IndyDavid

For a gay person, no. It's not that Bolivia isn't welcoming or safe, it's that the concept of "gay" simply doesn't exist. In both La Paz and Santa Cruz, we had trouble convincing the staff that we were OK with a room with one bed. They were always gracious about it -- they were just trying to make sure we were happy. The driver we hired to take us to Tiahuanaco, making polite conversation, asked if we were married. We said we were both single. No problem.

That said, you should still go & see your friends. La Paz is as breathtakingly beautiful a city as Hong Kong or Cape Town or San Francisco, albeit in a different way. It's well worth a visit, if only for a couple days. Remember, the farther south of downtown you go, the lower the altitude -- hence the air is denser, there's more oxygen, and the temperature is warmer. We stayed at the luxurious Camino Real Suites in Calacoto, which was splendid, and we had great fun in the nearby restaurants and coffee houses. Met an amazing woman of a certain age, owner of a huge bakery, socialite and citizen of the world.

David