Peru & Bolivia

After postponing our trip twice due to Covid, it was finally time to go to Peru & Bolivia!!! Before getting to the main attractions, Machu Picchu and the Uyuni Salt Flats, I’m going to share the realities of travel. Not every trip is flawless and amazing. Sometimes it is one obstacle after another, but in the end always worth it!

Since South America seemed to get each Covid wave slightly later than the US, testing requirements were still in effect. My dad flew into the NYC the day before we were supposed to leave and I scheduled rapid PCR tests for both of us. As soon as he arrived at my apartment, we headed to the clinic to get our tests. This is where the drama of this trip began…

When I say drama of this trip, I mean that every step of the way there seemed to be something else going wrong. To illustrate how stressful this trip was, I lost 3.5 pounds in the 10 days we were gone! My anxiety was on high from the get-go. A few hours after our PCR tests, we received our emails. My dad was negative, yay! I was expecting the same (as it had only been about 2 months since I had Covid in January 2022 and I felt completely fine), but I scrolled through the results and saw “Positive.” I started to freak out because I knew that couldn’t be accurate. I had heard of false positives and I just knew this had to be one of them (or a lingering positive from recent infection???). I immediately ran to one of those urgent Covid testing centers where they charge $250+ (and insurance won’t cover much, if any) and got another test. A few hours later that test came back NEGATIVE! To be safe, I scheduled another PCR at another place for the next morning (for another $300 charge). We needed a negative test to enter Peru, but we would also need another negative test to enter Bolivia, which we had scheduled at our Cusco hotel. I couldn’t risk getting into Peru and then being stuck in Peru with a positive test. I needed a second negative before I felt safe getting on our flight. Luckily, the PCR the following day was also negative, so I was confident the first test was inaccurate. It was now time to head to the airport for our flight to Miami, then would connect to Lima, Peru. Or so we thought…

This is where our next obstacle presented itself on this trip and honestly, it was just another foreshadow to the stress that was this trip! We scheduled an Uber to take us to LaGuardia at 2:00 pm. Around 1:00 pm, I checked the American Airlines app just to make sure all was on time. I found that our flight to Miami was delayed by just enough time that we would miss our connection to Lima. Did we get a notice from AA that the flight was delayed? Nope, that didn’t arrived until 2:15 pm via email. We packed up all of our stuff, got our shoes and coats on, and ran downstairs to get a taxi (and cancelled the Uber) because AA had another flight flying to Miami which was on time. We got to the airport and were able to switch to standby for the on-time flight. At the literal last minute of standing at the gate, we were able to get on that flight. However, our original flight was in First Class (used AA miles for business class tickets for this trip) and now we were in economy, my dad in a middle seat! As aggravating as that was, it was our only option since our original flight would have landed too late for the connection. Again, or so we thought…

We got to Miami with plenty of time to spare. We headed to the Centurion Lounge and killed a few hours before heading to our gate. Everything was on time, boarded with no issues. After an hour of sitting on the plane, with the crew apologizing for the delay, the pilot then came over the PA to tell us we were delayed because we were waiting for catering to load. Another 45 minutes later, after catering was delivered, the pilot then came on the PA to tell us we had to deboard the plane because “there is maintenance on the runway in Lima and the AIRPORT IS CLOSED.” Airport is closed?!?! How can an international airport be closed? I pulled up my Flight Aware app and saw that (1) the airport was not closed and (2) that there were two other flights on LATAM airways leaving Miami at 2:00 am and 4:00 am (it was about 11:30 pm at this point). Why were we being told this obvious lie???

We all got off the plane and made our way back out to the gate. Since we were in row 2 of the plane, we were one of the first people off and at the agent desk. There we were told that we would be delayed for “at least 4 hours” and we should just keep checking the Departures board for any updates, but that for sure it would be at least 4 hours. Those 4 hours quickly turned into “Your new departure time is 10:00 am. Please go to Customer Service for a hotel booking and food vouchers.” Well, there goes our only full day in Lima! We were unbelievably frustrated, especially since the reason we were given was a complete lie. At Customer Service the line was huge, so a handful of us were escorted outside security to the ticket counter to book a hotel there. However, once there we were told there were NO HOTELS AVAILABLE. Even though I could find plenty online, the AA system showed everything was sold out. WTF?! The AA agent then said if we found a hotel on our own we could submit for reimbursement of up to $200. We found a Hilton property that was $193 + Hilton Honors points. We booked that and were given two food vouchers for Dunkin Donuts and Subway since that was all that was open. At this point, we just wanted to get to the hotel and sleep. As we left the agent said “make sure when you submit for reimbursement you indicate the delay was due to crew availability.” We looked at him like WHAT?! And that’s when we figured out the real reason for our delay: the catering took so long to get loaded that by the time we were ready to go, it would have caused the crew to go over their total allotted time since the flight was about 6 hours. We. Were. Livid. Lol

