A true treasure on Bainbridge Island, the Bloedel Gardens are like the secret garden we all dreamed of when we were small. But this isn’t fiction, it is a real and flourishing place not far from Agate Pass. Here is my post Hidden Gems of the Pacific Northwest – Bloedel Reserve.
History
Long before Virginia and Prentice Bloedel purchased this property in 1951, the Suquamish people were stewards of this land for generations. The Bloedels built their home here, and surrounded themselves with gardens, adding acres through the years.
The Pollinator Meadow
The Japanese Garden
The Rock Garden
For more than thirty years the Bloedels sculpted the landscape and welcomed friends and family to the masterpiece they built. When they no longer could care for the land, they gifted it to the community.
The reserve website says of Mr. Bloedel;
Mr. Bloedel was deeply interested in the relationship between people and the natural world, and the power of landscape to evoke emotions — from tranquility to exhilaration. He was ahead of his time in understanding the therapeutic power of nature and funded early research into the psychological effect of time spent outdoors.
Most trails are accessible and walkable. I visited with my 83 year old mom and she walked, using her walker, without issues through most of the garden.
Tickets
Since Covid, the Reserve has and will continue to be, by timed ticket. Purchase your ticket online ahead of time. Adult tickets are $22 and $25 during peak summer. The Bloedel Reserve is open Tuesday – Sunday year around, but hours change seasonally so check the website. Closed on major holidays.
The Mansion is open to the public
My Mom loved her visit
The mansion
Don’t miss this Hidden Gems of the Pacific Northwest – Bloedel Reserve. A treat for the senses.
See last week’s post Hidden Gems of the Pacific Northwest – Olalla Bay Market. Be sure and join us again next Friday for another Hidden Gem. Thanks for your continued support. We love it when you comment, pin and share our posts.
It’s our second installment of our Hidden Gems of the Pacific Northwest series, where we are discovering hidden gems near to where I live in the summer. I love living in Western Washington in the summer, with beautiful weather and outdoor activities to enjoy. So when we are here, we always enjoy being tourists in our own backyard. So, this blog post series idea was born. I hope you enjoy it. Our second installment of Hidden Gems of the Pacific Northwest –Rodeo Drive-In in Kitsap County.
Hidden Gems of the Pacific Northwest – Rodeo Drive-In
A Walk Down Memory Lane
When I was in high school in the 1970s, going to the drive-in on a date or with girlfriends was very common. In the county I grew up in there were three choices of drive-in theaters and we frequented them all. But mostly we went to either the Kitsap Lake Drive-In or to the Rodeo Drive-In. My future husband and I (he was 16 and I was 15) saw several movies there as young teens, including The Way We Were in 1975. I also remembering seeing The Omen with a girlfriend in 1976 and having nightmares after.
There were many more fun times at the drive-in as a child of the 1960s and 1970s. But it had been decades since I had gone to a drive-in movie.
Screen Two
Me
Concessions were delicious and inexpensive
History of The Rodeo Drive-In
The original Rodeo Motor Movies was opened in 1949, with the capacity of 600 cars. It was the first in the county with two others coming along shortly after, Kitsap Lake and Big Bear.
The Rodeo was sold in 1977 and Kitsap Lake was closed. In 1978, second and third screens were added to The Rodeo as well as a new concessions building and ticket entrance. In 1986, the Rodeo Drive-In was sold to Jack and Cindy Ondracek. The Big Bear Drive-In closed in 1994, and the Rodeo became the only outdoor theater in the Kitsap County area.
Yep that’s us in 1975
Not The Rodeo but a look back at the olden days (Canva)
Today’s Rodeo Drive-In
Back in the day, the Rodeo Drive-In was way out in the boonies (as we used to say), but today with all the growth in the region, my home is only a ten minute drive away. Over the last few summers we have talked about checking it out, but it never happened until now.
The Rodeo Drive-In is open year ’round except on July 4th. It offers first run movies at all three screens for a budget price of $12 adults, $7 for seniors (55 and older!) and kids under 12; children under 5 are free. The theater does a great job giving a nostalgic vibe and we really enjoyed seeing The Little Mermaid.
The Rodeo Drive-In website says;
“Today, with 3 screens and a total car capacity of about 1,000, the Rodeo is the largest outdoor theater complex north of California, and by far the largest and oldest family-owned drive-in in the Northwest. Other drive-ins in our state include the Blue Fox Drive-In (Oak Harbor/Whidbey island), the Wheel-In Motor Movie (Port Townsend), the Skyline Drive-In (Shelton) and the Auto-Vue Drive-In (Colville)… all family-owned with unique personalities.
Nationally, about 400 drive-ins remain in the US, accounting for about 900 outdoor screens.
Drive-in theaters are special places, with a nostalgic atmosphere that few events offer. Every one is unique, reflecting the personalities of the owners and staffs, and the communities they serve.”
Delicious treat
Cozy and comfy
The Little Mermaid
Hidden Gems of the Pacific Northwest – Rodeo Drive-In
We had a wonderful Sunday evening at the Rodeo. It was a fun way to see a current film, while reminiscing about our youth. I highly recommend Hidden Gems of the Pacific Northwest – Rodeo Drive-In. Check it out soon.
We love it when you comment, pin and share our blog posts. Thank you. Visit us next Friday for another installment of Hidden Gems of the Pacific Northwest.
Today we begin a series of short posts over the next couple of months, where we will discover hidden gems near to where I live in the summer months. I love living in Western Washington in the summer, with beautiful weather and outdoor activities to enjoy. So when we are here in the summer, we always relish being tourists in our own backyard. So, this blog post series idea was born. I hope you enjoy it. Our first installment of Hidden Gems of the Pacific Northwest – Rhododendron Species Garden.
