Making our way through the Bolivian border town of Villazon in our campervan filled us with equal measures of excitement and trepidation. We had heard from other travelers what an amazing country it was, filled with fantastic welcoming people. We had also heard how difficult it was at times to travel there, with common challenges such as sickness, the quality of the food, getting petrol, narrow city streets and the effects of high altitudes (for people and vehicles).
Our Bolivian adventure started with a trip to the tourist town of Uyuni, well know for containing the world’s largest salt flats. Potosi would be our next stop, famous for its extensive mining history. After that we planned to visit the judicial capital of the country Sucre (Bolivia is the only country in the world with split capital cities – La Paz being the administrative capital). Next stop would be Cochabamba, the countries fourth largest city, before a detour to the magnificent ToroToro National Park. Then we would make the long trip north to La Paz and finally to Copacabana on Lake Titicaca. Before getting to any of these destinations however, we would have to navigate the stunning mountain passes of west Bolivia and the notoriously steep streets.
Before beginning our trip, I had no idea that altitude affects vehicles in a very similar way that it affects people. Less oxygen in the air gives the person/vehicle less oxygen to perform. To be specific, at an altitude of 4,000m, a vehicle has c.40% less power. From a (campervan) driving perspective, this effectively feels like you are down a gear all the time. While this may not seem like a big deal, imagine yourself in a 3,500kg vehicle, trying to start on a ridiculously steep city-centre hill, in 2nd gear…
Villazon to Uyuni is a little shy of 300km, yet this took us two full days of driving. While the road itself is relatively new and in good condition, the gradient combined with the altitude meant that we crawled over many of the mountain passes. At one stage, we could not get into 2nd gear for over 5km, something that would test the patience of the most placid driver. However our wonderful experience in Uyuni visiting the Salt Flats certainly made up for any challenges getting there. A true wonder of the world, this is an experience I would recommended to anybody who gets the opportunity to visit.
The mining town of Potosi was our next stop/challenge. And it certainly did not fail to disappoint. Situated 4,100m above sea level, it is regarded as the highest city in the world. Moreover, its location is akin to that of any property seen in Peppa Pig – perched right on the top of a huge hill! Arriving to the outskirts of the city was a real misnomer. We had rather easily navigated the mild inclines as we passed under the “Bienvenidos a Potosi” or “Welcome to Potosi” sign. The real fun lay just around the corner.
It began with a steep incline and continued that way. Added to this were endless giant speed bumps, traffic lights and rush-hour traffic. Stopping became the real enemy, as losing momentum would lead to cutting out and an inability to start the vehicle again. I’m not sure Ms Rabbit and her rescue helicopter would have made it to Bolivia to help us out had this happened…
As I slowed down approaching red traffic lights, I had flashbacks to my driving test 23 years earlier, whereby I would slow down just enough, without actually stopping, so that I would not have to start the vehicle from zero again. This tactic helped keep momentum going for the campervan, although certainly not endearing me to the local drivers. Arriving to our sleeping destination, located in the car park of Potosi Football Club, was one of the better feelings I can remember. To say I was truly shattered from the experience of getting there would in no way be an exaggeration.
While it was invaluable driving experience indeed, I unfortunately cannot say that experience is the only required ingredient to manage such challenges. After spending three fantastic days exploring the city, its famous Cerro Rico mountain and mines, and watching local futsal and basketball matches, we left Potosi bound for Sucre. However, the world’s highest city had a sting in the tail waiting for us upon our departure.
Having filled up with petrol in the city at the foreigner price, we joined the national road to leave the city. To note, if Bolivian petrol stations choose to sell petrol to foreigners, they charge c.150% more for the privilege, due to the difficulty the country actually has getting petrol into the country. Not exactly a 3-lane highway, this small road snaked along the outskirts before re-entering the city for one last hurrah. What to the untrained eye might have appeared like a small hill, to us became a Mount Everest without oxygen and ten frost-bitten toes. Traffic stopped midway up said hill, leaving us powerless to make it any further. To a chorus of beeping horns and angry locals, we slowly made our way back down the hill as scores of motorbikes, cars, trucks and buses angrily overtook our reversing campervan!!
Having learned our lesson, we waited…and waited…and waited..until we had a clear run at the hill. The hand break and clutch were slowly released, as the eager accelerator was called into action. This time it did not fail as we soared (cue creative writers licence…) over our Mount Everest and out past the Potosi city limits!
Click here to read the “Driving Fun At High Altitude (Part 2 of 2)” blog post
English
Leave a Reply