Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
In La Paz the cheapest of cheap calls can be made from international calling centers
around Calle Sagárnaga for about B$2 per minute.
Some Entel offices accept reverse-charge (collect) calls; others will give you the of-
fice's number and let you be called back. For reverse-charge calls from a private line, ring
an international operator: for the US ( 800-10-1110, 800-10-2222), Canada (
800-10-0101) or UK ( 800-10-0044) be aware that these calls can be bank-breakers.
Internet Calls
Most internet places have Skype installed, which you can use at no extra cost - you just
have to pay for the time online.
Time
Bolivian time is four hours behind Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), and an hour ahead of
the US Eastern Standard Time. When it's noon in La Paz, it's 4pm in London, 11am in
New York, 8am in San Francisco, 4am the following day in Auckland and 2am the follow-
ing day in Sydney.
Toilets
Toilet humor becomes the norm in Bolivia. First and foremost, you'll have to learn to live
with the fact that facilities are nonexistent on nearly all buses (except for a few of the lux-
ury ones). Smelly, poorly maintained
baños públicos
(public toilets) abound and charge
about B$1 in populated areas and B$5 in the wilderness, such as around the Salar de Uy-
uni. Carry toilet paper with you wherever you go, at all times! Toilet paper isn't flushed
down any Bolivian toilet - use the wastebaskets provided. In an emergency, you can al-
ways follow the locals' lead and drop your drawers whenever and wherever you feel the
need. Some of the most popular spots seem to be below '
No Orinar'
(Don't Urinate)
signs threatening
multas
(fines) equal to the average Bolivian monthly wage. Use the fa-
cilities at your hotel before heading out.
Tourist Information
Despite the fact that tourism has taken off in recent years, the Bolivian tourist industry is
still in its formative stages, and government tourist of- fices still concentrate more on stat-
