Amazon Kindle
For just a few bucks, you can download your own copy of the book for use on your e-reader or computer, giving you access to our blog posts wherever you are, without having to connect to the internet. And, buying the e-book is a great way to support our project… take a look at some sample pages from the PDF.
 |  |
 |  |
Bolivia has left us exhausted. Beaten down, dirty, haggard, semi-cripples. We usually stay three months in a city, and this is the first time we’ve decided to jump around an entire country. Turns out, Bolivia is way too big to see in three months! We completely missed huge regions, such as Tarija. The entire eastern section of Bolivia received short shrift; we only had time for a few quick posts from Santa Cruz, and never got a chance to see the Chaco.
Still, the things we did see will be etched into our memories forever. The clean white horizons of Uyuni’s salt flats; the most bizarre area I’ve ever visited. The heartbreaking city of Potosí, under the shadow of the massive Cerro Rico — pillaged and past its prime, a living metaphor for the city that it once made unfathomably rich. The charming colonial heritage of Sucre, a city with an easy way of life we never expected to find in Bolivia.
La Paz! The bustling markets, filled with every color imaginable, from the bright reds and yellows of the fresh fruits available on every corner, to the neon greens and purples on the blankets of the Cholitas who dominate paceño street life. Packed into a gorgeous mountain valley, La Paz is desperately, almost frighteningly alive.
Cochabamba and its surrounding villages. Villa Tunari. The Isla de Sol. The rate at which we racked up incredible memories was almost nauseating. No chance to reflect on the mountain village festival, time to go on the jungle hike! Even on those rare nights we were able to rest, we kept ourselves busy by reading about the country’s tragic history, or hanging out with some of the cool people we were lucky enough to meet.
I can’t say we’re upset to leave. We’re sick of constantly being on the move, and both of us are ready for the comfort and amenities of Europe. For example, I’m looking very much forward to being able to flush toilet paper, instead of shoving it into overflowing bins. But regardless of the difficulties and the exhausting nature of our schedule, Bolivia has earned a spot in my heart from which it will never be dislodged. It’s the most beautiful country I’ve ever visited, and one I’ll never be able to forget.
Next, we’re onto Palermo, Italy, after a month-long break at our home base in Valencia, Spain. We hope that you continue to follow our travels.
There wasn’t much practical information online about the dunes, so we arrived woefully unprepared. Entry to the park costs ten Bolivianos per person (about $0.14), but the gate is almost two miles away from the sand. Luckily, our taxi agreed to drive us most of the way, until the path became too difficult to navigate. The dunes were visible in the distance, so we paid the fare and prepared ourselves for a hike.
But boy, we picked the wrong day to visit sand dunes! A strong wind was gusting down from the north, sending sand flying at incredible velocities. Protecting our faces as best we could, we clambered to the top of the first dune and discovered a beautiful lagoon on the other side. The park is home to 286 different bird species who use the safety of the dunes’ lagoons for rest. We spotted a small falcon, and some other birds… that were colorful … Sorry, I’m not an ornithologist. But they were definitely birds.
Though our skin was under ceaseless attack by thousands of little sand bullets, we endeavored to explore a bit. But after thirty minutes of misery, with our eyes shielded and unable to enjoy the view, we decided to cut the trip short. Unfortunately the park’s entrance was over two miles away, but we got lucky and waved down a semi-truck going in our direction. For the price of a coke, the driver agreed to take us the rest of the way.
It wasn’t the most successful trip, but Las Lomas de Arena is a strange and beautiful spot. The heavy winds were bad luck, but in retrospect, we should have chosen to go with an organized tour operator that offered explorations in 4x4s. It’s the perfect area for that kind of excursion, and would have been worth the extra cost.
Seven kilometers outside of Santa Cruz, the Biocenter Güembé combines aspects of a resort, a natural recreation park, a swimming pool, and a zoo. We visited for half a day and could happily have stayed for much longer, relaxing by the pool or exploring the grounds more thoroughly.
