Green IslandBolivia Prices Part 1
July 9th 2009 22:26
Horse back riding in Tupiza
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 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 and 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 travellers' cheque we got 6.35 Bolivanos to 1 US Dollar. (The rate should be 7). As between the two of us we had a budget of $60 a day this made a daily budget of 381 Bolivanos. Running totals for the trip are included at the end of the post.
22-06-09
Tupiza
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)
Tupiza
23-06-09
Tupiza
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, corkscrew, water = 60
4 day jeep tour finishing at the Salt Plains near Uyuni (950 per person) = 1,900
Dinner = 22
Total = 2,148 (1,767 OVER BUDGET)
24-06-09
San Antonio De Lipez
Day 1 of the Tour. All meals, drink and accommodation was paid for.
Hat = 35
Gloves = 20
We were really cold. I got the hand-made llama fur hat and Waka got the llama gloves.
Total = 55 (326 under budget)
25-06-09
Hostal San Marcelo next to Lake Colorado
Day 2
We didn't spend a penny
Total = 0 (381 under budget)
26-06-09
Salt Hotel near the Salt Flats
Day 3
Big bottle of coke to mix with the voddy we had bought in Tupiza = 13
Total = 13 (368 under budget)
Laguna Colorada
27-06-09
Day 4 End of tour
Uyuni
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)
Salar de Uyuni
28-06-09
Potosi
Bus from Uyuni to Potosi (25 per person) = 50
Breakfast = 20
Lunch = 20
Kaola Den (35 per person) = 70
This was our first hot shower afteer 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.
Potosi
Total = 237 (144 under budget)
Running Totals
Actually Spent = 3,116 Bolivianos 3,992.8 Argentine Pesos (853.6 Us Dollars 634 US Dollars)
Total Spent = 1,488 US Dollars
Budget = $1,980
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 still left us some money to splurge on something in the future.
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