Green IslandBolivia Prices Part 1
July 9th 2009 22:26
Superlative Bolivia - highest city, highest capital city, poorest South American Nation was a shock after organised Argentina. Suddenly there were no concrete roads, and everywhere old women were waddling around in dozens of colourful layers while balancing top hats on their heads and a babies on their backs.
We had to wait an hour to get an exit stamp from Argentina because the computer broke. While we waited on the bridge, hundreds of people filed past us and entered Bolivia without official recognition.
Villazon on the other side of the bridge is a typical border town trading in everything it seemed except for travellers cheques. We got pointed from one bank to the other back to the street money changing stalls. In the end we changed 800 Argentine Pesos into Bolivanos just so we could escape Villazon.
When we did find a place to change a traveller cheque we got 6.35 Bolivanos to 1 US Dollar. (The rate should be 7). This makes a daily budget of 381 Bolivanos.
Bus from Villazon to Tupiza (15 per person) = 30
Lunch in restaurant next to Villazon bus stand = 32
Travel Tax = 2
Residential Centro in Tupiza (30 per person) = 60
Shop = 24
Restaurant = 35
Horse riding tour (70 per person) = 140
Total = 32 Argentine Pesos 323 Bolivanos = 380 (1 under budget)
Residential Centro = 60
Lunch = 30
Breakfast = 10
Fruit = 6
4 packs of camel = 40
Tip for 14-year old who guided us on our horse trek = 20
Booze, corkscew, water = 60
4 day jeep tour finishing at the Salt Plains near Uyuni (950 per person) = 1,900
Dnner = 22
Total = 2,148 (1,767 OVER BUDGET)
Day 1 of the Tour. All meals, drink and accommodation was paid for.
Hat = 35
Gloves = 20
Total = 55 (326 under budget)
Day 2
We didnt spend a penny
Total = 0 (381 under budget)
Day 3
Big bottle of coke to mix with the viddy we had bought in Tupiza = 13
Total = 13 (368 under budget)
Day 4 End of tour.
Toilet at Salt Plains = 10
Sweater = 80
Hotel Avenida in Uyuni = 60
Tip = 30
Internet and shopping = 28
Dinner = 75
Total = 283 (98 under budget)
Bus from Uyuni to Potosi (25 per person) = 50
Breakfast = 20
Lunch = 20
Kaola Den (35 per person) = 70
This was our first hot showert aftewr the 4 day jeep tour.
Shopping for dinner = 21
Wine = 20
Tea and ciggies = 26
Taxi = 10
A French dude asked me if I had papers and I replied with an inquiry if he had ganja. I had papers and he had stuff so we had our first joint in Bolivia in the highest city in the world.
Total = 237 (144 under budget)
Running Totals
Actually Spent = 3,116 Bolivianos 3,992.8 Argentine Pesos (853.6 Us Dollars & 634 US Dollars)
All together = 1,488 US Dolllars
Budget = 5,772 Argentine Pesos 2,667 Bolivanos (1,560 US Dollars 420 US Dollars)
All together = 1,980 US Dollars
Difference = 492 US Dollars Under budget
Obviously all the bucks we saved cooking our own food in hostels and not travelling too quickly allowed us to absorb the big money hit of 2 jeep tours; and has allowed us to splurge on something in the future.
We had to wait an hour to get an exit stamp from Argentina because the computer broke. While we waited on the bridge, hundreds of people filed past us and entered Bolivia without official recognition.
Villazon on the other side of the bridge is a typical border town trading in everything it seemed except for travellers cheques. We got pointed from one bank to the other back to the street money changing stalls. In the end we changed 800 Argentine Pesos into Bolivanos just so we could escape Villazon.
When we did find a place to change a traveller cheque we got 6.35 Bolivanos to 1 US Dollar. (The rate should be 7). This makes a daily budget of 381 Bolivanos.
22-06-09
Bus from Villazon to Tupiza (15 per person) = 30
Lunch in restaurant next to Villazon bus stand = 32
Travel Tax = 2
Residential Centro in Tupiza (30 per person) = 60
Shop = 24
Restaurant = 35
Horse riding tour (70 per person) = 140
Total = 32 Argentine Pesos 323 Bolivanos = 380 (1 under budget)
23-06-09
Residential Centro = 60
Lunch = 30
Breakfast = 10
Fruit = 6
4 packs of camel = 40
Tip for 14-year old who guided us on our horse trek = 20
Booze, corkscew, water = 60
4 day jeep tour finishing at the Salt Plains near Uyuni (950 per person) = 1,900
Dnner = 22
Total = 2,148 (1,767 OVER BUDGET)
24-06-09
Day 1 of the Tour. All meals, drink and accommodation was paid for.
Hat = 35
Gloves = 20
Total = 55 (326 under budget)
25-06-09
Day 2
We didnt spend a penny
Total = 0 (381 under budget)
26-06-09
Day 3
Big bottle of coke to mix with the viddy we had bought in Tupiza = 13
Total = 13 (368 under budget)
27-06-09
Day 4 End of tour.
Toilet at Salt Plains = 10
Sweater = 80
Hotel Avenida in Uyuni = 60
Tip = 30
Internet and shopping = 28
Dinner = 75
Total = 283 (98 under budget)
28-06-09
Bus from Uyuni to Potosi (25 per person) = 50
Breakfast = 20
Lunch = 20
Kaola Den (35 per person) = 70
This was our first hot showert aftewr the 4 day jeep tour.
Shopping for dinner = 21
Wine = 20
Tea and ciggies = 26
Taxi = 10
A French dude asked me if I had papers and I replied with an inquiry if he had ganja. I had papers and he had stuff so we had our first joint in Bolivia in the highest city in the world.
Total = 237 (144 under budget)
Running Totals
Actually Spent = 3,116 Bolivianos 3,992.8 Argentine Pesos (853.6 Us Dollars & 634 US Dollars)
All together = 1,488 US Dolllars
Budget = 5,772 Argentine Pesos 2,667 Bolivanos (1,560 US Dollars 420 US Dollars)
All together = 1,980 US Dollars
Difference = 492 US Dollars Under budget
Obviously all the bucks we saved cooking our own food in hostels and not travelling too quickly allowed us to absorb the big money hit of 2 jeep tours; and has allowed us to splurge on something in the future.
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