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Overview of Bolivia
Stretching from deep within the sultry Amazon to high atop the mysterious Altiplano, Bolivia is home to some of the most radical geographic, climatic and cultural disparities on the planet. Considered the one of poorest country in South America, what Bolivia lacks in economic wealth is more than recouped in its rich culture, vibrant people and countless natural wonders. A must stop for any traveler is Lake Titicaca. Sprawling across the border of Peru and Bolivia, the worlds highest lake sits at an enchanting 12,500 feet above sea level. Clouds remain suspended just inches above the glassy surface while watery white caps blend with those of the distant Cordillera Real peaks. Said to be the birth place of the first Inca, Isla del Sol (Island of the Sun) is still home to the ancient Aymara people and remains an important religious pilgrimage site today.

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From the highest lake to the highest capital in the world, our next stop, La Paz. Plunging downward from the high Andean Plateau, this thriving valley of civilization appears out of nowhere. The city proper resides in the lowest part of the area with shantytowns crawling upwards, spilling over top of the natural bowl in the plateau. The only thing more breathtaking than the scenery is the effort to reach it. But don't worry, if you find yourself winded, the Oxygen Bar serves up cold drinks with oxygen on the side. Administered through table side oxygen masks, choose your favorite flavor and breathe deep.

Translated as The Peace, La Paz is anything but peaceful. The streets are lined with mazes of street stalls, brimming with everything from fresh produce to the latest electronics. For more adventurous shopping, stop at the witches market. Vials of multicolored potions, cured animal skins and bone handicrafts crowd the shelves, amid the rotting stench of decaying baby llama. It is these stark contrasts that draw you in. The history, mystery, insanity, that is La Paz. For adventure junkies, The Death Road promises a bicycling experience like no other. Starting well above the cloud line, the 11,000-foot descent is defined by narrow, muddy paths and heartstopping cliff drops. The road, which has claimed the lives of a dozen tourists in the last ten years, has become a rite of passage for many South American travelers. For most Boliviano's, however, the road remains a formidable adversary, taking the lives of hundreds of locals every year.

From the concrete jungle and its assorted denizens into the uncharted depths of the Amazon jungle, the small town of Rurrenabaque provides the perfect jump off point for Amazonian exploration. However, the city, buried deep within thousands of hectares of unruly jungle and swampy marsh can be difficult to get to.

If you dont mind roughing it for a few days, rudimentary river boats offer an unforgettable walk on the wild side. Cruising north on the Beni River, passengers can steal a rare glimpse of one of the most biodiverse regions on the planet, Medidi National Park. Home to thousands of birds, insects and large game, the only human inhabitants are the indigenous population. Large scale tour companies are not permitted to enter this portion of the jungle, so youll need a local tour guide ... and a machete. Enter Pedro.

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With a majority of the day spent on the river, our only stops were for hunting and sleeping. We dined on freshly caught piranha the first night. On the second evening we went on an unexpected hunt for wild boar. Bathed in a cologne of feces, the boars were easily tracked by stench alone, and can attract predators from miles away. Machetes in hand, we quietly maneuvered across the dense jungle floor, but just as we closed in on the pack, so did some other hungry would be diners ... jaguars. Guess we were not the only one's out for pork that day. If swimming with wild alligators, hunting for anacondas and piranha fishing are not high on your list, this next tour is probably not for you. Seated in a small, shallow canoe, a leisurely day of alligator and caiman spotting kicked off the Pampas Tour. Dozens of reptiles lined the nearby shores. Effortlessly able to count the hundreds of razor sharp teeth lining their wide grins, 'close encounters' cannot even begin to describe our vicinity to these man eaters.

The next day, equipped with rubber knee high boots and armed with the golden rule of snake chasing if you feel something move, don't step down the adventure began. Trudging through the spongy marshes, we found two anacondas and its more elusive and dangerous cousin, the cobra. Pouncing on the cobra from behind, Oscar (our guide for this leg of the journey) grasped onto the tail, flailing her into the air. Snapping and writhing for minutes, she finally relaxed enough for a quick photo op followed by an even quicker release. After spending several days floating along gator infested waters, the time had come to go beneath them. But before taking the death-defying dip, we took one safety precaution finding a pod of dolphins. Trapped in the swamps from flooding hundreds of years ago, pink river dolphins remain the only animal alligators truly fear. So, with my pod nearby, I took the plunge. After braving the dark water for several minutes, the moment my pod left, so did I, returning immediately back in the boat. Carrying on south to the rugged terrain of Bolivia's high Altiplano, I was instantly met by bone chilling cold. Due to the regions soaring altitude (over 13,000 feet), temperatures can easily change from a mild 70 degree high to well below freezing in a matter of hours. The vast Altiplano showcases countless natural wonders including smoldering volcanos, gigantic crater lakes and dozens of active geysers, perhaps the most impressive being Solar de Uyuni, commonly referred to as The Bolivian Salt Flats. Covering an area the size of New Jersey, this dried up, ancient sea bed contains over 10,000 billion tons of salt. Emitting a milky white radiance into the sky, the gap between clouds and salty earth collide into one solid wall of white. Direction, distance and depth, were all lost in this natural illusion. Surprisingly, night proved even saltier than day, as we took the rare opportunity to stay in the one, the only, Salt Hotel. Bed frames, tables, chairs, even the walls were all constructed of this multi-purpose seasoning.

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While there may be tamer ways to explore, the only way to truly experience Bolivias extraordinary culture and untainted beauty is by taking a chance, tackling what many call the final frontier and discovering for yourself Bolivias true riches.

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