Bolivia: Exploring the South Lipez by Self-Drive (page 2 of 21)

Hi Carmen,

I didn’t quite get how things work at São Paulo airport.

Is it like in the US? Are there any formalities to complete even if you’re just in transit?

Continuation from 07.10.

Lunch at the restaurant La Taverne de l’Alliance Française is delicious. The steaks are rare, just how we asked for them. The little outdoor courtyard, with a few tables in the sun, is really pleasant.

We walk up to the Recoleta Convent. We skip the guided tour—our Spanish is way too limited. The view over the city and the mountains from the viewpoint is gorgeous.





Just below, the small ASUR Museum, Museo de Arte Indígena, is super interesting and lets you see the textile traditions of the region’s different communities, festival costumes, rugs, and a few archaeological pieces. At the entrance, you can ask for a brochure with explanations in French.







The famous Jalq'a fabric

After visiting the museum, we walk down to Biz’s place. We’re greeted by Alejandra. She shows us our rental car, a Toyota Hilux. The car is almost new, with only 20,173 km on the odometer. It has tires with a great tread and two spare tires in very good condition. In the bed, there’s a 60-liter gas can, a shovel, and a large metal trunk for storing luggage. We ask if it’s possible to get extra cans to avoid buying gas from locals in the South Lipez. The mechanics will put three 25-liter cans in the trunk.

We take the time to do the paperwork with Alejandra and set a meet-up for the next morning at 9:30 AM. Before leaving, Alejandra warns us to drive carefully! The rental company’s maximum speed limit is 70 km/h on the Salar and only 20 km/h if there’s water. It’s essential to use the exit ramps. Two cars recently got stuck leaving the Salar to the north. One was there for 24 hours before a local farmer managed to pull it out. She tells us to be careful on rocky trails and watch out for washboarding. This year, two clients broke their car’s shock absorbers. In short, she urges us to drive slowly and take our time.

The San Felipe de Neri church and convent aren’t far from Biz’s place, so we stop by. The inside of the church isn’t worth a visit, but the view from the convent’s terrace is truly stunning.









We have dinner at the Posada restaurant, recommended by Emilie and Julian. The food is good, and the service is impeccable. Then, tired from our long day of sightseeing, we walk up to the Selenita.

The rest is here: https://voyageforum.com/v.f?post=9892187;a=9892187

Hello, 🙂

I didn’t quite understand how things work at São Paulo airport.

Me neither...😉

Is it like in the United States? Are there formalities to complete even if you’re just in transit?

In Zurich, during check-in, they told us we had to collect our luggage, go through a check, and then immediately drop it off on the next conveyor belt. They also mentioned we had to stay in the transit zone.

Our mistake was going through customs. The staff didn’t really speak English, and our Spanish was non-existent. The "connecting flight" sign led us to customs, and the employees kept saying we were in the right place. I even made sure to mention we had a flight to Santa Cruz.

Once we’d passed through customs, we saw there was a passage to the left of customs (before going through) that would’ve let us stay in the transit zone. To be fair, there were so many people everywhere—it was really hard to spot that passage.

Did we actually need to collect our luggage in the transit zone? I can’t say for sure. We were a bit stressed and thought that if we had to go through a check with our bags, they might end up stuck in Brazil. But before boarding, we saw our bags on the cart taking luggage to the plane.

The most important thing is not to leave the transit zone, because if there’s a check, that’s where it’ll happen.

Adrenaline is the traveler's drug. Bernard.

Uhhh, not all of us... A trip without hiccups or logistical problems is great too! But I totally agree with the freedom part!!!

Hi Muriel, 🙂

As far as I’m concerned, it’s actually good news—the cold being one of the main drawbacks for this kind of destination....

Don’t get too excited just yet, 😉 far from all hotels are heated. I’d even say it’s pretty rare. But with the right gear, there’s no problem.

Hi Christine,

Our trip to Bolivia is starting to feel a bit dated, and I’m curious to see if there’s anything new in the Southern Lipez.🙂

I remember your trip—I devoured your travel journal back then!

First off, I notice that Petita is no longer the go-to for self-drive vehicle rentals, and other rental companies have taken over.

This rental company still exists, but it’s been taken over, and the quality and maintenance of the vehicles don’t seem to be top-notch anymore. Finding a reliable 4x4 is still no easy feat in Bolivia.

I also see there’s a lot more info online and more traveler feedback than before.

"A lot" might be a bit of an exaggeration.😉 But you *can* find several travel journals about self-driving in the Southern Lipez now. That said, many of these travelers were in pairs or even multiple cars.

From your initial comments, it sounds like a trip to this region is still a real adventure—and that’s a good thing!

Absolutely, especially if you venture off the routes used by tour operators.