A Long Wait
For decades I have said I would visit the Rhododendron Botanical Species Garden in Federal Way Washington. I would think this every time I drove by the directional sign on Interstate Five. But, as is often true in our own hometowns, it just never happened. So, finally, we made a point to visit. And what a great treat it was! A true Hidden Gem of the Pacific Northwest – Rhododendron Species Garden.
So Much More Than Rhododendrons
The gardens were much bigger than I was expecting, 22 acres of not just a fascinating collection of Rhododendrons, but a wide variety of beautiful plants of all kinds. Native plants from the Pacific Northwest as well as wonderful flowers, shrubs, trees from around the world. There is also an indoor conservancy with warm weather plants that are fascinating. Around the gardens you can enjoy an Alpine Rock Garden, a Stumpery, The Pond and Poppy Meadow and a Woodland Garden. All easy to enjoy on meandering trails and beautiful in all seasons, but especially in spring and summer.
Pacific Bonsai Museum
This wonderful space is also home to the fascinating Pacific Bonsai Museum. This was unexpected for us, and we really enjoyed the wide display of bonsai, some more than 100 years old. Fascinating. We had a chance to talk with one of the curators and she said they have fifty on display at any given time (year-round) and another hundred in storage. They switch them out seasonally. How cool is that? So I definitely need to go back and check it out in the fall.
Visit
The Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden is open Tuesday – Sunday from 10am to 4pm. Closed on major holidays. Entrance is $8 and entrance to the Pacific Bonsai Museum is by donation. Check both websites for special events, speakers and plant sales.
We’ve visited many of the lovely cities of the south over the years, from Charleston to New Orleans, Williamsburg to Memphis. But for some reason we have spent almost no time at all in the state of Georgia. So on our return to the USA this time, we decided to start in Georgia. I’m so glad we did. Five fabulous days in Atlanta and four fabulous days in Savannah. Both cities are full of amazing history, great food, friendly people, and lots to see and do. Georgia on My Mind – Southern Charm and So Much More. Here are our recommendations.
Jasmine in Bloom all over! So Lovely.
Atlanta
One of the only major American cities we had never visited, we arrived wanting to see as much as possible in this historic place.
Centennial Park Atlanta
Martin Luther King and Civil Rights
MLK National Historic Park is Atlanta’s top tourist attraction and it’s free! We visited this moving and inspiring site on two different days. The first day we visited Ebenezer Church where King preached as did his father. We also visited the beautiful memorial area where both Martin and his wife Coretta’s tombs are.
Ebenezer Baptist Chuch
Tombs for Martin and Coretta
On the second day we walked back to the site along Auburn Street because we wanted to take in all the historic markers. The markers are really well done and informative as you walk through the formerly segregated neighborhood of Sweet Auburn.
The carriage MLK’s coffin was carried in
After the walk we visited the MLK museum which was so good, and actually made me cry. We walked by the home where he was born and lived until he was twelve. We did not tour the home, you need to reserve that in advance.
Bus Tour
There are many options for a bus tour, which for us was a good way to get a feel for the lay of the city on our first day. Our tour took us to the Ebenezer Church, through multiple interesting and beautiful neighborhoods, to Beltway Park and to the Ponce City Market. We had lunch at Ponce, which is a really cool food court and gathering place inside the former historic location of the Sears and Roebuck Company.
The Ponce Center, former Sears and Roebuck
Centennial Park
Very close to our hotel, The Hyatt Place, is Centennial Park. Centennial Park is home to the giant Ferris Wheel, The Georgia Aquarium, the World of Coca Cola and the National Center for Civil and Human Rights. Centennial Park is also part of the Olympic Grounds from 1996 and the location where the bombing took place. We highly recommend the the National Center for Civil and Human Rights which takes the MLK story farther and covers civil and human rights around the world. Don’t miss it. On the other hand we felt the World of Coca Cola was not worth the $25 entrance fee. Parts of it were interesting, but, meh.
National Center for Civil and Human Rights
The World of Coca Cola
Atlanta Botanical Gardens
Of course I loved this because as you know I love to visit botanical gardens around the world. The Atlanta Botanical Gardens are pretty compact, have a lot of natural areas as well as manicured gardens and include a children’s garden and a vegetable garden. Currently it is also home to a temporary exhibit of Thomas Dambo troll sculptures which we absolutely love his work.
Thomas Dambo at Atlanta Botanical Gardens
Atlanta Botanical Gardens
Atlanta Braves
We are on a quest to visit MLB Ballparks around the USA, so we made time to take in an Atlanta Braves game at the beautiful Truist Park. Truist Park is surrounded by The Battery, an area of restaurants, shops, bars and condos. We enjoyed dinner before the game.
Atlanta Braves
The Carter Center
Another quest in our USA travels is to visit as many Presidential Libraries as possible. The really amazing Carter Center, home to the Jimmy Carter Library, was our 8th Presidential Library. I learned a lot about the work the Carter Center does around the world as well as great history about our 39th President.
The Carter Center
The Carter Center
Famous Foods
Well, Atlanta is all about the Southern Comfort food – not always the healthiest, but definitely delicious. Our best meal was at Virgil’s Gullah Kitchen. You must eat here when in Atlanta. We had one fine dining meal at Lure, really delicious seafood and local southern service. On one of our long walk days we stopped in for Chicken and Waffles at the Atlanta Breakfast Club. We also enjoyed BBQ at Fox Brothers BBQ. Very greasy but an Atlanta institution (since 1928) is the Varsity Drive In…the largest drive-in in the world.
