Traveling to and Within Bolivia with a Preschooler

Here are some tips and pieces of information you might want to know before taking off for another country with your young child. My son, then-aged three and a half, and myself, recently went to Bolivia, in South America, so I could conduct research for my graduate project. I had never met any one from Bolivia, but I did a lot of research and had one contact online with another American who had been living there for a very long time. It doesn't matter who you know where you are going, but you should have at least one person that you know, through email, and possibly phone calls, before you go. This person can help you with many of the fine details, including information as to what really is going on within the country's borders where you plan to travel. It's very important when you are traveling with a young child, and older ones, too, to know what kind of things, particularly disease and parasites, to watch out for.

In Bolivia, not once did I find a disposable camera. Digital ones, yes, and quite affordable, but I already had one of my own. My problem was that I only had two digital cards, and none of the computers I had access to were capable of downloading the photos so I could clear the cards and use them again. I had to send them back home and then ended up not having enough time to get them back again to take more photos. I did get to take some really great pictures, though.

If you are going to a poorer country, please, pack lightly. This is particularly important if you are traveling to more rural areas like we did. Things are much much less expensive in some other countries, and Bolivia is no exception. In Bolivia, there are few things that are difficult to obtain. Items such as crochet hooks, children's vitamins, and some arts and crafts supplies are difficult, or even impossible to locate. Some are extremely expensive. Unlike the USA, where luxury items seem to be easily obtained, and necessary items are expensive, the opposite seems to hold true. Food is very cheap in Bolivia, as are herbs and spices, while luxury items, such as strollers, fans, and electric stoves are seen as not necessary, and cost at least a bit more. When I purchased a fan and an electric stove (mainly so I wouldn't have to refill a gas tank for a propane powered stove), both cost me a bit over fifty dollars each.

In Bolivia, traveling from city to city is largely done with larger vans, big buses, with some being the kids' favorite, double deckers, and even motorcycle taxis. When we traveled to the tiny town of Ixiamas, in Bolivia, we went there on flotas, or big buses, from Santa Cruz to Rurrenabaque, then crossed the Beni River on a barge, to San Buena. After that, we took a large van, almost a micro or mini bus, to Ixiamas, a four hour drive on what in the USA would be ATV terrain. Luggage has been known to fall off the tops of the vans.

Not once did we use a guide, or a tourist office. We traveled with Bolivians, and had no problems. Bolivians are very peaceful. The one fight we witnessed was between our taxi driver and a motorcycle taxi driver. The argument stemmed from the taxi driver backing into the motorcycle. The motorcycle taxi driver had pulled in right behind us, stopped, parked, got off, and walked away just a few minutes after we pulled in. When my friend asked him to back up closer to the dock so we would not have so far to walk with the luggage, he didn't see the motorcycle. He stopped immediately, but the motorcycle still fell over. The motorcycle taxi driver noticed, and an argument started. It ended up with the two men grappling with each other against our taxi, and with one blow from the motorcycle taxi driver to our taxi driver's face, knocked him down. That was the end of it, and the motorcycle taxi driver walked around to the back of the car, picked up his bike, got on, started it up, and rode off. That was the only bit of violence we saw our entire stay in all of Bolivia.

After arriving in Ixiamas, we rode on motorcycle taxis for a good half hour to the small farm where we would stay for a couple of weeks. If you end up in the same situation, please, make sure you are comfortable before your driver takes off. Make sure you have shoes on that are either easily removed, or are able to be walked in any water you might need to walk through.

Speaking of water, we drank from most of the larger cities' water supplies with no problems, and also drank spring water, unfiltered, while close to Ixiamas on the farm I wrote about above, and a very small amount while in Ixiamas (but only because my son was choking on a sucker), and never had a problem with the famous disease, turista, or anything else for that matter. Perhaps we were lucky, but I felt silly carrying around two different SteriPens.