Upon entering the park, which costs 90 Bs ($13) a head, we immediately found ourselves face-to-face with a couple ostriches and a capybara sharing a grazing field. Güembé has a wealth of wildlife to discover, including an island full of monkeys, a turtle sanctuary, toucans and more parrots than you could ever care to see.
After taking a walk through the jungle paths, where Capuchin and Titi monkeys were fighting and frolicking overhead, we found the Butterfly Dome. If you have a crippling fear of butterflies, this might not be the place for you. Don’t snicker; lepidopterophobes actually exist in enough numbers that the condition apparently has a name. And as we walked around the dome, with thousands of butterflies flapping about our heads, I began to see the logic of fear. Butterflies are unpredictable in their movements and, if their ugly cricket-like faces are any indication, probably evil. Soon enough, I found myself wanting to scream whenever one brushed the back of my neck. “Butterfly Dome”. It could make a great horror film.
I was starting to panic, so we left the butterflies and entered an incredible aviary close by, filled with lush vegetation and home to innumerable exotic birds, such as toucans, parrots and peacocks, none of whom were shy of humans. There was also a squirrel standing on the railing, eating paint flecks. He was twitching weirdly and approached us in far too confident a manner. As Jürgen started to walk, then run away, the squirrel chased after him. Considering my freakout in the Butterfly Dome, the evidence is mounting that perhaps we’re not the world’s toughest guys after all.
We rewarded our chilling encounters with nature by hopping into some of the many swimming pools in Biocenter Güembé. The water felt great and we were all alone. The park is more than 24 hectares in size, but there were very few guests. Perhaps it fills up on the weekends, but we appreciated the relative solitude.
Güembé is ideal for families with kids, even if lovers of “authentic” nature might be disappointed. We ordered a nice lunch at one of the shaded picnic areas, and discovered that there was even a Wifi signal! Had we known that, we might have booked a night in one of the cabins. If you’ve got an extra day in Santa Cruz and are looking for a relaxing place to spend some time, Güembé is worth a look.
– Hostels and Hotels in Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz lies in Bolivia’s eastern lowlands, with a humid equatorial climate more reminiscent of Brazil than La Paz, and the culture is clearly distinct to the rest of Bolivia. The faces are less indigenous, the people bigger (both in height and width), and the stores more upscale. And the heat. We visited during the middle of winter, and I was sweating in shorts and T-shirts.
Bolivia is a strange conglomeration of diverse ethnicities living in three distinct climate zones, and suffers from the usual problems caused by the sharing of power and land. For most of history, government was controlled by richer Bolivians of European descent, but it was just a matter of time before the indigenous majority took over. And now that they have the power, it’s unlikely they’ll ever relent it. Aside from a coup or some other undemocratic maneuvering, it’s hard to imagine a return to a non-indigenous president.
The more affluent, whiter people of Santa Cruz don’t like it. When Evo Morales was elected, Santa Cruz was forced to acknowledge the future reality of their country, and found themselves presented with a choice. Should their gas-rich state be ruled by “Indians” from the highlands of La Paz? Or should they fight? Perhaps unsurprisingly, they chose to fight. In September of 2008, Santa Cruz tried to secede, almost certainly with the logistical support of the USA, whose distaste of leftist South American presidents apparently trumps their love of democracy. Surprising most observers, the military supported Morales and the coup failed.
But the distrust between Santa Cruz and the rest of the country remains strong. We heard a few things from people in La Paz along the lines of “I’d rather die than marry someone from Santa Cruz”. Ouch! I’ve said the same thing about people from Texas, but it was a joke. Here, I don’t think they’re fooling around!
Although Santa Cruz is a boom town, which has grown massively in the past couple decades, and doesn’t have a lot of historical or touristy sights, we’re excited to get exploring. We’ve already been to the gorgeous cathedral in the main plaza, 24 de Septiembre. And around the city, there’s plenty more to see, including a butterfly resort and a geologically inexplicable field of sand dunes.