Clams at Lure
Chicken and Waffles at The Atlanta Breakfast Club
BBQ at Fox’s
The Varsity Drive In
Shrimp & Grits at Virgils
And Also Don’t Miss
We visited two amazing hotels that we learned about from our Bus Tour Guide; The Marriott Marquis has the most astonishing lobby…definitely worth stopping in to see. We also took the elevator to the 73rd floor observation deck of The Westin Peach Tree Plaza. What a view!
The view from the top of the Westin
lobby at the Marriott Marquis
Savannah
Not sure why we had never made it to Savannah before, but I knew it was a beautiful and very walkable city.
Savannah River Walk
Walking Tour
Our friends from Charleston drove over to spend a couple days with us in Savannah. We started our visit with a self guided walking tour. Using GPSmyCity we walked all over the beautiful historic area learning about historic sites, mansions, people and parks. Savannah is home to 22 parks or “squares”, as well as hundreds of monuments, statues and historic markers. The architecture of the city is wonderful and almost like walking through a movie set (which it has been many times, notably for Forrest Gump). I loved it.
So many parks and monuments
So many churches
Owens Thomas Mansion and Slave Quarters
Well worth seeing is the Owens Thomas House and Slave Quarters. Built in 1819, the tours look at the life of the enslaved during this 1800’s. Their website says;
Our tours focus on the art, architecture, and history of the home through the lens of slavery. Visitors will experience an inclusive interpretation of not only the wealthy families that inhabited this home for a span of over 100 years, but of also the enslaved people who lived and labored here.
Owen Thomas House
Slave Quarters at Owen Thomas House
Telfair Museums
The Telfair Museums run the Owens Thomas House (above) and also run two other museums that we visited. The Telfair Academy houses houses nineteenth- and twentieth-century American and European art in an neoclassical historic home built in 1819.
Telfair Academy
The Jepson Center is a modern architectural building and home to a collection of modern art and changing exhibits.
“The stunning live oak lined avenue beckons visitors to Wormsloe State Historic Site, whose abundant cultural and natural resources have been, and continue to be, shaped by the influences of the many inhabitants of the Isle of Hope through the centuries including those of Native American, African, and European descent.“
Live Oak Entrance at Wormsloe
Wormsloe
We enjoyed several hours in this parking, hiking through the quiet forests, bird watching and enjoying the beautiful weather.
Savannah Riverboat Cruises
On our final day in Savannah we enjoyed a sunny tour aboard the Georgia Queen with Savannah Riverboat Cruises. Thankful for the perfect weather, we sat on the open air top level and enjoyed the narrated one and half hour tour along the Savannah River. I highly recommend this when in Savannah.
Georgia Queen Riverboat
Riverboat Tour
Where to Eat
I didn’t realize what a popular destination Savannah is, and so missed the opportunity to get reservations at some of the more well known restaurants. That said we had some outstanding meals (and one mediocre, at Common) during our visit. We enjoyed The Ordinary Pub, located “under” the city and popular for local southern specialties and pub fare. We had a fantastic meal at Fleeting, located in a newly developed river front location a short walk from the historic area. And our final meal was at The Pirates House, operating as an inn since 1753 and serving up low country fare and great service.
Fleeting
The Ordinary Pub
The Pirates House
Since I had to have some Pecan Pie before we left Savannah we also visited the Pie Society. Don’t miss it. Leopold’s Ice Cream is really popular…but I was unwilling to stand in an hour long line for ice cream…but it must be good because lots of people do every day.
Pie Society
Leopold’s line for ice cream
Georgia On My Mind – Southern Charm and So Much More
We loved our time in this beautiful state and highly recommend a visit to Georgia. You will find friendly people, excellent food, astonishing history and gorgeous scenery, Georgia On My Mind – Southern Charm and So Much More.
I’m breaking my normal rule for this island…if you only go to the beach I think it’s okay. Because the beaches here are world-class. Turquoise blue and so ridiculously warm. There are some other things to do on this island, but the beaches are the big draw and it’s no surprise. But if you do drag yourself away, here are a handful of suggestions for Barbados Beaches and Beyond.
Worthing Beach
Barbados
The island was uninhabited when first settled by the British in 1627. African slaves worked the sugar plantations established on the island, which initially dominated the Caribbean sugar industry. By 1720, Barbados was no longer a dominant force within the sugar industry, having been surpassed by the Leeward Islands and Jamaica. Slavery was abolished in 1834. The Barbadian economy remained heavily dependent on sugar, rum, and molasses production through most of the 20th century. The gradual introduction of social and political reforms in the 1940s and 1950s led to complete independence from the UK in 1966. In the 1990s, tourism and manufacturing surpassed the sugar industry in economic importance. Barbados became a republic on 30 November 2021, with the former Governor-General Sandra MASON elected as the first president. Source CIA.gov
Chamberlain Bridge
Beaches
The best beaches are on the West facing side of the island. From the ritzy Sandy Lane in the northwest to Miami in the SW, the white sand and crystal blue water is amazing. The east side of the island you will find a very different kind of beach, with big waves and fast current. Surfers like it at Bathsheba, but only experts should hit the surf here. We enjoyed Carlisle Beach, Rockley Beach and Worthing Beach.
