For this edition of Kyle’s Weekly Travel Guide, I am taking you out of Europe and into South America. This is the first travel guide about a city that I have never been to, so I am going to be talking about things to do, restaurants, nightlife, etc., in this city that I think that I would go to or try out.
The city for week three of KWTG is the world’s highest capital city in terms of elevation. Sitting at an altitude of 11,893 ft, welcome to:
La Paz, Bolivia
Things to Do
La Paz is an interesting place with much to do. They have many interesting colonial churches and museums, and the nature in Bolivia is otherworldly. Below are some of the things that I discovered in and around La Paz that would be a unique experience than any other travels I have made previously.
Mercado de Las Brujas
The first thing that I discovered while researching things to do in La Paz was The Witches’ Market. It is quite easy to catch your eye when the Google description for this location was a market for “potions and llama fetuses.”
Upon further research, this street features vendors that sell everything from dried frogs, snakes, and turtles, to fortune-telling services. Many of the potions are meant to be “love potions:” basically just a bunch of aphrodisiacs mashed up into a soup traditionally used as Incan Viagra. Oh, and the llama fetuses allegedly bring good luck. Quite the combo to buy before a night out in La Paz.
I’m in.
The Coca Museum
Some of the readers may not be aware, but Bolivia produces almost as much cocaine as its northern neighbor Colombia. It just hasn’t had a drug lord quite like Pablo Escobar to bring its nose beer trade into global prominence.
Trying to tap into some of that sweet, sweet Narco-tourism money that Colombia rolls around in (albeit privately), La Paz’s coca museum provides information on the ancient coca plant and the cocaine produced from it. Rumor has it that the museum even has a stockpile of Coca-Cola that still has coca in it. Might be worth a visit.
Valle de la Luna
If you are traveling to La Paz, odds are you are going to travel to the remote regions of Bolivia due to the spectacular nature that can be found in the country.
Valle de la Luna looks otherworldly, with some very unique rock formations that I cannot remember seeing anywhere else in the world, even on the internet. Might seem like a place worth visiting if you are staying in La Paz and are looking for a day hike.
The Yungas Road
This road is fucked. I am trying to avoid saying “fuck” as often as I can in this travel guide, but this road deserves the f-bomb. Also known as the Road of Death, the Yungas Road is a 60 km road that connects La Paz to Bolivia’s Yungas Region and was built by Paraguayan prisoners in the 1930s.
This switchback road through the mountains features a narrow path, tight corners, and no guardrails to protect drivers from 2,000-foot cliffs. It is also very susceptible to bad weather and natural disasters; fog, landslides, muddy terrain and loose rocks can all impact the road.
At one point, the Yungas road would claim one life per day, with its largest death toll occurring when a 100-seat bus slipped off the cliff, falling 2,000 feet.
Mi Teleferico
The world’s highest urban cable car system is located in La Paz, and it is used as public transportation in the Bolivian capital. When you are trying to get around La Paz, instead of using a subway, you will use cable cars to get around.
The cable car stations and lines are very similar to subway systems, but instead of being underground, you are lifted to short or extreme heights above the city. Seems like a must do in La Paz.
National Museum of Ethnography and Folklore
Apparently, this place is one of the most fascinating museums in the world. Bolivia has a very strong indigenous population and a very diverse one as well. This museum showcases the histories, artifacts and cultures of the many ethnicities that call Bolivia home.
Oh, and the museum is hosted in an old colonial building to emphasize the historical vibe, while also sending a message that colonialism was unsuccessful in eradicating indigenous culture.
Restaurants
La Paz sits high in the Andes Mountains and is full of the rich cuisine inspired by this legendary Mountain Range. The food in La Paz is phenomenal, and when you are there, make sure to try foods such as salteñas, sopa de mani, sandwich de chola, picante mixta, anticuchos (beef heart) and tucumanas. Additionally, Bolivia is also known for their river trout; it is quite good.
Gustu
Gustu was rated as one of the top 50 best Latin American restaurants. Its reviews are amazing, featuring a 5-7 course meal of traditional Bolivian cuisine. Gustu was founded by Claus Meyer, who co-founded five-time #1 ranked restaurant in the world Noma in Copenhagen, Denmark. This is a must try if you travel to La Paz.
Popular
Popular Cocina Boliviana is another high rated restaurant in La Paz. This restaurant is well known for elevating traditional Bolivian food into high-dining quality meals. This restaurant is affordable as well, serving five-star food at three-star prices. Can’t miss.
Mercado Lanza
Mercado Lanza is just one of many street markets in La Paz; and if you want delicious food for dirt cheap, then come here. If you want to travel between markets and stuff yourself full of food for less than $10, then any street market will do the job. The best part? This food will probably be some of the best you will eat in your life.
