Bolivia - The Rough Guide to South America on a Budget - page 188

Convento and Museo Santa Teresa
he Convento-Museo Santa Teresa
(Calle Ayacucho; Mon & Wed-Sat
9-11am & 2.30-5pm, Tues and Sun
3-5pm; B$21) is a beautiful colonial
church and convent worth visiting both
for its fine collection of colonial
religious painting and sculpture, and for
a somewhat disturbing insight into the
bizarre lifestyle of nuns in the colonial
era. Visits are by guided tour only, so
you need to get here at least an hour
before closing.

Hostal Colonial C Hoyos 8 T 02 6224265, W hostal
colonial-bo.com. The dated rooms don't live up to the
grand communal spaces, but they're spacious and well
heated, and staff a re acco mmodating. Comfortable but
overpriced. Doubles B$350
Hostal Compañía de Jesús Chuquisaca 445 T 02
6223173. The welcome, as frosty as the Potosí nights, is
on a par with La Casona across the street, but the building,
a beautiful colonial conversion, makes up for it. Showers
are stea ming h ot, even if the rooms are a little chilly.
Doubles B$100
Koala Den Junín 56 T 02 6226467, E koalabolivia
@hotmail.com. A travellers' favourite, this charming,
amicable hostel owned and run by Koala Tours features
decent dorms and inviting private rooms. Heating through-
out means you won't feel the chill, and there are great
showers, a homely communal area, kitchen and large DVD
collec tion. Inte rnet, w i-fi and breakfast are included. Dorms
B$40 , doubles B$150

2

ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
By bus All buses (except those to and from Uyuni) use the
Terminal de Buses on Av Las Banderas ( T 02 6243029).
Uyuni buses use the old terminal on Av Universitaria.
From the terminal, a taxi into the city centre costs about
B$5-8/person, or you can catch micros heading towards
Plaza 10 de Noviembre, the central square.
Destinations La Paz (up to 10 nightly between 7-9pm;
9hr); Oruro (10 daily; 6hr); Sucre (hourly; 3hr); Tarija
(1 daily; 12hr); Tupiza (3-4 daily; 6-7hr); Uyuni (2 daily;
7hr); Villazón (6-7 daily; 12hr).
Taxi A quicker and nicer way to get to Sucre is to take
a collective taxi (B$35/person with four people). Drivers
wait at the old bus station until the vehicle is full.

EATING AND DRINKING
Potosí's popularity with travellers is reflected in the city's
growing variety of places to eat. The Mercado Central - on
Bolívar, between Bustillos and Oruro - is your best bet
for cheap local food.
4060 Hoyos 1. Named after Potosí's altitude, this popular
café/pub has a pretty, stylish interior for such a spit-and-
sawdust town. Offers the dreaded “international” menu
(a bit of everything from steaks to burgers to pizza) and
good German beer. Mon-Sat 5pm-midnight.
Café La Plata Plaza 10 de Noviembre. With its earthy
tones, warm lighting and creaky floorboards, this elegant
place screams hot chocolate and their spiced version
(B$16) is up to the task. Pizzas (from B$20) and salads
(from B$22) available too. Mon 1.30-11pm, Tues-Sat
10am-11pm.
La Casona 1775 Frías 41. The liveliest nightspot in town,
housed in an eighteenth-century mansion with gra ti-
covered walls. Occasional live music. Mon-Sat 6pm-
midnight. Closed Sun.
Coyote Matos 89. A worryingly long menu, but stick to the
Mexican dishes and you'll be OK. A long, colourful space with
an engaging owner who doubles as waiter and raconteur
while his wife cooks. This is a solid if unexceptional choice
with mains from B$38. Daily 11am-10pm.
Koala Café C Ayacucho 5. Those who appreciate shabby,
higgledy-piggledy places will warm to Koala , spread
across two creaky upper floors. There's a book exchange,
traditional clothes for sale and framed articles about
travel in Bolivia. At B$40 their almuerzo is not the
cheapest, but it's generous, offering crepes, soup (often
quinoa or peanut), a meat dish (often llama) and dessert.
The veggie alternative is B$35, featuring the likes of a
spinach pie or lentil burger.

INFORMAT ION
Tourist information The best place for information is
the Oficina de Turismo Municipal (Mon-Fri 8am-noon
& 2-6pm, Sat 8am-noon; T 02 6226408), accessible
through the arch of Torre de la Compañia on C Ayacucho,
a block west of Plaza 10 de Noviembre.

ACCOMMODAT ION
A primary consideration when choosing where to stay in
Potosí is warmth - a couple of places have central heating,
but otherwise make sure there's adequate bedding.
Hotel Carlos V C Linares 42 T 02 6231010. This place
feels clean and fresh and offers kitchen facilities to guests
(breakfast is included in t he pric e), plus there's a living
room-like TV area. Doubles B$140
Casa de Huespedes La Vicuña C Ingavi 184, at Quijarro.
Chronically understaffed, but the dorms are bright, with
good mattresses, and all set around a cobbled courtyard.
Breakfast between 8-9am only. Owne r Antonio's mine
tours are recommended. Doubles B$100
La Casona Chuquisasa 460 T 02 6230523, W hotelpotosi
.com. They're not the friendliest bunch here, but there's
an atmospheric feel to the place with its cloisters and
dimly lit passageways. You can lit ake yo ur free breakfast in
the pleasant courtyard. Doubles B$80