Anyway, I’m looking forward to the rest to see if, like us, you sometimes felt like you were gazing at landscapes from an airplane window!😉

I wouldn’t dare use that phrase in my travel journal.😛

Hi Carmen,

Well, you see, I didn’t know it was possible to arrive in Sucre when entering Bolivia (via Santa Cruz).

Didn’t you want to try arriving at El Alto at 4,200m altitude? Or was La Paz too far from the area you wanted to visit?

I just found out there are also those people dressed up to help pedestrians (mostly school kids, right?) cross the street, like in La Paz. I thought that was really nice.

Anyway, several of you have gone through Biz Rent a Car and had good things to say. In the end, you just have to follow Airone’s travel journal to know who *not* to rent from...

We rush to the Amazonas airline counter where we’re told our 6:30 PM flight is canceled—we’ll only leave at 9:15 PM. 🏴‍☠️We’re devastated; waiting that long in this tiny airport is a real nightmare.

I see Amazonas is still just as unreliable—flights delayed or canceled!!!

Our taxi driver is waiting for us and takes us to Guest House Selenita.

Had you arranged for a driver to meet you? Did you let them know you’d be late?

We buy some mangoes and a chirimoya. This big green fruit with white flesh is delicious.

I haven’t tried the fruit in Chile, but the juice they make from it is absolutely amazing. Once you try it, you’re hooked!!

Cheers.

Hey Bruno,

A trip without hiccups or logistical problems is great too!

Definitely!!! It’s way better with the suit and tie!!!!

Anyway, I’m waiting to hear the rest to see if, like us, you sometimes felt like you were gazing at some landscapes from an airplane window! 😉

So cool!! 😄😄

In the end, you’ve got to follow Airone’s travel journal to know who NOT to rent from...😏

It’s a pattern with him—same thing in Southern Africa 😄

Hi there, 🙂

Well, you see, I didn’t know it was possible to arrive in Sucre when entering Bolivia (via Santa Cruz).

Two airlines (Amazonas and BoA) operate flights between Santa Cruz and Sucre and vice versa, several times a day.

Didn’t you want to try arriving at El Alto at 4,200m altitude? Or was La Paz too far from the area you wanted to visit?

That was indeed our first plan, but flights from Switzerland were cheaper with an arrival in Santa Cruz. Either way, we had to take a domestic flight to Sucre, with a rental from BIZ.

I just found out there are also these people dressed up to help pedestrians (mostly school kids, right?) cross the street, like in La Paz. I thought that was really nice.

Yes, it’s super nice! They helped everyone cross, not just school kids.

Anyway, several of you have gone through Biz Rent a Car and had good things to say about them.

We were really happy we went with them! They take good care of their cars, and for us, who don’t speak any Spanish at all, being able to communicate in French was a huge plus. Even after we got home, I kept in touch with Alejandra via WhatsApp about the election updates.

In the end, you just have to follow Airone’s travel journal to know who *not* to rent from...😏

Exactly.😄

I see Amazonas is still just as unreliable—flights delayed or canceled!!!🤪

Yeah, but according to the owner of Selenita, BoA isn’t any better. That said, with Amazonas, we were always notified by phone and email. There were delays, sure, but the service was still there. You’ll see later with the Sucre-Santa Cruz flight.

Our taxi driver is waiting for us and takes us to Guest House Selenita.

Had you arranged for a driver to meet you? Did you let them know you’d be late?

It was the trusted driver from Selenita who was waiting for us at the airport. We’d requested a taxi when booking our room. To communicate with the owner of Selenita in case of flight issues, we got her mobile number, and we kept in touch via WhatsApp. Unfortunately, our last message arrived too late—the driver was already on his way. It was hard to get Wi-Fi at the airport. Anyway, he waited for us and asked for a small extra fee. It worked out perfectly—we used his services to do our shopping before heading to BIZ and again for the ride to the airport when we left.

Thanks for all this info. I’m waiting for the next part... the most anticipated one: the South Lipez! 😏

Hi Bruno. Yes, it's obvious that a trouble-free trip is more enjoyable. That's exactly why some prefer to travel fully organized, and that's perfectly respectable. However, with organized trips, if there's a problem, you can't resolve anything yourself, so you're forced to just deal with it. Personally, I don't like that much. Bernard.

Hi again Carmen. In a message, you told me: "Why land in Santa Cruz and have to drive all the way to Sucre?" Your photos of Sucre totally convinced me—you were right. Starting from Sucre makes much more sense. Bernard.

Hey Krikri,

Anyway, I’m waiting for the rest to see if, like us, you sometimes felt like you were gazing at certain landscapes from an airplane window! 😉

I know another one who spent his time quoting you to joke around!!

