The RoadRunners, Samaipata Bolivia. Info Bolivia

Bolivia... The land of the outlaws Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, the land of Ernesto "Che" Guevara and the land of extremes. From the steaming Amazon to the freezing altiplano you will find the largest salt lake on earth, the smallest bird, the highest navigable lake, the biggest bird, the largest sculptured rock, the most amount of dinosaur-footprints, the longest operating silver mine, the largest indigenous population and the most dangerous road in the world.

And all of them are waiting for you to visit them.

Although Bolivia seems a bit scary, it happens to be the safest South American country. Compared worldwide you have nothing to fear except some petty crime in the big cities (not nice if you happen to be the victim), but if you use your brain and avoid hanging around at the bus-station in the middle of the night you have nothing more to worry about than a road-block or a flat tire.

Your stay in Bolivia is cheap. A nice hotel room will cost you around 50 b and a meal starts at 8 b. For an excellent candlelight dinner you pay around 35 b per person.

If you are wondering what a "b" is: 1 U$ equals 7 bolivianos or 1 € comes around 10 bolivianos. Bolivianos, the national currency are also called bee's (b.), bol, bollies or pesitos.

The climate is challenging. In the Amazon basin it is steaming hot and the rain pours down from October to April. The Chaco is just hot. On the altiplano (highland) you will be freezing, but it only rains (a bit) from December to March. In the foothills of the Andes (where we live) it is eternally spring and a bit rainy from November to March.