We got to our hotel, got some sleep, and were back at the airport very early just to be sure. At 9:00 am we boarded and it was the same crew and pilot. After boarding was complete, the pilot came on the PA to apologize for the delay and said it was “due to weather conditions.” Ummmmmmmm what?! Now you’re going to say it was weather? That was another lie and obviously he did that in order for AA to claim no responsibility. Considering some people chose to sleep on the floor of the airport, that was completely insane to try and give that excuse now, especially since some passengers were given hotels and food vouchers! Needless to say, after MANY, MANY, months of emails and complaints to American Airlines after our trip, we finally got the $193 reimbursed and some AA miles.

Ok, so now to the actual trip (and the reason you came to this post in the first place 😊). After losing our night flight we finally made it to Lima, but unfortunately lost most of the day. We were able to check in and get our room upon arrival and we both slept for a few hours as we were exhausted. I tried to get reservations at Central (one of the top restaurants in the world!), but unfortunately we did not get off wait list. We were able to move our walking tour we booked for the next day, so for dinner we ended up eating at the hotel restaurant. It was actually quite tasty! I had my first Peruvian ceviche dish as well as some other local cuisine.  The next morning, we got up early, had some breakfast, and then were picked up for our Lima city walking tour. They were kind enough to move us one day later, however we would not be able to do the full 3.5 hours since we had to leave for the airport for our flight to Cusco. What we did get to see of Lima city central was quite nice. It was a quick visit, but we made the most of our few hours there. Here are a few pictures of the Basílica y Convento de San Francisco de Lima, the Plaza de Armas, and some of Lima’s famous balconies.

Things were starting to look up! We got back to Lima airport with no issues, our flight was on time, and the actual flight on LATAM to Cusco was smooth and easy. The landing however was a bit scary for me (my dad had no issues) as it was a tad windy and you are essentially landing in between mountain ranges. I was gripping my armrest tighter than I should have lol! The best part was, when we exited the airport, we had no problem with the altitude!!! We had begun taking our altitude sickness medicine (Diamox) the day before and it worked because at no point during the trip did we have issues. Cusco’s airport has an altitude of about 10,860 feet, so I was half expecting to feel short of breath or light headed when we exited. However, we didn’t feel any different, so finally I could relax for a bit! We drove to the Hilton Garden Inn Cusco and scored an upgrade to a top floor room given my Hilton status (thanks AmEx Platinum)!!! The hotel overlooks all of Cusco and it really is a pretty sight to see. We had scheduled our Covid tests for that afternoon to make sure those were done in time for Bolivia in a few days. As you can imagine, I was nervous about another false positive. With the help of the receptionist, I was able to get her to translate to the nurse that I had Covid in January, so if the nurse could not go deep into my nostrils and not do the throat swab, that would be great. She barely went in my nose, so I felt better and could enjoy our time in Cusco. We planned on taking it easy that first day in order to acclimate to the altitude since we were coming from sea level. We had a delicious dinner at the hotel and then it was bed early since our bus for our journey to Machu Picchu was at 5:20 am the next day.

Up before sunrise, boxed breakfasts from the hotel in hand, we were ready for our 4:45am taxi pick up. Our driver got us to the Wanchaq Station, where we would take a two hour bus ride to Ollantaytambo. The bus was comfortable and we even got a pit stop along the way at a llama farm! This was our first of many llama spottings on this trip and I loved them every time. After we arrived at Ollantaytambo, we then boarded our 1.5 hour train to Machu Picchu. The views along the route were gorgeous, even if the water did look insanely rough! When we got to the Machu Picchu train station, it was perfect timing for our 11:00 am entrance. In order to get to the entrance though, there’s another bus you have to take. As we got in line for the bus, our Covid test results email came through…both Negative!!!!! I could officially relax now since our Covid test to get home were self-administered, so no worries there. We boarded the bus to go on the craziest, windiest, cliff road I’ve ever been on! If you are afraid of heights, do NOT look out the window! I applaud those drivers for their accuracy and skill getting up and down that road.

