UnBoliviable!
SAIL LAKE TITICACA RIDE A CABLE CAR IN LA PAZ SEE DINOSAUR PRINTS It’s manic and tranquil... and well worth going out of your way to take in this unheralded South American country VISIT THE FLATS IN UYUNI AVAROA NATIONAL RESERVE
ELEANORE HUTCH is the Deputy Editor of EVOKE.ie and is a regular contributor on Ireland AM on TV3. Eleanore took time out to travel the world. In this, the third part of her unmissable series, she discovers that Bolivia is the hidden gem of South America.
IF YOU want to go to a country that has unbelievable geography, daredevil opportunities and a decent party scene, look no further than Bolivia!
While the cities are hectic and over-populated, the rest of the country is rugged and complexly beautiful.
From the breathtaking plains of the salt flats, the adrenaline rush of riding a bike on Death Road to the mind-boggling expanse of La Paz, Bolivia has plenty to offer.
I hit this nature-lover’s dream country on my round-the-world trip, and there are a couple of things I insist anyone visiting should do, including… If you enter Bolivia from Peru, chances are your first stop will be Copacabana (not the one in Rio!) at Lake Titicaca. The highest lake in the world, here you can jet-ski, sail or just enjoy the views with a Pisco Sour. The highest capital city in the world, La Paz lies in the centre of a mountain range, with the snowcapped, 6,438m-high Mt. Illimani as its backdrop.
A must is taking a ride on Mi Teleférico (preferably the yellow route), the aerial cable car system, that will show you the entire city from a height.
The wrestling cholitas (women wrestling in traditional Bolivian dresses), the witches market and the San Pedro prison are other great things to see. Famous for its whitewashed houses, Sucre is home to Casa de la Libertad, where Bolivia’s Dec- laration of Independence was signed, the Catedral Metropolitana, an ornate colonial church and the Museo Universitario Charcas USFXCH, featuring reli- gious artifacts and contemporary art.
Plus, there is a park where you can see the largest collection of dinosaur footprints in the world with over 5000 tracks from at least eight different species of dinosaur set into the Cal Orck’o cliff. You must do a tour of the utterly spellbinding Salar de Uyuni salt flats. The world’s largest salt flat, the desertlike landscape of bright-white salt, rock formations and cacti-studded islands will make you think you’re in outer space!
Most three-day tours include staying in a salt hotel, the train graveyard, hot springs under the stars and then the Eduardo Avaroa National Reserve. See geysers and more at Eduardo Avaroa National Reserve. Continuing your tour into the Eduardo Avaroa National Reserve, you can see flamingos, volcanoes, geysers, the rock valley and so much more fantastic geographical phenomena. Your head will spin!