Enjoy our first set of pictures, most of which were taken on the flight from La Paz to Santa Cruz.
While “chewing” is the popular term for it, the leaves should never actually be munched upon. Instead, they should be placed one-by-one into the cheek, forming a small saliva-generating ball which you just leave there. Because the stems of the leaves can hurt the inside of your cheek, you should remove them first. Some remove the stems by sliding the leaves between their two front teeth, while others use a lick-fold-tear method.
After you’ve got a good amount of leaves squirreled away inside your cheek, you need to activate the alkaloids inside them to feel any effect. Some people use bicarbonate powder, but a more pleasant option is lejía: a sweet-tasting combination of ash and flavor. A tiny nip every fifteen minutes or so, and the mild stimulant effects of the coca can last for hours.
Chewing coca leaves acts as an appetite suppressant, helps with altitude sickness, provides energy and improves digestion. It also mildly numbs your cheek. It’s impossible to get “addicted” and they don’t provide any sort of high. Making cocaine out of coca leaves is a complicated, chemical process, and chewing the leaves is no more an act of “drug consumption” than eating a poppy-seed bagel.
While we were on the ferry over to the Isla del Sol, we were subjected to a monologue from a self-impressed British guy wearing colorful over-sized sunglasses and a shark’s tooth necklace. All the awesome places he’s been! All the incredible things he’s done! He had a bag of coca with him, and shoved a handful into his mouth, actually chewing them like a cow chews grass. As he did so, he bragged about how awesome coca was and how he felt an instant buzz. We had to stifle our urge to push him off the boat. Please, don’t be that guy.
Further reading: The Unfairly Maligned Coca Leaf
]]>At 10am, the ferry from Copacabana dropped us off at the northern port of Cha’llapampa, and we set off on a four-hour hike across the length of the island. Four hours of the most beautiful views and fascinating glimpses into an ancient, conquered culture. On the island’s northern tip, we found an ancient Incan Ceremonial Table, and a labyrinthine temple called Chincana. The temple was in remarkably good shape, with skinny passages twisting through tiny doors into other rooms, or frequently into dead ends. Fun to explore, and it was hard to imagine what the temple might have been used for, besides wicked games of Incan Hide & Seek.
Heading south, we climbed to the island’s highest point. Every once in awhile, we would encounter a kid selling fossils or trinkets, or a pedestrian toll booth. Residents of the island’s various communities are intent on cashing in on the massive number of tourists who trample through their lands. Near the top of the biggest hill, we stopped for lunch; I don’t think I’ve ever enjoyed cold spaghetti with a better view. There was a perfect breeze, and the deep blue water of Lake Titicaca sparkled, reflecting the sun.
Although the hike had been long and hilly, we arrived at the southern port of Yumani with plenty of energy, and time to spare before the ferry back to Copacabana. We had some time to relax in one of the many restaurants which dot the hill near the port. It’s a magical place, and was one of the absolute highlights of our months in Bolivia.
We were in Copacabana just before the celebrations of August 6th, and the Calvario was being used by thousands of pilgrims as Ritual Central. Tents had been erected all along the path, and a number of curanderos (Andean medicine men) were performing rituals for believers. With groups of people holding hands and laughing, thick clouds of incense wafting into the air, and the lake reflecting the waning sun in the background, the scene was one of spectacular beauty.
Taking a short break from the ascent, we watched the rituals for awhile. These are the same people who had just been at the city’s Cathedral to pray to the Virgin. Yet here they were, being blessed with incense, pouring beer on the ground, shooting off firecrackers, and touching live armadillos for luck. Why choose just one religion? The gatherings, consisting of three to six people, looked like more fun than the church services I grew up with. In fact, if the Presbyterian belief had included more fireworks and armadillo-fondling, I might still be a faithful member!