We made it to the entrance and I was SO EXCITED!!!! What I didn’t anticipate were the amount of stairs still ahead of us. There were SO. MANY. STAIRS! Even though the altitude had not bothered us any in Cusco, you could definitely feel it here. We took our sweet time getting to the top, taking many breaks. Between the altitude and my dad’s age (which I worried about far more than he did. HE’S a rockstar!), it was a tough climb, but we did it. And oh how happy I was we did because just look at this beauty:

Mother Nature was sure to give us all the photo ops too with rain, wind, and sun. Pro tip: if the outfit you have envisioned for your pics (and which you bought an adorable llama poncho in Poshmark for) includes white leggings, be prepared to take those bad boys off if it’s raining. Rain at Machu Picchu = so much mud! I definitely got “the shot” I wanted, so woohoo! Afterall, if you don’t get a pic for the Gram, were you even there?! LOL

After a couple of hours, we slowly headed back down to the entrance and back down in bus. We had a couple of hours until our train back to Ollantaytambo, so we decided to have lunch at restaurant overlooking the raging water. The views and sounds were awesome, from the raging waters, to watching trains go right through the village. We tried Peruvian pizza and it was actually really good. We each got a soda AND water since I was psycho about making sure we stayed super hydrated in the higher altitude. Two bottles of water to any non-water beverage was the rule. On the train ride back, there was a fashion show (aka “Look at all of the great stuff you can buy to take home with you!”). This fashion show also included the “Dance of The Saqra.” The Saqra means devil or rascal in the Quechua language and is a character of a folk-dance originating from the highlands of the Cusco region. It was a fun experience after a great day. After a slight delay being stopped on the tracks, I was worried about missing the bus back to Cusco. However, since the bus and train ticket were all one via PeruRail (more on that below), it wouldn’t have mattered. The bus waited for everyone, so while the bus back to Cusco arrived pretty late, we made it back to the hotel, grabbed some dinner, and crashed. Such an adventurous and exhausting day!

The next day we had almost all day to explore the city of Cusco. It was a pretty easy walk down from our hotel where we went to the Mercado Central de San Pedro where I got a great poncho and some souvenirs. We walked around and saw many of Cusco’s pretty, flower filled squares, and we took in the views and people. If I were to plan this trip again, I definitely would have allotted more time just for Cusco. It was such a pretty town and definitely more to see than we did. If planning your trip, be sure to add a full day here! It was then time to head to the airport for our flight to La Paz, Bolivia. There is no direct flight from Cusco to La Paz, so we actually had to fly north, back to Lima, to then fly south to La Paz. Our flight to Lima was on time and there were no issues, but since things were going so smoothly, it was only fitting that we’d have drama again! Our from Lima to La Paz was supposed to leave at 12:35 am. As 12:35 am came and went, we stood there waiting for any notice as to what was going on. Eventually we were told there was a maintenance issue with the aircraft, so we would be delayed until 5:30 am on a different plane. We spent the night in the business lounge. However, due to their stupid rule that you can only enter the lounge three hours before boarding, we had to wait 20 minutes at the entrance. It was insane since half our of flight headed to the lounge. We all just stood there staring at the door until they let us in (luckily my dad had a seat). I let him sleep in the lounge while I watched Netflix. I didn’t want to risk us both falling asleep and missing the flight.  

Our flight to La Paz was super smooth and was one I was both excited and nervous for since La Paz is the highest commercial international airport in world. The airport is at an altitude of 13, 400 feet. The flight path that every inbound flight takes looks like an infinity symbol, as the plane needs to circle enough to slow down and prepare to land so high. It’s also an extremely long runway so that the plans have enough time to stop. I took a video (see below) and it took 38 seconds from the time the wheels touched the runway to come to a complete stop. That is much longer than a normal airport!

As we made our way through Customs, the drama continued. This time it was my own fault (sort of). Prior to any trip I always do a Google search to see if US citizens need a visa to enter. When I did my search for both Peru & Bolivia, the results for each were no visa needed. However, Google had not updated its search results because the first 4 results say no visa, whereas the fifth result was an article about Bolivia changing there entry requirements in January of that year. Sooooooo there was a lot of back and forth in broken English and Spanish, eventually leading up to a different counter to pay $160 each for a visa. We then were told we HAD TO go to a website and fill out our accommodation information within 48 hours of arrival or “SUFFER PENALTIES.” That didn’t sound scary or anything!

