Through my church I do volunteer work for a charitable organization (www.qbl.org) that helps the incredibly poor people of Bolivia. Twice I have visited Bolivia with this group to monitor the progress that has been made in getting them fresh, clean water among other things. This requires going out to some extremely remote areas. To tell you a little about Bolivia, 90% of the roads are unpaved, it is probably the poorest (or 2nd poorest) country in South America. The infant mortality rate is about 40%. The altitude of the places we visit sometimes exceeds 15,000 feet. It has an indigenous population of about 60%. To put that in perspective, if the United States had an indigenous population of 60%, about 180,000,000 would be Native American.
Most Bolivians don't speak English. A good percentage don't even speak Spanish. They speak a native tongue called Quechua or Aymara which are languages that pre-date the introduction of Spanish.
Are we getting authentic yet?
This is what I can tell you about the Bolivian people: they are peaceful, friendly, and some of the kindest and gracious people I have ever met.
On my last journey to Bolivia, I flew into La Paz airport. It is the highest commercial airport in the world. On a previous trip to La Paz I came in by bus accompanied by some tourists and a lot of Bolivians.
In La Paz, we stay at the Milton Hotel at $12 a night. Clean room, hot shower. It is probably the best budget hotel in La Paz. However, once we go out into the countryside we are going to get very authentic.
We usually hire a small van to transport us to visit the villages that QBL serves. On our last trip we went to Cora Cora (look that up on Google Maps - I can't find it). It is literally past the end of the road. We need to pass through a shallow stream and continue on a dirt road to the village.
In the village, there are no "restrooms". We do however, use a "hut" with a hole that empties into a small stream. There are no "stores", only people selling things out of wagons or stands set up on the streets. Restaurants? Forget about it.
We stay in Cora Cora for the night. We find a homeowner willing to let us sleep in rooms that have been recently fumigated for about $3 a night. It can be about 85 degrees during the day in Bolivia but at night it usually gets below freezing. No heat or hot water is available, which is the authentic way to live in Bolivia.
The next day we go to visit the village. In preparation for our visit they have slaughtered a lamb for us and we see the evidence as we approach. The cooking method is pretty authentic too. They build a fire and heat rocks. A hole is dug. The food (lamb, potatoes) is placed in the hole with the hot rocks. A few hours later, voila! An authentic meal.
As I mentioned, the Bolivians are kind people. They are generous with what they have and very grateful for what they receive. The opportunity to help them is the most rewarding and authentic travel experience I have ever had.