Los Qñapes
Los Qñapes is probably the middle ground between Gustu and street food. This restaurant has good food and great prices. A favorite of locals, this restaurant will send you back to your hotel happy and stuffed.
Nightlife
La Paz is said to have some of the best nightlife in the world. Bars are usually packed by 11 PM and stay that way until morning. I don’t know about you guys, but that seems better than most places in the world; especially the U.S.. And you’re in Bolivia, the nights should be full of chaos and adventure. In this section, I will be sharing which bars I believe I have the highest chance of dying in.
Diesel Nacional
It really goes without saying that any bar named Diesel, let alone Diesel Nacional (National Diesel), will be an absolute RIP. However, if you are imagining a gritty Reggaeton club with deep bass and rusty walls you are partially incorrect. Diesel Nacional is actually a high class cocktail bar, but decorated with a steampunk vibe.
Gold Classics
This bar only plays music that is 40+ years old. To begin the night, Gold will play 60s and 70s tunes to get the energy moving, and when the booze has been flowing for a while, Gold transitions to 80s music to finish out the night. This bar looks like it has not been remodeled since 1978, so it might be a blast to the past for you older people, and for us that are still young and agile, it could be a new type of place to have a classic bender.
Wave Club
Rated the top club in La Paz, the Wave Club is a great place for music, dancing, and liquor. Although the inside looks like the foyer for a 3 ½-star sushi restaurant, this place does look like a lot of fun. In pictures they seem to feature separated party rooms, and who knows what goes on in those rooms in La Paz? Probably skiing.
London Club
I put this one here solely because the bottle girls wear union jack outfits. Can you imagine walking into a club in La Paz, Bolivia and seeing bodacious latinas dressed in fucking Union Jack lingerie? I don’t know whether I’d leave instantly or stay there forever. Other than that, the club looks fun, and it seems like they have shows along with the music.
Could be the play.
The Dubliner
It’s 4 p.m. in June in La Paz. You and your mates just got back to the city after a long hike through the mountains and are looking for something refreshing to drink for happy hour before dinner. What is the first drink that comes to your mind? Not Guiness. However, the Dubliner is one of the more popular watering holes in La Paz. This makes two Irish Pubs making the travel guide and I haven’t even talked about Ireland.
Hostel Bars
Like any touristy country, hostel bars are a great place to interact with travelers and locals to start your night. However, in La Paz, hostel bars are a different breed. Locals frequent hostel bars, and these bars are some of the cheapest in the city. Most travel sites will tell you not to spend your whole night at hostel bars, and I think that is because you are going to want to.
Safety and Don’ts
This section will probably be the most serious that it has been so far in the travel guides.
Bolivia is still a developing nation, and the side effects of development are enhanced in urban areas. Pickpocketing, theft, and mugging are occurrences here. When out and about, do not flash your valuables or an excessive amount of cash, and when looking for directions, take your phone out in a private establishment; avoid taking it out on the street.
Also, if you are clearly a gringo (like me), avoid speaking English loudly. You do not want to make yourself a target. Also, avoid walking at night, especially alone. If you follow those simple rules, you should be fine.
Additionally, 11,000 feet in elevation is no joke. Walking a few blocks may feel like a wind sprint for the first few days. Make sure to drink plenty of water to try and offset altitude sickness, and wait to plan hikes until a few days into your trip to allow your body to acclimate to the altitude.
Practice some Spanish before you go. Only 50% of Bolivians speak English, so odds are you will have to use Spanish at some point in your trip.
There are several more don’ts. Do not take pictures of the locals; it is not acceptable to take people’s pictures without their permission.
Also, do not drink the tap water; again, developing nations have side effects such as underdeveloped water systems.
And finally, do not allow an “undercover cop” to search you in La Paz. Actual police will typically ignore tourists unless a crime is being committed, so any policeman approaching you unprompted is likely someone trying to rob you.
Getting Around
As mentioned before, Mi Teleferico is a great way to get around La Paz. Additionally, taxis are great as well. Just make sure to agree on a price before you start going, as many taxi drivers will take the long way to drive up your rate.
Uber is also in La Paz, and rates are insanely cheap.
Flying to La Paz can be difficult, and flights will have to connect through Bogotá, Colombia; Lima, Peru; or Santiago, Chile. The only direct flight from the US to Bolivia is from Miami to Santa Cruz de la Sierra, and from there you can get a domestic flight to La Paz.
NOTE: US Citizens traveling to Bolivia will need to obtain a tourist visa.
Language
Bolivians speak Spanish. If you don’t know basic Spanish then figure it out, do I really need to teach you “Hola”, “Sí”, or “Gracias?”
Follow Kyle Slaughter on Twitter @kyledslaughter or Instagram @kyledslaughter