Bolivia
From biketrip.org
Bolivia is a rather hard and dangerous country to bike in but extremely rewarding with out-of-this-world sceneries. I wouldn't recommend Bolivia as a first bicycle trip since the environment can be pretty rough sometimes and the traffic on roads a bit neglecting for cyclists...
[edit] Where to go
Bolivia can be split into 2 big and very different environments. The Altiplano and the Tierras Bajas:
[edit] El Altiplano
The Altiplano is one of the biggest (with Tibet) high plateau in the World. Its average altitude is about 3800m asl. The easiest way to get on the Altiplano is flying to La Paz but you can also climb to it, it's hard but with time and patience... After La Paz, the main destinations on El Altiplano are the Titikaka lake, the Salar de Uyuni and Las Laguna Coloradas. Weather can be rough (cold, wind, snow, high UV...) on El Altiplano but the sceneries will have you amazed. Roads can be real bad, food and water shouldn't be a problem, traffic is high and dangerous due to lack of alternative roads. Definitely worth it !
[edit] Tierras Bajas
More jungle-like sceneries with mosquitoes, warmth and heavy showers. There's plenty to do in Bolivia outside El Altiplano and it feels like a different country! You can go to Santa Cruz, Cochabamba (though it's higher), El Beni, Rurrenabaque... Roads can be in really bad conditions,especially in the rain season (summer from november to february). Watch out for mosquitoes, some zone are impaluded and don't forget yellow fever vaccination especially if you're going to Brazil next.
[edit] Budget
Bolivia can be considered as a cheap country, you can find Almuerzos (soup, main dish, dessert and drink) for between $1 and $2 for the cheapest. Accommodation is rather easy to find, some small villages will even host you in the school or the town hall for a couple of dollars. Not everybody has heating or hot water, especially in remote places of the Altiplano so be ready for some cold nights.
[edit] Camping
Camping is not prohibited, just make sure you're well away from the road and sheltered from the wind. You'll find a lot of abandoned houses or constructions, usually used by shepherds, in which you can pinch your tent.
[edit] Cycle Shops
Good cycle equipment can be a problem except in big towns (La Paz, Cochabamba and Santa Cruz). Make sure you're well prepared before leaving the towns. The good thing is that Bolivians are semi-gods when it comes to fix something with nothing. You'll find plenty of soldering places which can mend virtually anything, some can even braze aluminium! I've broken nearly everything on the rough roads and Bolivia and always found a way to mend it with the help of locals.
[edit] Roads and orientation
Roads are usually in bad condition. Not all the roads are in asphalt, if you're going from La Paz to the Salar, only half of the way is asphalt. There's no rules on the roads, sign and traffic lights are not respected, huge buses or trucks will pass each other no matter what's arriving in front of them, so be ready, be very vigilant, never assume that you have priority or that trucks or cars will try to avoid you, YOU HAVE TO AVOID THEM !!! Sometimes, you'll find a bicycle path made by locals on the side of the road, it's a good idea to use it and will give you some respite from the traffic. Orientation is pretty straight forward, there are so few roads in Bolivia that it's hard to get lost. If you're going in remote places like the Lagunas for example, take a compass and a good map with you. You can always ask locals for directions but keep in mind that they'd rather point somewhere than admit they don't know something. If they're hesitant, thank them a hundred times and ask someone else a little further.
[edit] Cycling rules
There are no cycling rules in Bolivia but I wouldn't bike there without a helmet.
[edit] Internet Access
Internet Cafes are everywhere in towns, a lot more hard to find in small villages.
[edit] Opening hours
Hum, quite hard to make a general rule here. Shops will usually open at 9 or 10 in the morning, close for lunch, re-open at 14 and close at 18 or later (22) for the supermarkets. Shops are usually closed on Sundays and holidays though it's changing with tourism now.
[edit] Food and Water
Tap water and water from rivers, lakes is not drinkable unless filtered, chlorined or well boiled. Bottled water or sodas can be found even in the smallest shops. Food and lunch or diner (Almuerzo y Cena) can be bought in every village and the quality is usually good. Keep food and water in stock for 2 or 3 days ahead as some places can be very remote. Fruits are usually very cheap and very good.
Travelogues about Bolivia
1 results, see Contents for complete list
Links to travelogues about Bolivia
13 results, see Links for complete list
- A biketrip through South-America
- Backintheworld
- Betzgi Cycle Tours
- Bolivia trip report
- Cycling Nomads
- Cycling in South America
- Jeffs Big Bike Trip
- On the road again
- On tour...
- Panamerikana.org
- South America By Bike
- Thorn to the Horn
- What a Wonderful World Tour
Cycle shops in Bolivia
2 results, see Shops for complete list
Accomodation in Bolivia
1 results, see Links for complete list
Pictures from Bolivia
19 results, see Gallery for complete list
It's not rare to meet llamas when biking in Bolivia.
Camping on the Salar is beautiful but you'll have to deal with wind and salt
Crossing el Salar de Uyuni
Just before crossing an ocean of mud. We actually turned back...
Cycling in the desert
Ed and Myrthe obviously happy being on the magical Salar de Uyuni
The 2 Xavs on El Salar de Uyuni
Going down La Isla del Sol (on the Titicaca Lake Bolivia)
Myrthe looking at La Paz on the road to El Alto
Comanche is the village that host the most incredible flower in the world. It flowers only once every hundred years. There s only a few left in the world they re all in Comanche Bolivia.
Tracks along a railway
Meet the new Shimano ring matching the environment
Local riding in the sunset
Caught cheating !
We were in the middle of nowhere. After a sudden turn we faced that sedimental cliff and that church at his bottom. The storm was coming and the sun was behind us but we couldn't stop looking at the scene.
Restaurant in South America (Bolivia ?)
Fat tyres for a good looking road. But it usually doesn't last long especially in South America
Jean-Paul is heading towards a big volcano. It culmits above 5000m !
End of the road that happens sometimes. There you're happy to have those big tyres..
Books on Bolivia
3 results, see Books for complete list