Luckily our driver was still waiting for us after the long delay and we headed to our hotel in the heart of La Paz. It was such a pretty drive coming into the city and you could really get a grasp of how huge La Paz is! Again, we had no issues with the altitude, but the plan for that day was just to rest and acclimate.  The Diamox was still preventing altitude sickness, but the side effects were definitely present. The most common side effect is tingling in the face/hands/feet. It feels like when your foot falls asleep, but goes on for hours. That took some getting used to for sure!

Our hotel was awesome and we had great views of cable cars from our window (hotel information below). Again, we chose dinner in the hotel to continue our day of acclimating to the altitude. That night I got online to fill out our accommodation info with immigration registration and of course, more drama ensured! You had to submit your hotels from a drop down list, but our hotel was not listed. There was an option to manually enter, but the address box wasn’t long enough. I entered both our La Paz hotel and our hotel in Potosi (where we stayed for the Salt Flats) for each of us. My confirmation only showed La Paz as “confirmed” and my dad’s confirmation only showed Potosi as “confirmed” so of course I was  worried about the whole “suffer penalties” thing. Luckily, our hotel was right down the street form the US Embassy (happy coincidence there!). Of course they were of no help, as that was a “Bolivia immigration issue, not ours.”  We continued on and just hoped and prayed we did it right.

We made our way to ride the Cable Cars, the “Mi Teleférico.” The cable car system was built as a public transportation option for the cities of La Paz and El Alto (the town where the airport is located). Due to the geography and terrain of this area, there was no ability to build any underground transportation and traffic was already crazy. Instead, they went up and created a cable car system that consists of 26 stations along ten lines, all color based: Red, Yellow, Green, Blue, Orange, White, Sky Blue, Purple, Brown, and Silver. You can get all over the area just like with the NYC subway system. We wanted to see as much of the city as we could from above, as well as see some notable sights. We took the White to Orange to Red. Along these routes you see how expansive La Paz is. This is an amazing way to see the city, plus there is free wifi on each car from solar panels. You can see many colorful murals, cemeteries, and the different neighborhoods and architecture of La Paz. Everyone was so nice too and super easy to understand. We paid about $5.00 for the whole ride to and back, so it was a great option!

Back to hotel and an early dinner since we had a 7:00 am pick up next day for our eight hour drive to the Uyuni Salt Flats. Before bed I opened the LATAM app to check our seat assignments for our Monday morning flight (it was Thursday night), and what do I see? I see that our fight is CANCELED and instead we were rebooked on a flight for Sunday morning. The problem was, our tour was a three day tour, getting us back to La Paz airport at 2:00 am Monday morning. I immediately contacted our tour operator, Gabriela, on WhatsApp to explain the problem. Fortunately for us, we had our own private tour (which we didn’t realize when booking) and they agreed to shorten the tour by a day. They seemed sad for us that we would miss out on a day, but we were just thrilled we could still go. Once again, such drama. I’m just for glad I checked the flight before we left!

We were out front and ready to go at 7:00 am. Our tour guide Daniel and driver Germán were amazing! They were very accommodating with us given the change in itinerary and consulted with us on what we’d stop and see along the way. We stopped at Jayu Quta Crater where they pulled out a table and chairs with lunch we picked up on the drive. We stopped to see flamingos on the side of the highway, got pictures of the Tunupa Volcano, and saw quinoa fields everywhere. I had no idea quinoa was such a pretty plant in its natural form! We continued on towards the Salt Flats along the most insane “roads” anyone could imagine. At one point we even crossed a random open space that was definitely NOT a road for a short cut. As we made our way back onto an actual road, we were met with the first of many llama traffic jams before finally getting to the hotel (more info below). We arrived to a padlock on the door and no one in sight. My anxiety was through the roof again considering we were now in the literal middle of nowhere and I had zero cell service. Daniel called to find the hotel worker, who was in the village at his home. We were the only people staying so he didn’t want to sit at the hotel waiting. Apparently, we were the first tourists since late 2019! The hotel was really cool (both figuratively and literally) as the entire thing is made of salt. It was freezing, so they brought us a portable space heater and extra blankets that had to weigh ten pounds each. We made our way to the restaurant where another heater was next to a table, plus the fireplace had a nice fire going, and we were served dinner. I was still such an anxious mess from being SO REMOTE and no service, that I didn’t eat much. The quinoa soup was delicious though! My nerves were on high again because with no service, I kept fearing the flight back to Lima would be changed again and we wouldn’t know. I admit, I should’ve just let go and not worried, but it’s not as easy as it sounds!