That mistake turned out to be a good thing, since it let us pass near the village of Releave, which is absolutely uninteresting. At least we entertained the women from the village who were washing their laundry in the river not far from the bridge. After the village, we followed the track that runs along the river and joins the main trail—it’s not great, so it’s better to avoid this detour since it doesn’t offer anything major. The landscapes are stunning, sure, and we move "from ridge to ridge, from slope to slope, with surprises at every turn, sometimes feeling like we’re gazing at these landscapes from an airplane window!" (Seriously, who wrote this line?😛)

Hey Diamina,

I know another one who spent their time quoting you to joke around!!

Every time, the royalties land straight in my pocket! 😎😏

See you later [;]

Every time, the royalties land straight in my pocket! 😎😏

Well, if it’s for a good cause, I’ll try to do the same when I tell our next trip’s story... I still don’t know when, though!😏

Hi Carmen, Another trip that promises to be exciting despite the hassles caused by the blockades. I'm off! Jacques

In September, we also had contact with Jean-Louis (Avx) and Anne (Xeta), who were also leaving in October, but one and two weeks after us. We had dinner with Jean-Louis and his friend on our return from the South Lipez and also kept in touch with Anne. It was really nice to communicate with them. Unfortunately, for Anne and her husband, the trip was much more eventful than for us. They bore the brunt of the problems following the elections.

Hi Carmen, it's sweet of you to think of me We got back from our trip to Bolivia almost 3 months ago, and the bitterness is still very much there. Fortunately, it's fading little by little, and I console myself over our mishaps (and our fears) by being glad we left France on October 15th and not the following weekend. Indeed, that gave us a real week of vacation, whereas if we had left a few days later, we would have been stuck for almost our entire holiday....

On election day, the whole country comes to a standstill. Planes are grounded, buses and taxis are banned from circulating, and it's forbidden to drive a private car. There may be a few exceptions, like ambulances, the police, or certain professions. But for us tourists, it was impossible to get permission to drive. We still asked the embassy, and Biz asked for permission at the electoral office. So we had to organize ourselves to be somewhere where we could keep busy during the day without using the car.

Thanks to you, I learned before leaving that tourists wouldn’t be allowed to drive on Sunday, October 20th, the day of the presidential elections. So I planned for us to spend the night of Saturday, October 19th, camping at Laguna Celeste, which is reputed to be very beautiful, to make the most of it the next day and avoid driving on Sunday. The night was terrible despite our sleeping bags (comfort rated for 3°C, extreme for -20°C) because of the cold and the ever-present wind. As a result, on Sunday morning, after attempting breakfast (so hard to boil water at these altitudes 😉) and a short walk around, we finally hit the road toward Laguna Verde. We only came across a few vehicles, all from local agencies. At worst, if we had been stopped, we would have camped on the spot. We don’t regret breaking the driving ban because it allowed us to reach Laguna Verde and thus cover a lot of kilometers and, more importantly, save time on the road 🙂 And in hindsight, when you see how our "vacation" ended, we’re really glad we didn’t "waste" that day (besides, like you, we had our flight to Santa Cruz canceled on the way there; the American Airlines flight was delayed by a day from Miami and moved up by a day on the return, so two days less overall on our trip. But okay, on the way back, we were just happy to get home 😉)

Overall, we only crossed paths with very few people, except at Laguna Hedionda and Chalviri. There were several tour operators at the Hotel Los Flamencos at Laguna Hedionda. But during the day, we didn’t see them. Not many people on the Salar, not many on the road, and generally, not many people in the evening at the accommodations. The only place that really shocked us was Chalviri. We thought we’d sleep there, but everything was fully booked, and we counted about forty jeeps from tour operators on the site. And yet, it was around noon. At the Polques hot springs (Chalviri), there were so many people that we quickly gave up on bathing. Plus, the place didn’t really appeal to us—bathing so close to the track with lodges and restaurants in the background, meh. Yet, this place seems to be popular with many tourists, so it’s up to you.

Like you and your husband, we saw quite a few people at the Hotel Los Flamencos. But no one at Chalviri—we passed through there on Sunday, October 20th 😎

As for the photos, I kept the atmosphere and colors we saw. The colors of the lagoons are often stunning, but some photos you can find online are heavily edited and sometimes oversaturated. The landscapes of the South Lipez are breathtaking; excessive photo editing is completely unnecessary.

I totally agree 🙂 The landscapes and colors are stunning!

Hi Anne,

Looking back, when we see how our "vacation" ended, we’re really glad we didn’t "waste" that day (by the way, we also had our flight to Santa Cruz canceled on the way there—American Airlines flight delayed by a day from Miami and moved up by a day on the return, so two days less overall; but okay, on the way back, we were just happy to get home 😉)

Will you tell us about it? It seems like it’s really best to avoid Bolivia during election periods, right?