Worthing Beach
Bathsheba Beach
Rockley Beach Boardwalk
Bridgetown
The capital and largest city on the island, Bridgetown was founded in 1628 by the British. The historic core and garrison are a UNESCO World Heritage site. The once glorious colonial charm is faded and crumbling, but the town is worth a walk-about. Guided tours are available, but we used GPS My City and did a self-guided walk, hitting the highlights of the former colonial town. Don’t miss Savannah Race Track with horseracing on Saturday. Chamberlain Bridge is a perfect photo spot. We found the Screw Dock interesting and the Saint Michael’s Cathedral beautiful. The Parliament Buildings are also well preserved. We walked Swan Street to see the local people going about their daily business of shopping and marketing.
St. Michael’s Cathedral
Screw Dock – how they used to lift the ships out for repair
Island Tour
It’s actually hard to rent a car for only one day, but we managed to find a place and spent one entire day touring the island. Our favorite things on this tour day were Hunte’s Garden and Saint Nicholas Abbey Plantation and Distillery. Hunte’s Garden is a beautiful compact botanical garden built in and around an ancient collapsed cave. Years of work has created a fabulous garden paradise. Saint Nicholas Abbey is a 350 year old plantation which is still a private home and operating rum distillery. It was beautiful and interesting. Both I recommend highly. We also enjoyed the views from above the Flower Animal Cave and the upscale neighborhoods in the Saint Charles and Sandy Lane stretch of coast.
Hunte’s Garden
Saint Nicholas Abbey
Sandy Lane
Food and Drink
Our week went by quickly and we only ate out a couple of times. We did find two really good restaurants in the Rockley Beach area as well as a Microbrewery near the town of Oistins. If you spend time on the south west coast be sure to check out;
Tapas – We enjoyed a late afternoon lunch here with a beautiful view and delicious food with a Mediterranean twist.
Tapas in Rockley
Naru – Our final night we splurged on a really nice dinner here again with a beautiful view, great service and an Asian twist.
Naru in Rockley
Dreadhop Brewery – just outside of Oistins this very American microbrewery had great beer and great prices.
Dreadhop in Oistins
Worthing Square Gardens is a food truck garden, very popular and inexpensive options.
Oistins Bay Garden is a very popular place to eat, where you can walk around and choose from dozens of outdoor fish fry eateries. We did not eat here but it was busy and looked like fun.
Oistins Bay Garden
Barbados Beaches and Beyond
But if you only want to go to the beach…well, I think that’s okay too. It’s a small island, just sit back, relax and enjoy Barbados Beaches and Beyond. Learn more about this shining island at Visit Barbados.
When I was in grade school, one of my favorite subjects was Social Studies. I loved learning about cultures from faraway lands, the history, costumes, traditions, and way of life. Although I didn’t know it at the time, this interest at a young impressionable age would become a lifelong obsession – to learn and understand the meaning of life for peoples of the world. And this is how it came about for A Very Big Bolivian Adventure.
Llama – for wool, for food, for transport
In fifth grade, one of my favorite teachers, Mrs. Guerske, introduced our class to a Social Studies unit on Bolivia. I was beyond fascinated as I spent hours reading and looking at the photos of the hard-scrabble life of the Andean people. For decades after, Bolivia was filed away in my mind as a destination I needed to see.
Bollivian woman with baby llama
A Very Big Bolivian Adventure
And so it was in year seven of The Grand Adventure we made our way to Bolivia and A Very Big Bolivian Adventure. You might be surprised to learn that Bolivia is one of the world’s fastest emerging tourism destinations. However, the Covid period took a toll on tourism in the fragile country. As tourism rebuilds, Bolivia is currently experiencing serious economic problems and political unrest due to low pay and political dissension. During our visit we witnessed countless protests and strikes and a lack of access to US dollars available in the banks. For the most part these things did not affect our visit, except in one serious case which I will elaborate on below.
Vicuna are like llama and alpaca, but are the only ones of the three that have not been domesticated, making their wool very valuable.
Intrepid Travel
We wanted to cover a lot of territory in Bolivia, and didn’t feel confident to handle those logistics as independent travelers in this country. So we took a recommendation from a fellow full-time traveler and booked our tour with the highly regarded Intrepid Travel. I have absolutely nothing bad to say about Intrepid, and particularly our guide Wendy, who made this tour the once in a life time experience it was. She is amazing.
With Wonder Woman Wendy from Intrepid Travel
The Group Day One
Our ten day tour began in La Paz (see our post Living in the Sky – La Paz Bolivia), where we met the 10 other guests who would be traveling with us. The weirdest coincidence though, eight of the twelve guests are from the greater Seattle area. What are the chances?
Perfect Travel Companions
It’s rare we travel in a group, or even with a guide, but as I said before, this country warrants it. In the past we have had some group tours where there is always that one difficult person…the complainer or the whiner. Not this group. These people were outstanding, adventurous, educated, fun and well-traveled. I now consider each and every one a friend.
Variety is one of the main attractions for visitors to Bolivia
Highlighting the Good, the Bad and the Ugly
We covered 1800 km (1100 miles) during our ten day tour. It was a lot of driving. And we saw some incredible things. I can’t possibly talk about it all, so I am choosing to give you the highlights – the good, the bad and the ugly. So here we go;
Day Two La Paz to Uyuni
We took a private and comfortable bus for what should have been an eight hour drive to Uyuni. Our guide Wendy had told us there was a possible teacher strike that may block the road, but we were proceeding anyway. After a pleasant and uneventful six and a half hours we came to a roadblock. Not teachers however. It was a protest regarding the lithium miners demands for more of the profit from lithium extraction in the salt flats. Learn more about it here.
While we waited at the road block, we saw how quinoa is grown. I was fascinated by this. Quinoa is an important crop for Bolivia.
