Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Patacamaya, which comes to Tambo Quemado to pick up passengers, then walk across the
frontier and pick up transport on the Chilean side.
GETTING AROUND
By jeep
You can rent a jeep with driver from the park office if you want transport to any of
thepark'sattractionsorbacktothemainroadtocatchabus;mosttripscostaroundBs70-100
per vehicle.
INFORMATION
Tourist information
Upon arrival in Sajama village you must register at the park office
(daily 8am-noon & 2.30-7pm; 02 5135526) and pay the Bs30 entrance fee. The park
rangers can answer most questions about the reserve and they can arrange porters, mules and
guides (each around Bs100/day) for mountain climbers.
ACCOMMODATION AND EATING
The park rangers (see
“Information”
)
can arrange accommodation in
homestays
(Bs30-60/
person) in the village: these are generally cold, bare rooms with outside toilets. If you want to
camp
at Sajama base camp - or elsewhere in the park - you need to be prepared for very low
temperatures.SeveralplacesinSajamaservesimpleandinexpensivesetbreakfasts,almuerzo
and cenas, though it's best to order a few hours in advance. There are a few
shops
selling
basic foodstuffs.
Albergue Tomarapi
Tomarapi village, 12kmfromSajama village 022414735.
Asignific-
ant step up in comfort, the community-run
Albergue Tomarapi
has pleasant cabins with heat-
ers, private bath
rooms and
hot water, as well as a good restaurant. Staff can organize guides
and excursions.
Bs560 ($80)
Oruro
Huddled on the bleak Altiplano some 230km south of La Paz,
ORURO
was Bolivia's eco-
nomic powerhouse for much of the twentieth century, centre of the country's richest
tin-min-
ing
region. Mines established in the nearby mountains in the late nineteenth century turned
Oruro into a thriving industrial city. After the fall of world tin prices in 1985, however,
Oruro's fortunes plummeted, and though it's still the biggest city in the Altiplano after La Paz
and El Alto, years of economic decline have turned it into a shadow of its former self.
Situated 3709m above sea level and swept by bitter Altiplano winds, Oruro is a cold and
rather sombre place. This dour demeanour is deceptive, however, as every year Oruro ex-
plodes into life when it celebrates its
Carnaval
. At other times, however, there's little reas-
on to stop here, though given its importance as a transport hub you're almost certain to pass
through at some stage.
