Basics - The Rough Guide to Bolivia - page 37

sitting at the back of the bus, as on bumpy roads this is where you'll get bounced around the
most.
KEEP YOUR BAG SAFE
Unless it's small enough to keep with you inside the bus, your luggage will be put on the
roof, at the back or in a locked compartment underneath the vehicle. This is usually pretty
safe, but it's still worth keeping an eye out at each stop to make sure your bag isn't carried
off, whether by accident or design.
With better-organized companies you may be given a ticket with which to reclaim your
luggage at the end of the journey. Some travellers like to chain their bags to the roof, and
you shouldn't be shy about climbing up to check yours if you're feeling nervous about its
security. Even if it's under a tarpaulin on the roof or in a luggage compartment , it's a good
idea to cover your luggage with a nylon sack (which you can pick up in any market) to
protect it from the elements and the prying fingers of other travellers.
By plane
Flying in Bolivia is a good way of avoiding exhausting overland journeys and saving time;
it's also relatively inexpensive, with most internal flights costing Bs350-700 ($50-100),
and offers splendid bird's-eye views of the high Andes or the endless green expanse of the
Amazon. La Paz , Santa Cruz , Sucre and Cochabamba are all connected by daily flights,
and there are also frequent services to Tarija , Trinidad and a number of remote towns in the
Amazon and the Eastern Lowlands .
The main carriers are currently AeroSur ( www.aerosur.com ) and the state-owned
Boliviana de Aviacion ( boa.bo ) . A smaller operator, Amaszonas ( amaszonas.com ), op-
erates flights from La Paz, Cochabamba and Santa Cruz to the main towns in the Bolivian
Amazon.
The Bolivian air force also operates passenger services under its commercial arm, Trans-
portes Aereo Militar (TAM; tam.bo ) . TAM is often somewhat cheaper than the other air-
lines, and flies to some out-of-the-way places not served by the others, as well as between
most of the main cities. The busier routes should be booked at least several days in advance,
and it's important to reconfirm a couple of days before departure, as overbooking is not un-
common.Flightsareoftencancelledordelayed,andsometimesevenleaveearlierthansched-
uled, especially in the Amazon, where the weather can be a problem. Baggage allowance on
internal flights is usually 15kg, with an additional charge payable on any excess.
Some particularly remote regions, such as the Parque Nacional Noel Kempff Mercado, are
also served by light aircraft , such as five-seater Cessnas, which are an expensive but excit-
ing way to travel.