On Location: La Paz, Bolivia

By Gray Shealy

For me, even the sound of “Bolivia” sounded extremely exotic. It was the place where criminals absconded when they wanted to avoid extradition. It was where Robert Redford galavanted off to at the end of Sundance Kid. And as the Bolivian Consulate required a bank statement and a new passport before issuing me a visa…getting there both mentally and physically was quite the challenge.

At 12,000 feet above sea level, it is the world’s highest capital – high enough that many hotels have oxygen tanks available for newly arrived visitors. I was captivated. The city sits ABOVE the airport. Dense clusters of clay-colored buildings rise in a ring around it, and beyond are towering, snow-capped peaks. Locals wear clothing and hats that look uniquely Bolivian (and not the ubiquitous westernized outfits that every other nation dons).

But, I was most captivated by the public transportation system: it’s best done by ski lift, or teleferico. One of ten different lines gracefully and easily transports locals and tourists alike on high above the city, crossing mountains, traverses hillsides, and plummets into the valleys. Never before have I seen such a photogenic view from a city’s transit system. I could have ridden it all day, and I loved that each cab only held a few people, arriving often enough to keep the city reliably moving, but small enough to not feel terribly crowded. I used it everywhere. To do my sightseeing, my market shopping, my hotel hopping, and my feasting at local cafes. 

If only I could have used it to take me across the border and onto my next stop: Peru’s nearby Lake Titicaca. Alas, it would not, leaving me pining for better and more interesting means of transport at the world’s more “advanced” places.

Stay: Atix Hotel

Ride: Mi Teleferico

Eat: Gustu

Photo Credit: Syllogi

Syllogi’s ‘On Location’ is a series of trip reports reflecting on our personal travels, as we research and experience the bounty the world has on offer.