Michael: The best and worst of Bolivia

We’re two weeks home now and I’m posting my final entry. I thought it would be fun to do Michael’s “Best and Worst of Bolivia.” (Of course, your experience may vary. Consult your owner’s manual.)
We were hosted in six cities: Santa Cruz, Sucre, Potosi, Cochabamba, La Paz, and Oruro. My favorite city was Sucre. It was small enough to get around on foot and it was interesting and pretty architecturally.
Oruro was a surprising 2nd place. Most folks we met prior to our arrival spoke unfavorably about it, as it was on the high plain, cold at night, and not particularly pretty. But it was compact enough to make foot travel easy and the culture, with its world-famous carnival, made it easy for me to like. There was incredible sculpture on the main road into town. My Spanish skills had improved to the point where I was able to ask for directions and negotiate purchases at the markets.
Potosi was overwhelmed with history. It was founded by the Spanish in 1546 as a mining town, for the incredible deposits of silver under the Cerro Rico (rich mountain) which is the looming backdrop of the city. It was once one of the largest cities in the world, with a population over 200,000. I imagine every visitor is touched by the triumph and tragedy of Potosi’s past.
Cochabamba had the most attractive and pleasant natural setting, with the sweeping arch of mountains around it. My host had a grand, opulent home, and departing was difficult.
La Paz had one of the most interesting settings of any city I’ve ever visited in the world, on a canyon below the Altiplano. It was too big a city for my taste (as was Santa Cruz), but it was a gorgeous sight coming into the city from the canyon rim at night.
Santa Cruz was hot, flat, and crowded, but the people there were great.
The best food was the fresh produce, particularly the fruit juices. We drank more juices that I had never drunk before than I can count or remember. They were all wonderful. The beef was tasty but in many cases too tough to swallow. We were served dozens of varieties of potatoes and all were good. The picante sauce was tongue-scalding!
The nicest gift I was given was a black sombrero at Sucre’s hat factory.
The best fun I had was bicycling down “The World’s Most Dangerous Road,” chronicled elsewhere on this site. It was amazing!
The most surprising thing was the herds of stray dogs that roamed every city.
The most beautiful sight was of one of the volcanic mountains near La Paz, lit by a setting sun on an otherwise overcast evening.
The most frustrating thing was my ongoing struggle to better understand Spanish. By the end of the trip, I could communicate my needs and understand simple requests and instructions. But I was never able to understand Spanish conversations.
The best service opportunity I had was with the team from Rotary Club De Los Charcas, Sucre, as they gave free medical services to the people of the pueblo of Chaco.
The most nerve-wracking experience was walking through the blockade in Sucre. In hindsight, it was not truly threatening. But it was scary nonetheless.
The worst thing I experienced in Bolivia was the public rest rooms. All of them. They were absolutely filthy, disgusting. No toilet seats, no toilet paper… And there were piles of trash seemingly everywhere.
The very best part of the trip was the people. They were warm, cordial, resilient, welcoming, helpful, uninhibited, and fun. There were people I could barely communicate with who, for the warmth and generosity they exuded, I came to adore.