Sitting by a 1,000 year old cactus on the Isla del Pescado in the Salar de Uyuni

I spent 64 days in Bolivia, far longer than I’d anticipated and a number sure to be unmatched by any other country on my trip. Nearly half of my time was spent in the Yungas and the rest was split between the area around La Paz and the southwest of the country. My average daily budget was $26, balancing splurges like the Mashaquipe Lodge with super cheap, nearly free days in Quime and Suri.

Four best memories:

• Hiking around Copacabana and bonding with the street dogs
• Amazing, cheap steak dinners at Nouvelle Cuisine in Sucre
• Hiking to the hot springs outside Quime
• Hiking to an altitude over 5,000 km at Chacaltaya

Four things to do next time:

• A full 3- or 4-day trip through the Uyuni Salt Flats and the Eduarado Avaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve. My trip with Cordillera Traveller was cut short due to a snow storm, which was certainly a bummer!
• Visit Cochabamba and the national parks surrounding the city
• The Death Road, which I didn’t due this time due to fear and budget constraints
• Sajama National Park, which was on my list for this trip but cut off because I didn’t have the appropriate gear