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Getting Around

Pickpockets: Let them pick paper!

Shane Townsend

20 Dec 2009

Bolivia

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Pickpockets are a reality when you travel to some locations, especially during the holidays. There are many ways to reduce your risk. Here's an easy one: After placing your belongings in your front pocket, place a fold of tissue just inside the same pocket so that it's most accessible. Everyone wins. You get to keep your money and the pickpocket can wipe his tears over the one who got away. I learned this trick in Bolivia and use it every day abroad.

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Festivals & Events

Wear a raincoat during Carnaval

Kerala Taylor

06 Feb 2009

Bolivia

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It doesn't matter if it's raining or not. It doesn't matter where you're going. Always wear a raincoat during Carnaval season in Bolivia -- especially if you can't pass for Bolivian, and most especially if you have blond hair. During this raucous celebration, water balloons abound, and children take particular pleasure in hurling them at unsuspecting gringos. I arrived in Bolivia smack in the middle of Carnaval, and the very first time I ventured into the streets of La Paz, I had an entire bucket of water dumped on my head. It wasn't quite the welcome I was looking for.

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Food

Say farewell to vegetables

Kerala Taylor

09 Feb 2009

Bolivia

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Bolivians are not big on vegetables; meat and starch comprise the bulk of most Bolivian meals. I've never been a big meat eater, and I had to accustom myself to eating meat two to three times per day. My host family's favorite dinner was steak, french fries, and fried eggs. There were some vegetables available: We often started meals with a vegetable-based soup, and occasionally some steamed cabbage found its way onto my plate. But beware: Salads are few and far between.

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Nightlife

Hey, that's my drink!

Jessica Aguirre

06 Jan 2010

Bolivia

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If you go drinking with Bolivians, don't be surprised if a considerable quantity of your beverage ends up on the floor. A common method of alcohol consumption is communal -- three beer glasses among seven people, or two buckets of chicha circulating around a party. Before drinking, it's customary to raise your glass (or gourd) to someone and pour some of your drink out. This bit goes to the Pachamama, the mother earth. If you are in a bar, it's preferred to dip your finger in your drink and flick some out rather than making the floor impassable. Either way, don't mourn the loss; in some instances it could just be what saves you in a marathon Bolivian drinking session.

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Being an American

Finding a neighborhood in La Paz

Sara Shahriari

19 Nov 2009

Bolivia

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La Paz is a big city, and if you're coming here to work or visit for an extended period, it can be hard to decide where to stay. A lot of foreigners choose Sopocachi, for several reasons. It is fairly safe, there are many coffee shops and restaurants that serve international food, it's easy to get around and it's close to many NGO and government offices. Although it's international, it's not a neighborhoods that is choked with tourists or only inhabited by foreigners. The downside is that it's quite expensive by La Paz standards, and definitely is a bit of a rarified world. That said, you can rent a nice apartment for what in the States is considered a bargain, and by using the minibus system get around and see the whole city easily.

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