Bolivia is Gorgeous!

fauxman says on Apr 18, 2008, 18:43:

JustoXT,

I'm seeking a potential retirement country. You've spent some time in Bolivia, how high would you rate it as a place to live, not just visit? I'm well travelled, not spoiled by american consumerism, and able to abide simple life styles. How willing are the people to interact with gringos, and what do you foresee the future political climate to be? I would greatly appreciate any thoughts and comments you might have.
Thanks, Fauxman

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JustoXT says on May 2, 2008, 07:48:

Fauxman, very sorry about the lateness of this reply. The notice was sent to my girlfiend"s email, not mine. Plus we have been in the middle of nowhere patagonia for awhile.

But OK, Bolivia as a retirement country;
Bolivia itself is absolutely gorgeous. If you"ve heard anything about it, you have probably heard that it is a country of extremes. That is definately true. It has everything but a beach and some of the most beautiful and surreal scenary I have ever encountered.

As for the living situations, they are some things definately worth pointing out. Let me precede this by reiterating I was there for 3 weeks only, therefore am not an outright expert.
However, starting with La Paz, it is definately worth noting that it is a big city with essentailly everything you could want to find in a big city. It is not, however, on par with say Bogota as far as how well oiled it runs. I would say in comparison of the two, Bogota is more western in this aspect.
There are definately more beggers in La Paz as well, but not an overwhelming amount. The people seem pretty receptive to foreigners and gringos. Of course this does not go across the board, as with anywhere, but we also did, on more than one occasion, get the clear impression that many Bolivians believe all Americans to be quite rich. Of course, living there and knowing people easily shakes off stigmas and what not.

Outside of La Paz there are definately some gorgeous towns that I would absolutely love to live in. Sorrounded by jungle and mountains and amazing beauty of all kinds. Absolutely gorgeous.

As for the cost of living, it is very, very inexpensive. For example, my girlfriend and I had dinner one night in the penthouse level restaurant of a 4 star hotel in the middle of downtown La Paz for a combined total of $9 USD, with tip. The food and service were amazing as well. Top notch.

Also worth noting, the bus service sucks. They break down, get stopped by road blocks (piles of dirt, not people standing there) frequently and almost always leave quite late. On one occassion we had to get off the bus to go ask the driver to leave, as we were an hour behind. He was simply talking to his friends, that was why we had not left. South America Time runs very strong in Bolivia.

Lastly, as I am sure you have heard, Bolivia is in a constant state of protest. While we were there, the President was attempting to ammend the constitution in favor of the indigenous. We had even read (on this website) that 2 police had been hanged in the political capital of the country, Sucre, over this. We heard some accounts of people seeing demonstrations in the streets. However, neither us nor anyone we spoke to ever felt unsafe. We didnt get involved in any protest, of course, but none the less, we felt completely safe while there.


Of course I highly recommend you travel to Bolivia first, as I am sure you will, to get a feel for the place for a significant amount of time. There are nuances that I cant really accurately type out here, such as the world"s most dangerous road and what that really even means. (They have built a new road in part of it, so it is better now, but still I wouldnt take a major bus on it if I had my choice.)


If you have anymore questions, feel free to post them on here. I am back in society now and can frequently check the board.

Ciao

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JustoXT says on May 11, 2008, 16:31:

how long were you there?
where did you go?
what did you do?
why do you feel it is dangerous?


If you are going to post smoething like that, you should explain yourself at least a shred.

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ZeDoCaixao says on May 12, 2008, 10:44:

Sounds like effing paradise.

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arfgoblue says on May 25, 2008, 13:19:

JustoXT,

Assuming you've been to Colombia, how would you compare the prices? Did you go to Santa Cruz? Cheers!

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