The road block was actually two – one where we came to a stop and another 20 mile ahead. There was no getting through. We waited for two hours and when it became clear the protestors had no intention of opening the road, Wonder Woman Wendy went to work. She contacted the 4-wheel drive operators in Uyuni on the other side of the two road blocks. Using their vehicles they came to us off-road through the desert. It took them two and half hours to reach us. When they were close we unloaded our bags from the bus, walked solemnly and quietly through the strikers per instructions from Wendy. There was some concern they might harass us but they did not.
Once we got through the strikers, suddenly the 4-wheel drive vehicles appeared, the drivers threw our bags on top, we jumped in and were off, no headlights into the bush. It was another two hours through the desert to reach Uyuni. I was never so grateful to see a bed. Wendy ordered pizza for everyone but it was midnight and I was beat. No pizza for me.
I snapped a quick photo as we crossed the strikers after dark
A side note – this road block continued through the next day. Anyone traveling on their own or in the larger regular express busses that make their way between La Paz and Uyuni had to sit there for two days.
Day Three Happy to be Here
As a result of most people still being stuck on the road, on this day we saw few tourists. Today was the Bolivian Salt Flat day, the raisin de ‘etra of our tour. And after last night, we were looking forward to some fun.
This day was warmer than I expected, in fact hot, so all of our cold weather clothes we have been hauling around the world just for this experience went back into the suitcase.
Gorgeous.
The massive Bolivian Salt Flats are the largest salt flats in the world. I had to keep reminding myself it was not snow. Everything about it confuses your brain. It’s bright and white and stretches as far as you can see. Google says ;
Salt for as far as the eye can see; this pedestal is made of salt blocks
Salar de Uyuni, amid the Andes in southwest Bolivia, is the world’s largest salt flat. It’s the legacy of a prehistoric lake that went dry, leaving behind a desert like, nearly 11,000-sq.-km. landscape of bright-white salt, rock formations and cacti-studded islands. Its otherworldly expanse can be observed from central Incahuasi Island. Though wildlife is rare in this unique ecosystem, it harbors many pink flamingos. ― Google
And some fun….
All the local guides have learned to have fun with the photo opportunities the flat and endless salt plain provides and we had a fascinating day.
Incahuasi Island
Despite how incredible the endless salt flats were, the unexpected outcrop known as Incahuasi Island was beyond anything I could have imagined. Absolutely stunning to find this cactus-covered rock protruding from the miles and miles of white.
Incahuasi Island
Incahuasi Island
Salt Hotel
We ended this remarkable day at one of several salt hotels. These structures are made from salt blocks cut from the flats. People have been known to lick the walls just to be sure…I declined but it was a fascinating and also very rustic place to sleep for one night.
Salt Hotel
Day Four Pretty in Pink
We traveled away from the salt flats and into the Altiplano and enjoyed views of volcanoes in every direction we looked. The road was long as we rose higher and higher but we stopped often for photos and potty breaks. But the most scenic part of this day were several stops we made to see the flamingoes. Bolivia is home to several kinds of flamingoes who do not migrate but live permanently in this region feasting on the red-hued algae abundant in the volcanic lakes. Who doesn’t love seeing a pink flamingo in the wild?
Pink Algae and Pink Flamingoes
Pretty in Pink
As we finished this day we reached our highest altitude for the trip, and also the highest altitude I have ever been at on earth… 16,100 feet above sea level. And we felt it with every step we took.
Our accommodations on this night were rustic dorm style but the view from the dining area was other-worldly.
That view. Wow.
Day Five – The Ugly
Was it something I ate or the altitude? I doubt I will ever know. But the ugly reared its head in the middle of the night and I was very sick; diarrhea, bloating, chills, headache and unable to breath. Unfortunately this was a ten-hour-drive day in the 4×4. My car mates and my husband and of course Wonder Woman Wendy did everything possible to see to my comfort as I slept and moaned through the day. Arne did manage to take a few photos of some of this day’s scenery. I was so relieved to arrive back to our hotel in Uyuni. Please note – Wendy was monitoring my oxegen level and if necesary, would have evacuated me if I was in danger.
Grand Canyon of the Altiplano
Day Six – Potosi
We took a bus to Potosi, a silver mining town in the hills of Bolivia. Although I still felt sick I was at least upright. I attempted to go on the silver mine tour with group but bailed at the last minute and went back to the hotel. The next day however I did enjoy the really well done National Mint, a museum of mining and silver known as the Casa Nacional de Moneda.
The National Mint Museum
The National Mint Museum
Day Seven to Nine – Sucre
Another bus; this day to Sucre. Both Sucre and La Paz are considered capitals of Bolivia, it’s a strange system. Wikipedia says;
“La Paz was established as the seat of government for the legislative and executive branches, while Sucre retained the seat of the judicial branch of the Bolivian government. To this day, Sucre remains the only official capital of Bolivia, but La Paz is considered by many as the de facto capital.“
Hiking
Sucre is a more modern, colonial city compared to La Paz. It is flatter and very beautiful. We enjoyed a fantastic hike outside the city on a portion of the Inca Trail. I was so glad I was up to doing that, even though I still wasn’t 100% myself. One of my favorite things we did.
Our group on the Inca Trail
Inca Trail and great views
Wonderful day
Mercado
Sucre has a large and colorful mercado which we toured and learned from Wendy a lot about the products of Bolivia and the way of life for the people of the mercado.
Such colorful fruit
Bread and other carbs is a big part of the diet
History
The Textile Museum Museo de Arte Indigena, was a fascinating story of the indigenous textiles of Bolivia. I am always interested in textiles and I am so glad we took time to do that on our own. I also was able to purchase a small and beautiful item made by a local women to take home as a souvenir.
