La Paz - Post Report Question and Answers
Is it easy to make friends with locals here? Are there any prejudices or any ethnic groups who might feel uncomfortable here?
If you speak good Spanish it's not too hard to make local friends. I'm not aware of major racial prejudice here. - Jan 2024
Bolivians are pretty friendly, overall. But you need excellent Spanish to make deep friendships. There is a large indigenous population in La Paz. - Aug 2022
I think it is. Our family was fluent in Spanish, which was definitely an asset, but Bolivian people are generally very gracious and humble. If you make eye contact, they often offer a "buen dia!" as you pass on the street, or will wish you "buen provecho" (enjoy your meal) if they pass your table at a small restaurant. They greet friends and acquaintances with kisses and hugs and find Americans who wave at a distance to be stiff and comical, (but they only share that in private). - Feb 2019
