Aduana- How? What? Where?

Here is my way of helping out anyone who has recently arrived in Bolivia (especially mid-long term tourists) who would like to receive a parcel from their home country. 

It's all fine and dandy till it enters Bolivia (by way of any city), and then you get a notification that it requires 'Customs Clearance'. This will take place whether your parcel arrives via International Post or a courier service (DHL, FedEx, UPS etc). 

After getting it done, I realised it was a simple process if only I knew what was to be done and how. So here are the simple steps you can follow.

What you need- to register as a personal importer

Step 1: Fill out the form 170 online. You cannot go to Aduana and ask to fill it there, they will ask you to go online at an Internet Cafe and register (then print out 2 copies). Instructions on how to get to the form: 
go to www.aduana.gob.bo--> Click on Plataforma de atencion al Cliente-->
Click on Registro de importadores- Formulario 170. 

Instructions/Directions are available in pdf format (if you require)in the 3 links below the form 170

• Requisitos para el registro y empadronamiento de importadores
• Instructivo para el llenado del formulario
• Direcciones y teléfonos de oficinas de la Aduana Nacional

Step 2: If you are a temporary resident/visitor, take your proof of address (this can be your hotel/home address to verify authenticity of where you live while in Bolivia). You will need a copy of this and on the copy write your full name, passport or ID number and a signature

Step 3: Original passport and a copy (main page only required). Again the copy will need your full name, passport or ID number and a signature

Step 4: Sketch of map of residence in Bolivia (MODELO DE CROQUIS). You can either print this out online from www.aduana.gob.bo (Page 4 of the 'Requisitos para el registro y empadronamiento de importadores') or get it at an Internet/Fotocopias shop right outside the Aduana. It is a small shop where the people are extremely friendly and they know the process, so for Bs. 8/- they will give you a paper on which you can draw the map of where you live, and have to write down the zone and sign. 

Step 5: If you visit the Internet cafe, they will also give you a manila folder, and help you print out the online form (2 copies) for the registration. Please note that the form has to be filled online and no other way.

Step 6: Visit the Aduana around 1330hrs (1:30pm) or later, it is the 2nd door on the right with two people seated and plenty of chairs if you need to wait in a queue. You will need to see the person on the right (in the room) and hand over the folder with all copies. 

Step 7: He/She will ask for your original ID (passport or other), check all details filled out, authorise it on the online system and get your fingerprint on the form printout. 

That's it! 

Basically, if you take the filled out online form 170 (2 copies), copy of passport, copy of proof of address (latest electricity/water/telephone bill), sketch map on the required page and go directly to the office, it will not take more than 5 minutes (unless there is a queue). 

Where is the Aduana?
Available at the link 'Direcciones y teléfonos de oficinas de la Aduana Nacional' on www.aduana.gob.bo. If you are in Cochabamba, it is located in Quillacollo at km 7.5 on Av. Capitan Victor Ustarez

How to get there?
If in Cochabamba, take any trufi from Heroinas/Ayacucho, Av. Aroma, Av. Beiging or Av. America that has Quillacollo Plaza or Blanco Galindo as direction/destination. There are a number of trufis (51, 207, 209, 290 etc). 

If you get the Blanco Galindo trufi, get down at Km 7.5, some trufi's might turn off the road so keep an eye and get out to change for a Trufi to Quillacollo Plaza. Once on Av. B Galindo walk up a street to Capitan Victor Ustarez (about 2 blocks). 

You will see a large compound with trucks and a large sign 'Aduana Nacional'

Good luck and God speed :)

Off to the river we go (with the BABIES!)

Tuesday morning and another cold start to the day. Nowadays it isn't really an option to take a hot shower in the morning as it is a survival thing.

Off to Ushpa to a fun day with the niños in maternal and soon after breakfast we get the kids to walk out as usual which tends to be just to the basketball court where they get to run around, play with toys etc. and just be in the sun for a bit. This time however, it was different, we keep walking and soon I realise oh oh! we're going on a trek to the church again. 17 little ones going down a pebble ridden steep path requires an extreme amount of alertness and quick reflexes.

After a fair bit of walking (for the babies), we reach the church and Jose Miguel is surprisingly smart as he automatically turns to the right even though the kids have probably only been there a couple of times before.

More surprisingly for me and the other volunteers, Rosemarie tells us to walk on and the realization hits- We're going to the river!Another 15 minute walk down hill, crossing a highway with little ones who can barely walk, just learning to walk and a few who cannot walk yet. Adventure indeed.

Arrive at this crazy looking narrow as hell path that is so dangerous even for an adult to walk on their own as you really have to balance between fitting in the path, not getting scraped by thorns on both sides and making sure you don't slip on the pebbles and other obstacles.

I see your obstacle path, and I raise you the path with kids who can just about walk. It was without a doubt the most tiring and scary thing I've done in the longest time.

We finally reach the dried out river, get the babies to sit down, entertain them a bit, feed them mandarinas and then yipee an uphill battle this time. Now, the babies are exceptionally tired from the long walk, the struggle to get to the river and sleepy. So, task is to climb up holding on for dear life and carry babies who don't want to even stand any more. Wow! When we finally got back to the class, one could tell we were beyond exhausted and really just wanted to climb into a bed somewhere and relax. Alas! This would not be possible as the kids have to be fed lunch, cleaned up, put to bed and then we have to wipe down, sweep and scrub the classroom clean before we can leave. 
What a day!

La Niña...o....El Niño?

It was one of those days when we had too many volunteers in maternal and so I figured I could help out elsewhere. Off I went to check if I could assist in the office or Inicial 1. It so happened that Inicial 1 was glad to have my help that day and so I had the opportunity to get to know those kids as well as put my oh so fabulous Spanish (NOT) to the test.

Funny story here was I thought all day that this one kid was a girl as the kid had long hair and rather delicate features to be fair. Until I was to take 'the kid' to the toilet and off came the pants, lo and behold 'its a boy!'. Yup all along it was a boy, and here I was making the poor little one have an identity crisis by referring to him as a girl. Learnt my lesson- hopefully next time I wont have to wait until I take the kid to the baño to figure it out :)

Sorry Jose, my bad! (I didnt know his name earlier or would have been the best bet at figuring out the gender).