The little beauty I bought
Local women creating another masterpiece
We visited the dinosaur footprint park, Parque Cretacico, which was honestly far more interesting than I expected. A cement manufacturing company scouring the mountain for raw material stumbled upon the dinosaur footprints estimated to be 68 million years old. This is the largest collection of dinosaur footprints in South America with over 5000 prints of at least ten different species. The tectonic uplift of the former lake bed creates this strange and eerie phenomenon, so it appears as if the dinosaurs walked up the side of the mountain like a gecko might today. The limestone face of the wall secures the footprints for eternity. Fascinating.
Walking where dinosaurs once roamed
On our final night in Sucre – our Very Big Bolivian Adventure was coming to an end. We celebrated together as one of our group was leaving in the morning, while the rest of us boarded a flight in the morning back to La Paz.
The best travel partners…and Wonder Woman too
Farewell
Over the ten days we have grown close with our new friends as we all endured the joys and hardships of a ten-day overland tour of Bolivia. Back in La Paz we said our farewells, enjoyed one final dinner together, and thanked our amazing guide Wendy for her incredible guidance during A Very Big Bolivian Adventure. Then it was time to reorganize our bags once again for our next destination.
Volcanoes everywhere
Bolivia is truly a remarkable, beautiful and culturally rich place, despite some issues it is dealing with. I want the best for the wonderful people we met, and all those we didn’t. I hope for better relations between the USA and Bolivia, and I hope more visitors will come to experience the color, culture and geology of this extraordinary country.
I wish I could tell Mrs. Guerske how I have fulfilled this lifelong dream. Viva Bollivia! Gracias.
We spent a week in La Paz Bolivia recently, purposely planing a long visit to give us time to acclimate to this city in the sky. La Paz was our jumping off point for an overland Bolivian tour. And at 11,893 feet (3625 meters) we knew we needed to take our time. And we have the time, so we spent 8 lovely days Living in the Sky – La Paz Bolivia.
Welcome to La Paz
Altitude Sickness
The last time we spent time at this kind of altitude was 13 years ago when we arrived in Cusco Peru (elevation 11,152 feet/3399 meters) to do the 5 day Inca Trail Hike. Before leaving home our doctor had given us some prescription meds to help with altitude sickness. In hindsight, the extreme nausea, diarrhea, and dizziness I experienced in Cusco (enough to bring a doctor to our hotel room) I believe was due to those meds.
San Fransisco Cathedral – main gathering place for people and pigeons alike
So this time we decided to not take any medicine. Instead we planned a long acclimation period, drank a ton of water, gatorade, tea and coffee, and did not drink any alcohol. We ate very light meals and allowed ourselves plenty of sleep. After just two days, we felt rested and no adverse symptoms, other than just a light headache and a bit of breathlessness.
Huyuani Potosi one of several peaks in the distance
We also think spending a week in Mexico City (7349 feet/ 2240 meters) probably helped as a stepping stone to Living in the Sky – La Paz Bolivia.
But still a bit muddled…
I will say however, our brains were a bit muddled the whole time. My husband Arne who serves as our CFO on the grand adventure could never quite get the exchange rate correct in his head. And me, the COO, could not get the dates straight…which resulted in us thinking our tour was beginning a day earlier than it actually was. Or maybe we are just getting old…
With my partner in crime on the gondola
Living in the Sky – La Paz Bolivia
La Paz is the highest major city in the world. It was founded by the Spanish in 1548, but long before that time the indigenous Aymara and Quechua people and before them Inca people inhabited the region. Throughout what is now La Paz, El Alto, and surrounding area, archeologists have found sites of the aboriginal tribe Tiwanaku that had existed for at least 1500 years (there is a lot of intense debate of these dates see below).
El Alto hangs on the cliff
When the Spanish arrived, they created “a commercial city, lying on the main gold and silver route to the coast. The Spaniards came for the Bolivian gold found in the Choqueapu River that runs through present-day La Paz. The Spaniards took the gold mines away from Aymara people and made them work as slaves. The primarily male Spanish population soon mixed with the indigenous people, creating a largely mestizo, or mixed, population.” Source Wikipedia.
Climate and Geology
The climate here is odd. It is tropical at 16 degrees south, the same as Tahiti French Polynesia. However the altitude in La Paz at 12,000 feet has both a rainy and a dry season but the high temperature throughout the year only varies between about 54F and 58F. It’s quit distinctive, and unlike any climate we have been in before.
The city is built on unconsolidated glacial deposits
The area around La Paz is made up of a sandy, loamy, glacial like soil…very unstable. The city is built on unconsolidated glacial deposits from the past ice age through which Choqueyapa River has cut to form the steep sided canyon. Because of high rainfall, unconsolidated sediment, and steep slopes landslides are a common occurrence in La Paz.
Beautiful, Surprising, Huge, Cultural and Delicious
We planned a week, thinking most of that I would be sick, but since we acclimated easily we had lots of time to enjoy this fascinating city. I’m embarrassed to say I had no idea what a beautiful place it is. So once we realized we had a lot of extra time, we planned an itinerary to see the most that we could. We had warmer weather than we expected too, so everyday we got outside and explored. The area known as La Paz is actually two cities. La Paz sits in the valley and snakes out and up in all directions from the original site on the river. Population of La Paz is 900,000. The city of El Alto sits on the mountain plateau above La Paz and stretches as far as the eye can see. This is the location of the international airport, Manuel Márquez de León International Airport, the highest international airport in the world. El Alto has a population of 1,100,000.
