Servimaster in La Paz

Servimaster Tours (St. Sagárnaga No. 271-A [St. Li­nares/St.Murillo], La Paz, Bolivia; phone 591 2 2313002, cell 725 32355) arranged an excellent two-day/one-night trip for me to Lake Titicaca, Dec. 29-30, 2011.

I found them by walking down St. Sagárnaga, the main street of La Paz, where there are many tour companies and artisanal and gift shops. Servimaster’s office occupied a tiny, nondescript store, but their travel agents were excellent. This being one of the few times that I opted for a tour, I asked many questions. They spoke fluent English and patiently addressed all my concerns.

Servimaster quoted a price of BOB650 (near $94), which included round-trip bus transportation, four meals, an overnight stay on Isla del Sol and a full-time bilingual guide. Not included was the ferry ride to and from Copacabana (BOB1), the entry fee to Isla del Sol (BOB5), drinks or the gratuity.

(I checked two other tour companies, but one quoted me a price of BOB800 and, another, BOB1,020.)

The next morning, I was picked up at my hotel at 7:30 by Arturo Sanchez Gonzales. He was a great guide and very accommodating. My interest was to do a lot of hiking. I saw two peaks near the hotel in Isla del Sol and Arturo said, “No problem. I am at your service. I will take you there.”

I had the option of leaving the next day at 1:30 p.m., 6:30 p.m. or any time; Arturo would stay as long as I wanted. We just took the local bus instead of the tourist bus.

The food, the lodging, with a room facing Lake Titicaca, and two full days of Arturo’s service were worth every BOB.

STANLEY MUI
Woodland Hills, CA