Coroico. Que rico!

We had 6 nights before our flight out of La Paz. Not long enough to merit the cost and time to go to Rurrenabaque in Bolivia's jungle, so we opted to see the Yungas, basing ourselves in Coroico for 3 nights.  Buses left from the Villa Fatima neighborhood and the bus cost $15B per person ($2.15-ish) and 4+ hours of winding, climbing, then partially dropping roads into jungle highlands.

It seemed hard to get any resrvation at even a hostel. The arses at Hostal Sol y Luna had this stupid system of requiring you to go to their La Paz office and pay in cash before granting you a reservation.  I asked if we could just walk-in when we arivd at Coroico, and they said the staff won't know if there is availability!  What if you were traveling from elsewhere in Bolivia and no from La Paz. Retards.


I ended up emailing El Cafetal who didn't take resos either, but at least he said there was space and to rock up when we arrived.$8 per person a night. We got a private room (#7) with a very old, funky and dark danky bathroom, whose shower trickled down hot water heated up by an electric widow-maker. Yeash!  The room was right on the verandah with stunning views of the Yungas mountains and valley, so what lacked in crisp cleanliness, was made up with the view and out of the way location of this hostal, located right next to the hospital.

Room #7 El Cafetal, Coroico

View from our door, Coroico

Weeks could easily be spent in Coroico, and being here for the patron saint festivities of Virgen de la Candelaria was an added plus, as we were treated to street dances and processions and partying by the villagers.  We hung out the Tienda on the plaza where the owners (los Gorditos) would banter with us as we sipped on beers and munched peanuts outside their store watching the world go by.

Looking forward to the German restauant I had read about, I learned from the Gorditos that he had died the week before: a stalwart mainstay of the village for decades sicne arriving from Germany (don;t mention the war!) Gutted, I turned to the gudiebook for plan B and there wasn't much to inspire-lame "Italian' pizza places dotted the square and all else seemed to have bland options, made harder still being with a vegetarian.  I overheard a young Italian guy talk to the Gorditos about their new place off the Plaza that had opened two night before. He was excited and pumped to have the locals try it out and took a pizza order from them.  Piqued, and hungry, we wended one block off the Plaza and had one of the best home made pasta meals ever. Excellent, and not least, the kids were full of vim, vigour and excitement to have you enjoy enjoy their home made pastas and sauces.

We were thrilled, vowing to eat there the next night, only to learn that because it was the holidays, they were heading to La Paz to pick up provisions and would be closed the Tuesday & Wednesday nights. Gutted again and left to muster meals with the places that were open-a choice of two virtually identical Italian' places 4 doors apart on the Plaza on either side of the Tienda. Lame pasta with runny sauce that compelled Mostafa to please 'thank them for the soup". I resorted to eating greasy fried chicken from a kiosk off the Plaza that were set up for the festivities and street dancing. Poor Mostafa had beer for dinner.

Los Gorditos of the tienda on the Plaza

The other German coffee shop was also closed (but we did get one breakfast of lovely morning pastries and coffee there!) so we strolled out of town about 15 minutes to Villa Bonita on Tuesday morning. Gorgeous gardens where they served breakfast, and I learned they also had rooms in the little houses dotting the property.  Learning of the vacancy in one of the cabanas, we stayed there the 3rd and last night.  It was nice too as it was on the opposite side of the outskirts of the village, so nice to get a flavor of that side of the mountains. $65B a night with an outside bathroom (down the spiral stair) including a Swiss influenced breakfast of meusli, eggs, organic home made bread, fresh juice and coffee. Wonderful place.

Villa Bonita, swiss bolivian owned gem in Coroico

La Paz. Not such a peaceful city!

Onwards to La Paz by bus from Copa is easy; loads of buses throughout the day for a few dollars, about 3 hours.  Nice ride as well as it climbs over the mountains, a ferry ride across the straits, and continuing to the higher altitude and density of humanity clinging to the sides of the canyon that is El Alto & La Paz.

We stayed in the Sopocachi neighborhood at La Loge, tucked in a laneway near the Alliance Francaise on Pasaje Medinacelli, off of Avenida 20 de Octubre. Cobbled tree lined streets, quiet, safe and lots of good quality restaurants from Peruvian, to Swiss, French, Argie and German.   La Loge is essentially 3 apartments, with fully stocked kitchen, TV, internet, big bedroom and clean bathroom. After 2+_ weeks of hotels, it was great to feel like we were i our home.  Breakfast was lovely fresh bread left hanging on our door, that we cold prepare with the fruit, juice, butter and jam in the kitchen.  There was the supermarket end of the street too.  $480B (approx $70 a night) a splash for Bolivia, but worth it.

La Comedie restaurant is downstairs. Great menu, well prepared French food.They also own the french cafe next door to the Alliance Francaise. Local cfe was La Terraza on 20 de Octubre and terrific fresh saltenas on 2 de Octubre right at the end of the laneway from La Loge.  Best meal was a Peruvian seafood place also on 20 de Octubre 2 blocks away. We went there twice to enjoy the divine chupe.

Copa Cabana. Finding respite from the traveler hordes

We arrived late afternoon and headed along on foot along the Costanera "road" (i.e. dirt).  A nice intro the place as it we wended away from the backpacker cluster along the stillness of this road overlooking Lago Titicaca, joined by the odd straggler Argie backpacker coming to/from a hostel run by Argentinians about 1.5km out of town.  Our place was the Ecolodge del Lago, about 1 km out of town, set back from the road with cabanas dotted up along the hillside set in lovely gardens. Very private with lovely views of the lake, our cabana was soare and lovely with a great modern bathroom; all run on solar power. 

Breakfasts were the expected combo of bread or toast, with eggs, coffee or tea and juice prepared by the family taking care of the place. We paid $720B for the three nights (approx $103, or $33 a night).  Given the many hostels there, it was likely on the spendy side, but the privacy, cleanliness, quiet and setting made this a bargain in my eyes. I am sure of we were to return, the town will have crept along the costanera, making this place less off-the-beaten path.

Amazing how little it tkes to actually get away from the backpackers who only seem to migrate wherever the LP guidebook tells them to go. In other words, the two block stretch of 6 de Agosto.  Head to the daily market, the church, or even the candle chapel on the side, and there was nary a sign of a tourist.  The weather was overcast and rainy so we passed on taking a ferry to Isla del Sol the whole stay, and opted to loiter around the town, climb up to Cerra Clavario, and relax.

Eating seemed limited if you didn't want to hang out with the tourists.  We got lucky and landed at El Emperador, one of the many kiosks on the costanera that served up lake trout, rice and other handlful of dishes. The owner was Balbina Elias whose mum had ad the same kiosk, and she and her husband served up a good fish and ice cld beers. Because we came back every day, she warmed up to us, sat with us, and shared village gossip, such as the jealousy of the other kiosk owners, and how everyone must serve the same menu so as not to outdo each other with any deviations or innovations. As she sat at a front table cleaning or peeling potatoes, she asked if I like peeling potatoes, hinting toward my taking the task on. Very cheeky. Day meals tended to be avocado and bread from the market, which kept things light and cheap. One dinner was at La Orilla, where the Bolivian owner grew up in the DC area, and wanted to come back to Bolivia, raising his child in a quiet town, so opened up this place. Great sense of service and quality food.