I had bought one SteriPen with a solar charger, and the other SteriPen was powered by regular batteries. I never used either one. And I felt really silly because every place we were at, except for the farm in Ixiamas, had electric power. If you feel you need one, by all means, take one, but there is bottled water available everywhere you go in Bolivia.

As for other uses we all need water for, bathing, washing clothes and dishes, and cooking, it's very plentiful. Most homes do not have heated showers or baths, so for the little children, either they are taught from a very young age to not only tolerate the cold water coming out of the tap, or for those like my son who aren't used to it at all, water is heated up on the stove and poured into a large tub, called a bañador. It takes about one tea kettle full and about three or four gallons of water to make the water 'just right', but always test it first, of course, just like you would in the USA.

You, as an adult, get to enjoy the fun of getting used to cold showers. However, it isn't as bad as what it might sound like. In the heat, a cold shower is really a nice thing. There were days when the temps reached 90, and with the heat index, based on the humidity levels, it was over 100. There were some days when I would just wear a swimsuit with a skirt and jump in the shower every couple of hours. Shampoo and conditioner, bath soap, body brushes, and anything else you want for bathing is very cheap to buy. Don't bother taking any with you. There are no shortages. Toilet tissue, also, very cheap, and just as good as what we have here in the States. You can buy, in most locations, a pack of six rolls of Scott for a little over a dollar. Feminine needs products are generally purchased in a farmacia.

Washing clothes is a bit different in Bolivia than it is in the USA. You get to do it by hand. Get Omo, that stuff gets everything and anything out. Omo is a powder that comes in small bags. Depending on how dirty your clothes are, you can get about ten washes out of one bag. One bag of Omo costs about half a dollar. Get a plastic based brocha, or brush, with stiff bristles, not a wooden one. Those tend to mildew after a while, and some have split, so plastic is always better.

As for the day to day activities your child will engage in, get some water shoes, preferably nothing that will let water sit inside. Flip flops are what's worn by most kids, but for those who aren't used to wearing them, there are plastic and rubber combination footwear in sandal form that's also available here in the USA and in Bolivia. This is important for children who play in areas where they are in either grass, dirt, sand, or a combination. There are parasites in the soil there, and good foot wear can keep your child's feet protected. Make sure your child learns early in your stay how to wash his or her own feet off in running water. Having shoes that are waterproof are a necessity for young children, and it is a good idea to have at least two pair for each child. For when your child does get a parasite, please don't panic. It happens to a lot of children. One thing to have on hand is "Quatro Derm". It's spelled "4 Derm" on the package. The friends I made there recommended I put the medicated cream on my son's foot once a night for three nights and that it would work. I did, and my barefoot loving son was fine. However, he loves being barefoot so much, he soon got another 'bichu' (bee-chew).

This time I decided I would keep him in bed, entertained, of course, and most certainly not as a punishment, even though I am sure it felt like it was such, and apply the medication once an hour for about five hours. I applied it around where the bichu was at, and then filled in the circle each time. In about two and half hours, I could see a big difference. By the afternoon, it was completely gone, and he kept his shoes on a lot better after that, as well.

Leaving Bolivia, after getting to know several people, is not an easy thing to do. I was, honestly, in tears when saying good bye to several of my friends. Make sure you have addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses, if possible, of any one you want to stay in contact with.

When you leave, make sure you have packed your personal bag with your food, as the larger carry on bags are generally gate checked. They do serve meals on the plane and it is usually in your ticket fees, but there are, I have heard, not experienced myself, that sometimes there are not enough meals to go around. Also, and this is crucial, as you cannot board the plane without it, you must have paid the $25.00 USD airport tax for each passenger. Without the airport tax sticker, you may not board the plane. I loved being in Bolivia, and seriously wish that I had been unable to pay the airport tax, refunded our tickets, and then gotten other visas and stayed, permanently. That is how much we loved Bolivia. We hope, if you go, that you love it, too.