Traditional and Modern share the city
Here are our suggestions for how to enjoy Living in the Sky – La Paz Bolivia.
The Gondolas
One of the most surprising things we found on arrival in La Paz was the outstanding gondola transit system. Mi Teleferico is the largest gondola system in the world. This rare, well planned, people-mover is designed not for tourists, but as a way of moving the more than 2 million residents around this mountain region. Wikipedia says – “Mi Teleférico, also known as Teleférico La Paz–El Alto, is an aerial cable car urban transit system serving the La Paz–El Alto metropolitan area in Bolivia. As of October 2019, the system consists of 26 stations along ten lines: Red, Yellow, Green, Blue, Orange, White, Sky Blue, Purple, Brown, and Silver.”
Gondola view
It is clean, efficient, fun and cheap costing only about 40 cents (USD) per ride. It is not designed to make money, rather to eliminate street traffic, connect areas of the region and provide the people an efficient and inexpensive way to navigate the two cities. About 150,000 people use the system everyday.
The views from the Gondola in El Alto
We took the time to ride all the lines during our visit, just for fun and for the views. Seeing this wonderful city from above really gives you an appreciation for the ingenuity and population. I highly recommend it when visiting La Paz and El Alto. The views are spectacular.
Guided Walking Tour
Using Get Your Guide we connected with the local tour company of Hanaqpacha Travel to spend three hours with a local guide walking and learning about the city. Our guide Fernando and Jenny, a guide in training, were excellent. Great English, very knowledgeable and fun to be with.
Street scene La Paz
We explored many of the historic areas, learned about local historic figures and past violence and troubles. We learned to navigate the cable car, got insight into the two cities, the markets, and Cholita women.
Good Luck doll where women ask Pachamama for wealth, jobs, romance etc. in the Witches Market
The Witches Market
One of the most intriguing things we did was explore the Witches Market. This area of shops is where dozens of local women sell curious, obscure and strange items from llama fetuses to dried herbs and talismans that are a part of the Aymara rituals and spirits world. After hundreds of years of the Catholic Church suppressing the Aymara way of life, in recent decades these ancient customs have been allowed to come out of hiding. They never stopped these rituals; they just had to keep them tucked away. Today in La Paz you find a curious mix of ancient mystical beliefs and the Catholic religion.
Baby Llama and Llama fetuses
One disturbing thing we learned though I need to mention. Our guide explained to us that the llama fetuses are used as a good luck talisman, buried under buildings and homes to appease Pachamama – Mother Earth. The larger the building the larger the animal. But deep in this belief is rumored human sacrifices that continue to this day. Our guide says it’s a common rumor that this may or may not happen…but why? He said that the larger the building, the larger the sacrifice must be to Pachamama. And there is rumor that some construction sites actually take homeless or drunks off the street and sacrifice them. Of course we found this horribly disturbing. Our guide was also sufficiently disturbed, but claims this ancient practice and the rumor has persisted throughout his lifetime. I found this article if you want to read more. Not a pleasant thing to think about.
We met this lovely lady in the Witches Market on our tour
Shopping
On a lighter note, the Aymara & Quechua people and the Cholita women (I found this amazing article about the Cholita) are fantastic artisans and surrounding the Witches Market (where you can also take home your own good luck talismans) are dozens of shops selling beautiful hand made items. Popular weavings of bright colors are made into bags, headbands, wallets and even shoes. Alpaca sweaters, shawls, hats and scarves are gorgeous and inexpensive. You can see the women knitting on the street or in the stalls. We purchased gifts to take home and were amazed at the quality of work and cheap prices. The market also has handmade leather items, silver jewelry and ceramics.
The Lovely Cholita Women
Cholita women selling handmade items
Throughout the city the Cholita women sell flowers, produce, snacks and traditional foods on the street. You can also find outfitter stores for tourists in need of down jackets, hiking shoes and just about anything else you might need for your time in Bolivia.
This Cholita women sells 15 different kinds of potatoes. The potato was first domesticated in the Andes Mountains of this region
Food Tour
We booked a food walking tour with Red Cap Tours. Our guide Amara was great and we were joined by another couple from Singapore. It’s always so fun to taste a city through a local guide. We had a great time. We tasted several Bolivian specialties including Anchipacha which is a popular grilled beef heart and potato kabob, and Cholita a very popular sandwich snack of pork and pickled veg and named after the Cholita women. Next we had Api, a warm creamy drink made from purple corn and popular for breakfast. With the Api we enjoyed a favorite morning street food called Pastel de Queso. Loved both of these.
Delicious warm and sweet Api made from purple corn
Next we went into a restaurant to try two different kinds of pork – Chichorone is a popular crispy fried pork dish and Fritanga is a braised pork. Both were delicious. With the pork we had steamed potatoes and “dried” potatoes, a favorite of locals. The potatoes are dried in the sun for weeks then reconstituted.
Fritanga was fall off the bone tender and delicious
We ended our tour enjoy Pique Macho, a dish of potatoes, beef and sausage in a rich and spicy broth and the national alcohol called Singani which is usually mixed with citrus and sours much like a pisco sour.
It was a great tour. We rolled home after so much food.
Museums
We visited four different museums during the week we were Living in the Sky – La Paz Bolivia. There are several more as well. I’ve listed the four here, in order based on the quality of what we saw;
National Museum of Ethnography and Folklore
National Museum of Ethnography and Folklore – If you only do one thing in La Paz it should be this. One of the best museums we have ever been in, even though it was presented only in Spanish. We still thought it was outstanding. Well funded by the Central Bank of Bolivia, and it shows, the exhibits are beautiful and professionally presented. We particularly enjoyed the textile and clothing section, the ceremonial mask section and the section on indigenous use of bird feathers in costumes and head dresses. A fantastic museum.
