and the whole setup can seem a little amateur, but if your patient enough to follow the self guided tour whilst reading the provided infomation in your own language (available in many languages) you will no doubt learn plenty of facts you didnt know about the coca plant.
Covering the use of the coca leaf in traditional andean socities for spiritual, medicinal,social and other purposes, right up to exploring the modern day ‘drugwar’ against cocaine. The information is provided in a scientific way backed with lots of evidence to back up its theories but still manages to remain unbiased. Including sections on the use of the coca leaf in Coca-cola, for coca wine, as an anesthetic amongst others it certainly provides some evidence to justify the ‘la hoja de coca es no droga’ (the coca leaf is not a drug) campaign seen on tshirts and posters throughout the peru and Bolivia.
If reading through lots of information is not what you consider a good way to spend 30 - 45 mins then you may find this museum a little dry (my brain slowed a little before id finished) but if yo have a interest in andean culture and would like to learn the truth about coca then this popular tourist attraction is a mine of information and worth the cover fee of around US$1.
Museo de la Coca
Calle Linares 906
La Paz
Tel 231-1998
I am all in favour of protesting in support of civil rights, against corrupt governments, unjustified wars and other elements that society as a while may deem unfair. I even admire the way Bolivians have risen up in the past to get rid over extremely corrupt presidents when they have decided enough is enough.Now though, protesting is so embedded in the culture in Bolivia it has become a national pastime. If marching in the streets and blocking roads where an olympic event Bolivia would win gold every time.
As mentioned im all in favour of protest when needed but it seems that the slighest change made to anything brings everyone out on the streets of La Paz. Ive tried to think of ways to describe this but the one word that keeps returning is ‘childish’. It seems that every group or co-operative only is only concerned with themselves and is never prepared to look at the bigger picture.Last year for example the local authorities in La Paz annouced a plan to perform for major roadworks that where needed on Calle Camacho that would continue for around 10 months.This is a major road in central La Paz and it involved rerouting some traffic routes to facilitate this. This caused all the bus drivers to go out on strike and block roads as it meant they had to drive a slightly longer route through town. I found this incredible. What did this hope to achieve? Stop the roadworks so they didnt have to drive an extra minute or a slightly different route? There was viturally no transport in La Paz for a few days and many people couldnt get to work.Of course this meant less people in the center of La Paz and therefore less shoppers which didnt make the traders happy. Faced with trading loses they did what any true Bolivians would - protested in the streets against the protest of the drivers.Of course there werent so many people there to see the protest but at least they didnt feel left out. (more…)
In the southwest area of Bolivia lies area called Lipez. It is home to arid deserts, salt plains and a wealth of mineral deposits.When one of the largest, and maybe the largest ever found, silver mines was discovered just above a small town called San Cristobal and the concession was purchased by the Canadian mining consortium Apex Silver the problem arose - what should we do with the town below? The little town of San Cristobal, population just 350, was right below the mine and in far to dangerous postion to allow mining to start. The obvious solution was to move everybody to a new area but the was one major obstacle. In this tiny town there was a 350 old colonial church and noone was in favour of destroying it. So the mining company , in addition to building new homes and modern facilties for the towns population, also transparted and rebuilt the church stone by stone 17km to the new site of the village. They carefully moved the cemetery and its contents. (more…)
Anyone who has been to La Paz will remember the sometimes constant attention of the ‘lustrabotas’ - the shoe shine boys. At first they can seem quite intimidating with their faces covered with woollen balaclavas, further shaded under the peaks of baseball caps.They seem more like plane hijackers than polishers of footwear and often rush at you in groups in an effort to get your custom. The first reaction for many, especially tourists, is the reflex answer of NO. Tourists are so often targeted by sales people and scam artists it has become a natural reaction to refuse when put on the spot and the fast approach, coupled with the hidden face, puts people on guard. The age range of the lustrabotas ranges from as young as 4 or 5 years old right up to 20,30 or older so ‘boys’ isnt always appropriate and in fact there are also a number of girls amongst the ranks. They jostle for custom on the streets, trying to etch out a daily living by cleaning people shoes.
Many sleep rough at night down by the stinking river that runs through La Paz or in other hidden away areas.There is also a house in El Alto that many of them live in which whilst providing much needed shelter and protection, most likely helps perpetuate the use of drugs that many of the boys are addicted to.Sniffing glue or other solvents is very common amongst the homeless youngsters of La Paz. Some however arent homeless and are just out trying to help support their familes when in an ideal world they would be at school. (more…)
, if you head along Avenida Velarde, around the 6th ring you will see an un obtrusive sign reading “Parque Nacional Las Lomas de Arena”. Translated – the national park is literally the dunes of sand. This amazing misplaced desert is an extremely popular spot for locals on weekends, replacing Bolivia´s distinct lack of beaches and especially during the baking hot summer months of November through to January.
Las Lomas natural beauty is a changing work of art – each year when wet season (Jan to March) makes trips to Las Lomas impossible (an undesirable!) even by 4×4, the rain clears in April to reveal the new lakes formed by the water – the location changes every year. Las Lomas makes not only for some cool photos, it is a fantastic active day trip for swimming, sandboarding and kiting or just sunbaking if you prefer, and hunting for snakes and frogs if your game! It’s so close to the city – you must make an effort to see something different when you visit Santa Cruz.
Whilst tiny in size it is bursting with information about the little green leaf that has been held sacred in the Andes for centuries. The displays themselve look a little worn and the whole setup can seem a little amateur, but if your patient enough to follow the self guided tour whilst reading the provided infomation in your own language (available in many languages) you will no doubt learn plenty of facts you didnt know about the coca plant.
society as a while may deem unfair. I even admire the way Bolivians have risen up in the past to get rid over extremely corrupt presidents when they have decided enough is enough.Now though, protesting is so embedded in the culture in Bolivia it has become a national pastime. If marching in the streets and blocking roads where an olympic event Bolivia would win gold every time.
Anyone who has been to La Paz will remember the sometimes constant attention of the ‘lustrabotas’ - the shoe shine boys. At first they can seem quite intimidating with their faces covered with woollen balaclavas, further shaded under the peaks of baseball caps.They seem more like plane hijackers than polishers of footwear and often rush at you in groups in an effort to get your custom. The first reaction for many, especially tourists, is the reflex answer of NO. Tourists are so often targeted by sales people and scam artists it has become a natural reaction to refuse when put on the spot and the fast approach, coupled with the hidden face, puts people on guard. The age range of the lustrabotas ranges from as young as 4 or 5 years old right up to 20,30 or older so ‘boys’ isnt always appropriate and in fact there are also a number of girls amongst the ranks. They jostle for custom on the streets, trying to etch out a daily living by cleaning people shoes.