Tiwanaku has so much history and interesting stories about the culture and the place. I really wish we had a better guide who was interested in telling us about the place. It was a shame really.
We were picked up by the guide in our hotel in downtown La Paz. He didn’t introduce himself. He just asked us for our names and told us to follow him to the van. When we got to the van, we saw that the van was old, kind of dirty, and it was full. My husband and I had to seat separately as there were no two seats together and the guide did not even bother to ask other passengers to allow us to sit together.
Throughout the trip, I had problems understanding the guide. He would speak 2 sentences in Spánish, then a sentence in English, then go back to Spanish again. It got tiring following him, so I stopped paying attention. This was very unfortunate because I was interested in learning more about Tiwanaku as I have heard so much about it. However, as much as I tried to listen, it was difficult trying to listen to someone who spoke too softy in half Spanish and English and rather in a monotonous voice.
During lunchtime, we ate at a local restaurant. The food was fine and the place was clean. The driver and the guide (along with other guides) were sitting in a separate table and drinking beer. I am not sure if this is an accepted practice in Bolivia, but I thought this was rather unprofessional to be drinking while working - especially the driver.
Perhaps, it was my lack of understanding of SpanGlish from the guide, but before our van arrived to our final destination in San Francisco Plaza, our guide left us in the middle of nowhere. We were left in the van with the bus driver who did not speak any English. Again, maybe I have set my expectations too high, but I would think (and expect) it is the guide’s responsibility to accompany us to our final destination.
Final thought: I felt a bit ripped off by this tour. It was not the money, but the time spent. I felt we wasted 6 hours of precious time listening to someone who obviously was not interested in his job. My advice: spend a bit more money and hire a private car and guide. Make sure that the guide is someone who likes his job and is interested in telling you the story and history about Tiwanaku.