The next morning Daniel and Germán picked us up and we headed to the Salt Flats (Salar De Uyuni). All of the drama to get here was WORTH IT!!! I can’t begin to fully describe how crazy cool it was. It looked like a giant lake, but then we just drove right onto it! The actual water is only a few inches deep, so from afar it looks like a lake, but it’s miles upon miles of salt. On that first day, due to lack of clouds and some wind, the pictures were not as reflective as I wanted. I was disappointed, but Daniel assured us we’d find a better spot tomorrow (he was right!). We stayed out on the flats for sunset. Again, Daniel and Germán were amazing. They brought out the table and had snacks and wine for us to enjoy while watching the sunset. It was also so cute because neither of them had done a tour since 2019 and you could see how excited they were again. They were taking as many pictures as we were, if not more! After the sun went down, we made our way (very slowly) back to hotel for dinner then changed to go back out for our night tour for star gazing.

If you come to Salar De Uyuni, going back out at night it absolutely a must! I have never seen so many stars in my life. Because you are in the middle of nowhere and hours from any town, there is no light to distract you and you can see every start in the sky! The iPhone night mode actually allowed some pretty awesome photos too:

It was pretty cold at night and we were standing in water, so after about an hour it was time to head back. Germán blasted the heater in the car for our slow drive back to the hotel. Getting back to where we entered the flats was an adventure in and of itself. It was so dark, I wasn’t sure if we’d even find it, but luckily he knew what he was doing! Honestly, I could’ve spent hours out there looking at the stars, but we all needed a good night’s sleep for the long day/drive back to La Paz the next day.

The next morning after breakfast, Daniel and Germán picked us up and we headed back to the Salt Flats, at a different location. This time we got some awesome pictures!!! They actually had a step stool in the Landcruiser that Daniel got out at one point and told me to stand on. He then proceeded to take pics on my phone and they ended up being my fave pics! He obviously knew what he was doing. After our time in the flats ended, we headed to the village and picked up a local who took us to see llama grazing. This woman told us all about the llamas, how to herd them (by using a rope that you put stones in and threw the stones toward them but not at them), and how the llamas support her family. We ate lunch back at the hotel, which we were not prepared for: it was llama meat! I’m not going to lie, llama was actually really good. I felt a tad guilty, but also since the family we met lives off of this to survive, it made it feel better.

Quinoa soup from the local farmers

llama meat

Our last adventure before heading back to La Paz was to drive up to the Tunupa Volcano. We picked up the woman’s brother because the normal route was closed and he knew an alternative. We basically just started driving up the mountain side. There were no actual roads, the barrier walls were made from stones, and it was an absolutely crazy drive. We got to about 4,6000 meters (more than 15,000 feet!) and then had to stop because water had caused the “road” to break up and there was no way for us to continue. Honestly, I was fine with that as I was ready to start heading back to La Paz. I wanted to get back into cell reception area, to confirm our flight was on time. I also wanted to get back to civilization. As cool as it was, I am definitely an urbanite at heart!

quinoa up close

Eight hours later, we arrived at airport and flight was on time.  We flew back to Lima, and headed back to Holiday Inn we stayed at on the front end of the trip. Since we had to fly back from Bolivia a day sooner than planned, we needed a hotel in Lima and this was an easy choice. We booked the same car service and got to the hotel with no issues. We arrived exhausted again, not only from the drive, but also from the stress of everything. We took our self-administered COVID tests and ordered some delivery. It actually worked out for the better having the extra day back in Lima so that we could take the tests. It would’ve been impossible at salt flats hotel since you have to televisit with the test administer online! The weather in Lima was foggy, so it was not worth trying to go to the beach. We couldn’t even  see the water as we drove in from the airport. We actually found the Oscars on TV and it was unedited, so we saw it all!!!

