ironmanjt

I'd been thinking about this trip for a long time. For about a year, I've had only two countries remaining to visit in South America, Bolivia and Ecuador. I'd always planned on doing it with American, but earlier this year when United seriously devalued miles I wanted to burn every last one. I started looking for weeks I could get away, and possible routings. Getting into La Paz and out of Quito were pretty easy, but getting between them was harder.

I could have done the easy thing and just buy it, but I had some more miles left, and United was giving me all sorts of exotic routings that would allow 23 hour connections in cities I hadn't been to before. In the end, I decided on Medellin as it sounded the most interesting and exotic. I'll admit, I didn't do much research when putting this together. I had over 500,000 United miles to burn, and under a week to get things done, so I planned the in and out flights...and left the middle to chance a bit. That said, I leave in barely a week and still don't have everything booked. It'll all come together I suspect.

...any last minute "musts" or advice are certainly welcome.

The planned itinerary, and rough plans for this report:

Prelude: Pre-Trip Thoughts
Part I: Washington DC to La Paz, Bolivia on US Airways and Avianca (via Charlotte, Miami, Bogota)
Part II: La Paz, Bolivia, Part I
Part III: La Paz to Uyuni, Bolivia, Hotel Luna Salada, and Salar de Uyuni Salt Flats
Part IV: Uyuni to La Paz, and La Paz Part II
Part V: Daytrip to Lake Titicaca, Bolivia
Part VI: La Paz to Medellin, Colombia on TACA Peru (via Lima)
Part VII: Short Stay in Medellin, Colombia
Part VIII: Medellin, Colombia to Quito, Ecuador on Aero Republica and COPA (via Panama)
Part IX: Quito, Ecuador
Part X: Quito to Washington DC on COPA and US Airways (via Panama, Cancun, and Philadelphia)

Routing:



I promise this won't be one of those post and run trip reports....it'll go live in just over a week with the first update! I also can't resist sharing, as a teaser, the BIG trip I'm planning in October/November. Suiffice to say with a trip report name like "From Bula to Shalom!" I hope it will be epic...four weeks in the south pacific, a couple days in DC for laundry, and then Israel and Palestine.

If you'd like to see my other trip reports:

I. London to Iran and Afghanistan in a mix of C, F, and LCCs
II. Above the Arctic Circle with UA/CO/LH and SK in whY, C, and F
III. Around the World in 40 Days for 40 Years
IV. 8 Places People Who Are Right in the Head Do Not Spend New Years
V. 12 Countries, 10 Airlines, 4 Islands, 27,080 miles, 11 Days
VI. 6 Countries in 6 Days - Caribbean Island Hopping and first AA Experience
VII. Guyana, Suriname, and French Guyana with an unexpected sidetrip to Caracas!
VIII. To Haïti - for vacation and a milage run!
IX. Around Senegal and West Africa
X. 4th Annual New Years in Dangerous Places - Libya Edition
XI. Kosovo and FYR Macedonia - Milage Run in United Business + TK/LH
XII. Washington to Peru and Machu Picchu on COPA and TACA
XIII. To Johannesburg...for 36 hours!
XIV. Here a Stan, there a Stan, everwhere a Stan Stan....
XV. Air Burkina, Air Cote d'Ivoire and 7 countries in West Africa
XVI. Turkey for Thanksgiving....with a side of Tajikistan, Serbia, Montenegro, and Moscow
XVII. Into the Heart of Darkness... Congo, Angola, Gabon, OH MY!
XVIII. HI! Four Islands, Lots of Planes, Beaches, and Convertibles
XIX. Plenty of Salt, Not Enough Oxygen...a Trip to Boliva, Colombia, and Ecuador (this report)

Dieuwer

Start taking iron supplements and go on a treadmill everyday. Will help to adjust to higher altitudes when you leave.

ironmanjt

Thanks. I run 30 miles in an average week so not worried from that aspect, but upping the iron is a good call. An excuse for more steak and spinach!

avneeshj

Subscribed! Looking forward to this one...

akersnl

Don't just start taking iron supplements. You have to be careful with increasing your iron intake through supplementation. Just eat natural foods.

Billiken

I used to visit Quito three or four times/year.
Never had a problem with hypoxia, except, perhaps, falling asleep the first night.

My favorite lunch restaurant is Pavorotti.
It's on Doce de Octubre near the SwissHotel.

ironmanjt

Thanks for the recommendations! I'm not so worried about Quito at 10,000 feet (nearly same as Cuzco) but La Paz/El Alto at 13,300...that's another nut to crack

bruns83

Fantastic - can't wait for this! Bolivia is one of my favourite countries.

Will you be travelling by road, rail or air to Uyuni? I'm sure you already know, but the last 2-3 hours of the road is unpaved and rather uncomfortable. I'd recommend taking the Todo Turismo bus for the extra comfort, or taking the train from Oruro if you can.

Buen viaje!

flyersky1

Looking forward to the full report! I will shamelessly plug in a link to my trip report here from about a year ago, but you may find something useful in the part about Bolivia. One of my favorites was a trip to Tiwanaku.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-...er-island.html

bruns83

I just checked out your report again flyersky1 - brilliant read with some epic photos. Brought back a lot of memories of my travels there. You have to love those LAN/TACA snack boxes...

ironmanjt

When I planned this trip a few months ago, it was because I had United miles I wanted to use before they were devalued. The dates chosen were completely random, and seem to have worked out, because in less than a week I’m on my way.

It’s actually been a sign to me that something is different – I’m different. I just flung dates into the wind, found connections that looked reasonable and available, and booked. No planning, just doing, trusting that my instincts from now 155 countries visited would serve me well.

So, with the trip less than a week away now, I find myself feeling a bit strange about it. Why, I’m not entirely certain, but something about this feels different from all the trips I’ve taken in the past. I could be a long of things, from major ones, to trivial ones:

1) Am I getting so close to “every country” that each new trip brings a feeling of completion?
2) This will be my first continent “completed” so is that a mile marker?
3) Is it that I’m flying so far away, but all in the same day with no overnights?
4) Is it the excitement to be somewhere Spanish-speaking again, knowing I’ll be forced to practice?
5) Is it that it’s my first time in South America solo? Without it being with friends/significant others/work?
6) Is it the excitement of new airlines and a complicated itinerary?

Regardless, it’s different…and that’s exciting. After this many countries, travel can still bring a sense of wonder: new places, new people, new experiences. Even after I’ve made it to every country, there will still be exciting experiences each time I visit a new place…be it Des Moines, Iowa, or Turkmenbashi, Turkmenistan.

Dieuwer

I hope your brain doesn't explode when you step out of the plane in LPB at 13,300 feet(!) without having had any adjustment.
Not sure if you considered it, but stopping over in BOG at 8,600 feet might have been a good adjustment option.

ironmanjt

Oh well! Too late now....but let's just hope the brain exploding thing doesn't happen. I kinda like having it around

Dieuwer

I just read that the German embassy in La Paz had a freezer installed to store dead bodies from people who had died from cerebral edema.

http://wikitravel.org/en/Salar_de_Uyuni#Stay_safe

farbster

Looking forward to this report. Your travels are always interesting....