Author Archives: Harry

About Harry

Harry is a freelance writer based in South America who writes about travel among numerous other things.

Salar de Uyuni and the South Western Circuit

Posted on August 22, 2015 by Harry

The Salar de Uyuni is without a doubt Bolivia’s premier tourist attraction. Visited by hundreds of tourists from around the world each day, the world famous salt flats are a spectacular sight to behold. This surreal, alienesque landscape features in countless travel blogs, … Continue reading →

Posted in Travel | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Pope visits Bolivia

Posted on July 10, 2015 by Harry

Pope Francis recently visited La Paz and Santa Cruz as part of an eight day whirlwind tour of South America’s poorest nations, although sadly he only spent about four hours in La Paz due to medical concerns regarding the high altitude. This is probably fair enough, … Continue reading →

Posted in politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

It’s McBack

Posted on May 22, 2015 by Harry

Good news for those who enjoy the occasional Big Mac – McDonald’s has announced that they will be returning to Bolivia in 2015. The first restaurant is expected to open in Santa Cruz and, if successful, other franchises will pop up around the country. … Continue reading →

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Animal Rights

Posted on May 21, 2015 by Harry

The issue of animal rights was a hot topic in Bolivia last month after a woman in Cochabamba became upset with a neighbor’s dog that entered her property and ate one of her chickens. Rather than reporting the incident through official channels (which are notoriously … Continue reading →

Posted in living | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Ayahuasca – the vine of the soul

Posted on May 5, 2015 by Harry

An ancient indigenous healing remedy, Ayahuasca is a mixture of Amazonian plants which culminate in the release of DMT, a powerful hallucinogenic compound. By themselves, these components have no effect on the human brain. But when the crucial Ayahuasca root is … Continue reading →

Posted in health | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Cars and Driving in Bolivia

Posted on April 16, 2015 by Harry

Car ownership is comparatively uncommon in Bolivia, with private vehicles generally being reserved for transportistas and the economic elite. Nevertheless, if I did happen to earn enough money to buy a car here, I probably wouldn’t want to drive it anyway. … Continue reading →

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Local Elections and Travel Restrictions

Posted on March 30, 2015 by Harry

Another election weekend has just passed, this time for both regional governance and mayoral elections which are held simultaneously across the country. Evo Morales’ MAS (Movement Towards Socialism) suffered severe losses in key regions, most notably losing regional governance in La Paz … Continue reading →

Posted in politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

The Day of the Sea (El Dia del Mar)

Posted on March 24, 2015 by Harry

Bolivia hasn’t always been a landlocked country. Many years ago, its borders stretched all the way to the Pacific Ocean, occupying a vast desert landscape once known as Litoral. Sadly, Bolivia lost its precious coastline to Chile in one of … Continue reading →

Posted in history | Tagged , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Bolivian cuisine: The good, the bad and the ugly

Posted on March 8, 2015 by Harry

Some optimistic bloggers use adjectives like delicious, mouth watering, and scrumptious to describe Bolivian cuisine. I might use similar words to write about Thai, Indian, Italian, or Turkish. But Bolivian? I think bland, boring, and dull are much more accurate. I’m … Continue reading →

Posted in Food | Tagged , , , , , , , | 59 Comments

The Bolivian Medical System – at least it’s cheap

Posted on February 24, 2015 by Harry

While the medical system in Bolivia is miles behind those of the west, our current socialist government ensures everyone can afford to get some basic care. Unfortunately, however, when I say basic I really mean basic. Bolivian nationals are all … Continue reading →

Posted in health | Tagged , , , , , , | 9 Comments