124 CultureShock! Bolivia
are the time for casual dress. Following his December 2005
election as president of Bolivia, Evo Morales made a world
tour to visit presidents with whose countries Bolivia had
ongoing issues.
In Paris, he became perhaps one of the few foreign
presidents in history to meet the French president while
wearing a sportshirt and leather jacket, with no tie. It
has become difficult to project the trends of Bolivian
fashion. At the outset of 2006, Evo-style pullovers were
becoming trendy.THE POSTAL SYSTEM
The post offi ce is the most dependable and quickest place to
receive post. If you are intending to stay for a lengthy period,
apply for a PO Box, called casilla.
You don’t need a PO Box to receive post. There is a
general delivery service called poste restante or lista de
correos, located on the second fl oor of La Paz’s main post
offi ce. Letters addressed to you should state Poste Restante,
Correo Central, with the name of the city and country on
the bottom line.
In order to pick up your post at the lista de correos
counter, have your passport with you to verify your
identity. Some consulates also receive post for citizens of
their country.TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Until the turn of the century, the only way to own a telephone
was to purchase stock in the phone company, which was a
public cooperative. The whole process took about two weeks,
and the cost was about US$ 1,500, paid in full or in monthly
instalments. Phones were also available for rent for about
US$ 30–50 a month.
Since privatisation and with the profusion of mobile
phones and phone cards, the telecommunications terrain
has offered many more options, and the scene is changing
too rapidly to etch in a text. Once ENTEL lost its temporary
monopoly on 28 November 2001, the fi eld was wide open.
Prices dropped but confusion rose. At this time of writing,