The next day our flight to Dallas on time and there were no issues. I have never been so happy to be back stateside. FINALLY I could breathe and relax my shoulders, my stomach settled, and I felt at ease. Our flight to NYC was on time and we made it home to Teddy Bear by 11:00 pm!

While the most stressful trip ever, I’m glad we finally got to go. What we saw was amazing and I’m happy we went. Never flying LATAM again though 😊

Getting to Machu Picchu:

The easiest way to get to Machu Picchu is through Lima. I recommend having a day or two in Lima first as there is plenty to see (which sadly we didn’t see much). From Lima, you can fly to Cusco. From there, you have several options. Some people choose to stay in Cusco and bus/train like we did. Others will go to Ollantaytambo (or that area) directly from Cusco to be closer to Machu Picchu. As stated above, I recommend Cusco for sure as it was such a pretty city.  As for getting to actual Machu Picchu, you can choose to hike the Inca Trail over a 3-4 day timeframe. Many people prefer this as you get to see the whole area and feel the accomplishment of making it up there. For us, that was not something either of us wanted to do. A nice train with pretty views was more our speed!

Bus/Train – We booked our bus and train ticket together through Peru Rail. We chose the Vistadome train as the ceiling of the train is windows and offers more views. We paid around $360 for two adults and booked at https://www.perurail.com/trains/vistadome/. While a tad pricey, it was worth it for the ease of getting there. For the bus to the entrance once you arrive to Machu Picchu Station, we booked through Machu Picchu Terra at https://www.ticketmachupicchu.com/. It was easy to book each leg of the trip and tickets were emailed to us the week before our date.

Getting to the Salt Flats:

There are many tour operators I came across in my researching of Salar De Uyuni. There are tours lasting from three days to more than seven. Many tours are group tours and include more excursions, camping, etc. For us, getting pictures at the Salt Flats was what we were going for, so three days was enough. Little did we know it would be two! I found our tour company, Uyuni Expeditions, and I cannot recommend them enough! Not only were they super accommodating with our crazy flight debacle, but everyone from the beginning of booking to the end was amazing. We had to push the trip back twice due to Covid and they were so helpful in changing our plans. You can find more information of their tours at https://uyuniexpeditions.com.bo/ and also they have more tours at https://creativetoursbolivia.com/.

Hotels:

In Lima we stayed at the Holiday Inn Lima Miraflores. This hotel is located in the Miraflores neighborhood which is a great location and easily accessible to all the sights of Lima.

In Cusco, we stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn Cusco and as stated above, the views are amazing! The staff was great and the added extra of a boxed breakfast and/or lunch for your Machu Picchu day was great.

In La Paz, we stayed at Stannum Boutique Hotel & Spa. Not only did this hotel offer awesome views of La Paz, the cable cars, and the mountains, it is a perfect location. This hotel is attached to a mall with stores and a food court. You are also steps from the entrance to the White Line, as well as a few blocks from the US Embassy. Definitely recommend this place if visiting La Paz!

At the Salt Flats, we stayed at Hotel Tayka de Sal. This was part of our tour, so we didn’t choose it. However, it was a great location right at the edge of the Salt Flats. The hotel was made of salt, but it’s cold, but they were very helpful bringing up heaters and extra blankets. The restaurant offers great views and the food was nicely prepared for us. It was a pleasant stay.

close up of the salt walls

Advice:

First and foremost, when it comes to air travel in Peru and Bolivia, we learned the hard way that it is not as consistent at the US (which I realize isn’t the highest bar as it is haha). It is very common for flights to be delayed, cancelled, moved with little to no notice. Make sure you are consistently checking your reservations and keep up to date on departure times.

In Peru, we had no issue with using a credit card at most places. However, there were definitely times when we needed local currency. When doing any tours, you will also want some cash for tips. Bolivia was a bit different. While the shops/restaurants in La Paz had credit card payment as an option, outside of this main metropolitan area, cash was it. Be sure to prepare and bring enough cash for any stops you’ll make during your Salt Flats tour and definitely tip the tour guide and driver. Their job is not easy in that terrain!

Be sure to know some conversational Spanish or at least enough to get by. In Bolivia in particular, outside of La Paz, there was little to no English. Make sure you have enough knowledge to get around, especially since there will be no ability to Google translate with no service!

All of my stress aside, seeing these two incredible sights is 100% worth it. Book that trip!!!

Buen viaje!