Peru – Bolivia Border Crossing

Tales from the Road

Flanked by Lago Titicaca on one side and steep idyllic valleys on the other, the narrow highway between Puno, Peru and Copacabana, Bolivia, slithers between pueblos and stone fences, chugging its way to the quiet hilltop Peru/Bolivian border.

The scenic four-hour bus trip (which most travelers going from Puno to Copacabana use for crossing borders) proves to be a sufficient time not only to fully appreciate the excitement of crossing into a new country, but also to set anticipation aside for a moment of reminiscence for what is about to be left behind.

But well before you hit the border where you have to get off your bus, fill out Bolivian tourist information (which your bus driver will give you about an hour before the boarder) get your passport stamped in a little white house with two guards, and then physically walk over the border where you can be united with your bus, you’ll be able to ponder your time. And if you’re lucky, a pair of well-intentioned representatives from Peru’s tourism department will be on board to help chronicle your reflections.

In what is a simple attempt by the Peruvian government to understand what makes the tourist dollar tick, bus passengers may be asked to submit to a verbal questionnaire designed to dissect how and why foreign visitors part with their money. How long was your stay in Peru? Were you in Peru for business or pleasure? Which cities did you visit? Did you take a tour over the Nazca Lines? How about Machu Picchu? Hostels or hotels? How much money did you spend on organized tours? How much money did you spend on food? What about entertainment? Did you purchase artesianal goods? What did you not like about Peru? What did you like the best? Which of these logos and slogans about Peru’s tourism do you prefer? And the biggest question of them all, despite its three little words: Will you return?

The final question is one that should be answered immediately, without weighing and measuring the good against the bad, without taking into account finances, future travels or even the likelihood that you’ll return. Rather, it’s a question whose answer originates somewhere in the realm of impulse, of immediate reaction and what the inquisitor really wants to know is: Do you want to return to Peru?

Without hesitation, I answered yes.

Location:
Peru

Other Activity

Travel Skills: None

4 & 5** Custom & Scheduled Tours by www.SouthAmerica.travel Create your own travel itinerary with our custom Travel Planner, or choose from one of our 100s of carefully designed itineraries. Special escorted departures. SouthAmerica.travel