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Anyone lived in La Paz? The location seems pretty idyllic, nestled in the Andes at 12000ft with close proximity to Peru, Brazil and Chile. I know the cost of living is among the lowest and our dollars can go pretty far there but what about the poverty level, level of crime and general infrastructure (public transport etc.). How is living there like? How are the people?
Hey k374, I too am interested in South America, I am soooo sick of the political situations in the US. As no one has answered you I wonder if they do not have acessto city-data there. Ann
well, I must say the primary reason I would like to live for a while in South America is to perfect my Spanish (I know a little now) and also absorb a different culture. The low cost of living also seems pretty attractive.
Other places I considered were Buenos Aires and San Jose, Costa Rica...but La Paz interests me a lot.
I lived in La Paz from 1976 to 1980.The first day was very difficult breathing.The airport is 12,000+ above sea level.It's like a funnel,go all the way down to Calacoto,it's where all the foreingers live. Go to Lake Titicaca.Great place eat fish.
Visit The Ruins of Tiahuanaco in Bolivia Tiajuanacu,the lost incan
There is the door of the moon and the sun.
Very interesting places to visit.It's very primitive in some areas. You need a Jeep to go all these places.
The cost of living is cheap but things like washing machine etc are very expensive.
My first visit to La Paz was January 1972. One thing that has not changed in Bolivia in the many decades since 72 is political instability, and the current events of the past few weeks should make that something to consider for anybody thinking of spending some time there.
The extreme high altitude of La Paz is tough on the body, especially the cardio vascular system of a lowland person. La Paz is not "idyllic", in fact almost the opposite. There is little vegetation, poverty is common (2nd poorest country in western hemisphere), it is very cold especially at night, and it just seems like every day life is a struggle. Bolivia has a lot of big conflicts and problems going on, but if you are sold on Bolivia I'd also prefer Cochabamba (1st choice) or Santa Cruz (2nd choice) way ahead of La Paz. General infrastructure in the Andes portion of Bolivia is pretty bad compared to most other countries in South America. There is public transportation via bus, but roads are not very good and bus travel over long distance is slow and rough. Nothing like the fantastic bus network to be found in Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Colombia. Even though the distance from Bolivia to Chile or Brazil looks fairly close to you, it's not that close by bus. I have traveled by bus in Bolivia and all over South America, and it is a relief to get down to the pleasant middle elevations near Cochabamba and further down into tropical Santa Cruz in the eastern part of Bolivia.
My cable system has Canal Sur, which airs a nightly broadcast from Bolivia TV station PAT, and the news reports from there are disturbing enough to make me avoid the place for awhile till things settle down. It's a hassle to be a foreigner in a country that is going through political turmoil. Been there, done that (a few times) and it's not "idyllic".
Hi recycled, that is exactly the kind of information I was looking for. It is pretty hard to get an accurate guage without hearing personal experiences on what life is actually like. Thanks again!
As I said the primary reason I want to live in a Spanish speaking country is for language immersion purposes.. there are many options in Central and Latin America, and then there is Spain too.
TARIJA---A really nice city, nice climate, not high enough to give you altitude problems, or low enough to give you tropical problems. Down near the Argentine border, located on a pretty river. Rather hard to get to, a two day trip from any other city in Bolivia, unless you fly. Small town atmosphere, but big enough to have what you meed. Bolivia is a comfortable country to live in, the people are nice and laid back, the crime rate is quite low, the cost of living is low.
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