Custome made of silver
Museo Nacional de Arte
Museo Nacional de Arte – through art this beautiful museum tells a wonderful story of the people of the Andes, Bolivia and La Paz. I highly recommend taking the guided tour. Our guide Robert was incredible. For an hour and a half he gave a personal tour of the entire museum, helping us understand through the beautiful collection the culture, history, trials and tribulations of this amazing place.
Outstanding art collection and a private tour too
Museo costumbrista Juan de Vargas
Museo costumbrista Juan de Vargas this museum is a bit of an mis-mash of things, but is worth a visit for the unique gold display of ancient Andean breastplates, jewelry and head pieces. It is also housed in a beautiful Spanish colonial building on multiple levels.
Gold was used as ancient dress and symbolism
Museo Tambo Quirquincho
Museo Tambo Quirquincho – this museum was pretty disappointing, although it is housed in a lovely old Spanish building that once housed a market. But the art collection was unimpressive. Skip it.
Former market space
Tihuanku
One of the most important archeology sites in South America, Tihuanku sits about a two hour drive from La Paz. We signed up for an all day tour to visit the site with a guide through local company HanaqPacha Travel. It was a long drive in heavy traffic but I am still really glad we did it.
UNESCO Tiwanaku
How Old is it Really?
There is much debate about the actual age of this UNESCO World Heritage Site. Our guide Teodoro, like many Bolivians, believe the site dates back as much as 10,000 years and was also visited by Aliens. UNESCO however, says the following;
“The city of Tiwanaku, capital of a powerful pre-Hispanic empire that dominated a large area of the southern Andes and beyond, reached its apogee between 500 and 900 AD. Its monumental remains testify to the cultural and political significance of this civilisation, which is distinct from any of the other pre-Hispanic empires of the Americas.”
Sun Gate at Tiawanaku
Thinking has changed over time…
One of the reasons for the debate of the age of the site is the earliest archeologists incorrectly compared it to archaeoastronomy. To explain this better here is Wikipedia’s assessment;
“The dating of the site has been significantly refined over the last century. From 1910 to 1945, Arthur Posnansky maintained that the site was 11,000–17,000 years old[8][9] based on comparisons to geological eras and archaeoastronomy. Beginning in the 1970s, Carlos Ponce Sanginés proposed the site was first occupied around 1580 BC,[10] the site’s oldest radiocarbon date. This date is still seen in some publications and museums in Bolivia. Since the 1980s, researchers have recognized this date as unreliable, leading to the consensus that the site is no older than 200 or 300 BC.[11][12][13] More recently, a statistical assessment of reliable radiocarbon dates estimates that the site was founded around AD 110 (50–170, 68% probability),[1] a date supported by the lack of ceramic styles from earlier periods.[14]“
Tiawanaku
It is believed that the Inca culture took some inspiration from this earlier Tihuanku culture. The Tihuanku also likely had some contact with the Wari culture during this pre-columbian period in the Andean basin.
The first recorded knowledge of the site was by the Spanish in 1549.
If you visit La Paz, this is a must see. Learn more here.
Accommodations and Food
Since we were booked to go on an overland trip that included the first night in a hotel in La Paz, we decided to spend our week in the same hotel to make things easy. The Qantu Hotel ended up being in a perfect location with easy access to everything. Our room was small but clean and comfortable. Breakfast every morning was hearty and the staff very kind.
Throughout the week we explored different dining options around the central part of La Paz. Because of the backpacker set that visits here, there are many hostels, brewpubs, and simple and inexpensive eateries. There is also a wide variety of international cuisines available from Mexican, Italian or Cuban to Indian and Chinese. Of the places we ate we can recommend the following;
Popular
Popular Cucina Boliviana was by far the best meal we had, an in fact the best meal we had in a restaurant since my birthday dinner in Roatan last January, or maybe Pujol in Mexico City. No matter this was very creative menu that changes weekly. Our three course meal was delicious. A must do.
Popular
Authentic
Tia Gladys is a tiny little hole in the wall that we walked by a few times before noticing it. Very popular for inexpensive, local Bolivian dishes as well as soup, salad, pizza and more. We tried the popular Bolivian dish Pique Macho here.
Tia Gladys
International
Cafe del Mundo is a lovely spot, frequented by the international backpacker crowd. Great service and international menu. Also a popular for afternoon pastry and coffee. I had a delicious soup here called Sopa Abuelo. Delicious.
Sopa Abuela at Cafe de Mondo
Nice View
La Groseria is another lovely spot overlooking the popular Sagarnaga street with a wide variety of coffees, beers, Bolivian favorites and international options. While I tried the local version of Chicken Milanese, Arne tried a quinoa bowl. Quinoa is a staple food here, an ancient grain harvested from Lake Titicaca.
Quinoa Bowl La Groseria
Quirky
La Boliviana this unlikely brightly colored place looks like an ice cream shop but has a quirky menu and daily special with a twist on local cuisines. We had a three course lunch that included wontons and falafel, meatballs and curry. We enjoyed it all.
Falafel
Gracias La Paz
I am so grateful we had the time to explore deeply this amazing place…full of mystery, ancient customs, interesting food, and a culturally rich and diverse people. If you can, I highly recommend you visit La Paz. I’m sure you will be as intrigued as I was. Living in the Sky – La Paz Bolivia. Muchos Gracias Mi Amigos.
La Paz
Please check back next week to read about our ten day overland trip in Bolivia with Intrepid Travel.
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