----Kidnapping Warning for Bolivia----

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innuksuk

 
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----Kidnapping Warning for Bolivia----

by innuksuk » Mon Jul 16, 2007 11:37 am

Guys,

Got my tickets to visit a friend from La Paz to hits some nice peaks in the Cordillera Real, but he just sent me this from a Chilean daily (he lives in Santiago now). He's pretty pissed with his countrymen, but highway hijackings and false police robbing tourists are way up. Just FYI for anyone thinking of going. He recommended not going actually, and he's as hard as nails and from a tough area near the cemetery in La Paz (if you've been you'll know) and is an excellent climber (his friends know him as el pulmon con las piernas - the lung with legs) .
It's in spanish so either get out the dictionary, or google/babelfish it.

col

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Ocho países alertan sobre riesgos para turistas que viajan a Bolivia

Fecha edición: 15/07/2007 16:06


Los gobiernos de Alemania, España, EE.UU., Francia, Inglaterra, Italia, Japón y Suiza han advertido a sus turistas sobre el riesgo de sufrir "secuestros express" y los bloqueos de carreteras cuando visitan Bolivia, según un informe publicado hoy por el diario La Razón.

El matutino paceño cita una advertencia del ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores de España, conocida recientemente en la prensa local, que recomienda viajar a Bolivia "con precaución" por la aparición de secuestros por falsos policías, atracos en los taxis y las recurrentes protestas que interrumpen las carreteras.

También Estados Unidos y Francia advirtieron, en las respectivas paginas web de sus embajadas en La Paz, sobre el peligro de personas que usan uniformes e identificaciones policiales y oficinas como si se tratara de comisarías para interceptar y robar a los extranjeros.

Según el diario, en los últimos meses se reportaron entre 30 y 50 "secuestros express" de extranjeros que llegaron a La Paz, entre ellos el más reciente sufrido por una pareja de israelíes asaltada en un taxi el pasado 7 de julio.

Muchos de los secuestros y asaltos se han producido en un populoso barrio de La Paz en el que se encuentra el cementerio general de la ciudad, donde los turistas se embarcan en autobuses para visitar el Lago Titicaca y el Santuario de Copacabana, fronterizo con Perú.

Otras embajadas, según el diario, también lanzaron advertencias sobre los bloqueos de carreteras protagonizados habitualmente por distintos sindicatos y grupos sociales que interrumpen el tránsito entre las distintas ciudades del país y con las fronteras.

Según las estadísticas disponibles, la cantidad global de visitantes extranjeros a Bolivia subió de 503.671 a 515.232 personas entre 2005 y 2006.

No obstante, en el mismo período bajó la cantidad de visitantes que llegaron por vía área, de 271.311 a 241.957, de Norteamérica, Europa y Asia.

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Andino

 
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by Andino » Mon Jul 16, 2007 12:30 pm

Hi there,

We were in Bolivia for a month in March/April, and the same kind of warning was already on.
We were told indeed that there can be fake cops (with or without uniforms).
We also heard about a Dutch girl being mugged and killed...

But nothing happened to us or to the people we met over there.
With a bit of care, La Paz and Bolivia are safe in general.
Don't follow any dodgy guy. Don't follow any policemen, as none of them usually ask for your identity. If they do, tell them you want to contact your embassy first.
And at night, take only Radio Taxi, showing clearly a phone number and a cab company name on the car. Don't share taxis with anyone you don't know.

Bolivia is just great, don't worry too much.
As far as blokades are concerned, nothing much to do unfortunately.
An idea if you need to across the country : fly with Aerosur

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Crotch

 
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by Crotch » Mon Jul 16, 2007 9:48 pm

I recently returned from a Month in Bolivia and felt welcome and safe the entire time. I think those State Department warnings are a tad conservative. What do you think the warning about New York or LA or Detroit would read like if it were in another country?

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Buz Groshong

 
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by Buz Groshong » Mon Jul 16, 2007 10:05 pm

I think those State Department warnings are a tad conservative. What do you think the warning about New York or LA or Detroit would read like if it were in another country?


Or Washington, D.C.!

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Poor Climber

 
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by Poor Climber » Mon Jul 16, 2007 10:16 pm

Having spent time in Guatemala which has\(had at the time) similar warnings about kidnappings and warnings about fake policeofficers and the like.... You should factor these warnings into your travel plans by being more carefull.

IE in Guatemala I took the following percautions.

1. I never went anywhere alone, I always went with a friend. This makes you a harder target.

2. I did not travel repetitvely the same way or the same time. If I walked to where I was going one day. The next day I would take a taxi, or a bus, or walk a different way, or leave at a different time.... etc This makes planning a kidnapping very difficult.

