Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
one hour) depart hourly from the terminal opposite the immigration office. From Orán, you can connect to Argen-
tina's Salta, Jujuy and Tucumán.
Villamontes
4 / POP 23,800 / ELEV 383M
As the temperature soars and the hot, dry winds coat everything with a thick layer of dust,
you can see the pride rising in the residents of Villamontes almost as fast as the mercury,
for this is officially Bolivia's hottest town. Despite the heat, it is a welcoming place and
the majority-indigenous-Guaraní population means that lovely woven baskets and fur-
niture made from natural Chaco materials can be found at the town's market. Villamontes'
biggest employer is the local gas plant, which is responsible for an influx of migrant
workers from across the border in Paraguay. The 6pm whistle that rings out across town
indicates the end of the working day.
The best time to visit is during the annual
fishing festival
on the Río Pilcomayo in
August, the fishy obsession being exemplified by the pride with which locals give direc-
tions that invariably reference the location in relation to the
El Pescadito
statue, the
town's only landmark.
Sleeping & Eating
Villamontes is known for its fish restaurants, shacklike structures clustered at the base of
the bridge on the road to Yacuiba, which serve freshly caught
surubí
among other local
scalies. You'll be given the option to have your fish cooked
a la parilla
(grilled) or
frito
(fried). Pick the former unless you want the only moisture in it to be cooking oil.
The town center is 12 blocks west of El Pescadito, but there is no real reason to head
there unless it is to stock up for your journey at the humungus
market
at the corners of
Arcos Mendes and Av Ingavi. There are a couple of
churrasquerías
near the plaza that
also serve
almuerzos
, but none are up to much.
Hotel El Rancho Olivo $$
(
684-2049;
www.elranchoolivo.com
;
Av Méndez Arcos; s/d B$250/330;
) Op-
posite the railway station this is Villamontes' best hotel by a long shot. Rooms try hard to
aim for moderate luxury, with their stained wooden furniture and decorative lamps, but
HOTEL