3. I deliberately took my old clothes. This makes you a less appealing person to rob.

4. I took appropriate percautions in the circumstances. For example, when we went up to mountain village to do some work at a school and had to travel a road (more like a beaten path next to a cliff) that was known to be a popular place to get violently robbed. We hired the police to give us an escort. Now mind you, the police worked with/were the theives on this road. :evil: But we paid for their gas, and promised a nice tip on our safe return. This meant the police could have nice day in the mountains, and get a nice 'gift' without even having to do the work of robbing us or actually guarding us because they were the thieves....... :roll:

In other words, keep your head straight,.

And the advice about taxis earlier in the thread is excelant.

Remember, some places in the world are more dangerous than others, ( particullary the places we go for 'adventures'), but you can still win the idiot award anywhere! :lol:

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Andino

 
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by Andino » Tue Jul 17, 2007 8:24 am

A few more recommendations if it helps :

-> don't wear your altimeter watch (if you have one). I forgot to take it off sometimes, and it attracts the attention straight away, people asking question etc...

-> if someone asks you the price of your gear, tell them it was a gift. It will avoid them to think that you're richer than they are.

-> ask your hotel, if they have a safe, to put your most valuables things (passport, plane ticket, extra cash, credit card etc...)

-> do not hesitate to speak Spanish (if you do), and you'll see people becoming very helpful and attentive to your needs.

-> when you go to villages (in the moutains, on Lake Titicaca etc...), it always a good idea to take little gifts (a few pens for example with you). But don't give to kids directly, otherwise it makes them beg instead of going to school. Give it to parents or teachers. Don't give them sweets, as they don't brush their teeth much.

-> I had trouble withdrawing cash with my Visa Card. One bank that always worked for me is BISA UNION. Master Card is better in general for South America.

-> Bargaining is always part of the game when you buy something. But don't push too much as locals might prefer selling and lose money (to feed their family) rather than not sell. Life is cheap in Bolivia, we can afford to give up a few dollars on the gifts we buy there. Especially outside big cities. They live out of tourism, let's not forget it.
And in Bolivia (unlike tourist spots in Peru), they usually respect tourist, and don't see them as walking bank account.

-> Tipping in restaurant is usually 10%

-> Everywhere you can pay with Dollars or Bolivianos.
USD 1 = BOL 8 (bolivianos). If you have bolivianos, you will look less like a gringo... but you will still be a gringo ;o)

If anything else comes to my mind, I'll let you know.

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Crotch

 
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Gifts

by Crotch » Wed Jul 18, 2007 6:25 am

Every little hamlet has a pair of wooden goals, and the town's kids play soccer daily, but more often then not their soccer ball is old, and totally flat. If I was going back, I'd bring a half-dozen deflated soccer balls (or buy them inflated in La Paz if I had the time) and before heading to the mountains, pump one or two up and give them to the kids at the trailhead town.

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Andino

 
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by Andino » Wed Jul 18, 2007 7:13 am

Excellent idea Crotch !

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Pedro Hauck

 
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by Pedro Hauck » Sun Sep 09, 2007 5:26 pm

Hi,

I've had just come back from a 40 day trip in Bolivia with my car. I travelled over all altiplano bolivian departments and it was everything ok.
Don't worry with violence in this country

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Ski Mountaineer

 
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by Ski Mountaineer » Sun Sep 09, 2007 6:00 pm

Chileans and Bolivians have a bad (to say the least) relationship. So what a Chilean newspaper writes about Bolivia should be read with care (the other way around tends to be worse though).

However, there is some truth the warning - La Paz has a good record of crime (kidnappings included), and crimes is on the rise for various reasons.
When you know the common Bolivia oppinion on who is to blame for what than it is clear why tourists are a goal. That La Paz is turning into a hippy-hangout does not help much, eiher. Who is in threat indeed are Chileans.

But I have no worries going to Bolivia and La Paz, but care should be taken (like in many places, I know, but we talk Bolivia here).

Regarding violence - I think many have a misconception about Bolivia being a peaceful country. While there is peace at the moment, the situation is tense given the polarization of the society and the wanna-be kings of certain departements there, and the country is a mess through and through.

Bolivia is a great place to travel, as it is among the lesser-tourist-spoiled places in SA. But the contrast poor locals/rich travellers, upper/under class, and "good/bad" could nowhere be greater, and in the case of "good/bad" be at the same time be as undistinguishable as in Bolivia.

I had great times there, celebrating with locals, but I also saw tanks, shooting, violence on the streets and my Bolivian friends being very frightened for the future of their country.

So keep travellin there but keep a low profile.

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dpk

 
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by dpk » Sun Sep 09, 2007 9:50 pm

I agree that sometimes the State Dept over does some of this stuff. I returned from trip to Trinidad about 3 weeks ago and found this website to have some helpful travel info.

As already noted in the thread common sense, confidence and a few gifts for the locals never hurts no matter where you are.


http://www.travel.state.gov/travel/tips/regional/regional_1178.html


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