At the top of the hill, people were waiting in a long line to decorate the Virgin with pins and ribbons. Around the path, worshipers huddled around little gardens of candles, using the melted wax to sculpt shapes of cars and houses onto whatever empty piece of cement they could find. Stands at the top of the hill sold toy cars, model houses and fake money: all trinkets which provide luck to the owner.
The stands also sold beer. We bought a couple, and sat down to watch the sunset behind the lake. It would be beautiful any time of year, but with the celebrations going on all around us, the scene had a special significance. We didn’t love our time in Copacabana, but the Calvario Hill was certainly a highlight.
Though we didn’t enjoy our time in the city of Copacabana, there were plenty of interesting things to see in the immediate area. This was a place of extreme importance for the Inca Empire and pre-Inca tribes, and a number of centuries-old ruins still exist today.
La Horca del Inca
When Spanish conquistadors first discovered this strange formation high on the rocky hill south of the city, they assumed it was some sort of torture device, and named it “Horca del Inca”, which means “Incan Gallows”. But they couldn’t have been more mistaken. The rock formation was built in the 14th century by pre-Incan Chiripa Indians, and wasn’t a gallows at all, but an astronomical observatory. Seven flat slabs were precisely wedged between two stones, permitting the Chiripa to measure and observe the stars. Today, only one slab remains.
Due to a catastrophic computer crash, we lost all our pictures of La Horca, but you can go here to see what it looks like, and read a bit more about this interesting bit of pre-Hispanic astronomy.
The Incan Baths
About a mile and a half outside of town, you can find the Incan Baths. We decided to walk, and enjoyed a pleasant 45-minute hike along Lake Titicaca, to the town of Kusijata. Though our frustration with Copacabana should have prepared us for defeat, we were still surprised to find the entrance to the baths closed. Grrr… they had sounded pretty cool: a cylindrical basin filled with water from the mountains, arrives through subterranean passages. Grumbling about our bad luck, we managed to find a cool path back into Copacabana, past houses and a lot of farmyard animals.
The Inca’s Tribunal
Closer to the city, we found Inti Kalla, or the Inca’s Tribunal. A small field of large boulders carved into the shapes of seats. Not much is known about the Tribunal, but the assumption is that it was a meeting spot for priests. We couldn’t resist sitting on a few, striking what we imagined to be the noble poses of Inca Priests.
Oh, Copacabana. We really wanted to like you. You were perhaps the city in Bolivia we were most looking forward to! It started out perfectly… the bus ride from La Paz was beautiful, and included a short ferry trip. By the time we arrived, and took in your gorgeous location along Lake Titicaca, our excitement level was through the roof. But we have to be honest, Copacabana. In the end, you were the worst town we visited in Bolivia.
Of course it wasn’t all bad, but let’s just get our complaints out of the way, so we can concentrate on the good stuff. Number One Complaint: Copacabana is full of hippies. Lake Titicaca is legendary as the Incan birthplace of the Sun and, my gosh, do the hippies love its ambiance of myth and natural power. Foreign hippies have taken over a huge swath of businesses, and installed themselves as an unavoidable street entertainment option. Everywhere you look: Jugglers! Bongo Players! Some Guy Twirling Around Socks Filled with Rocks! I lost track how of how many nose-ringed girls tried to sell me hemp bracelets. Europeans, Argentinians, Americans, but none of them Bolivian.
And here’s the funny thing that hippies don’t want you to know: they’re not all that nice! Oh, they’ll pretend to be laid-back and Bob-Marley and like-whatever-man-it’s-cool, but it’s not the truth. When one dreadlocked Brazilian asked if we wanted to hear some music, I said “no”. I mean, he was holding a pan flute. In reaction, he mocked me: “No, no! I don’t want to hear free music!” Bite me, hippie! I’m not obligated to appreciate your craft.
Complaint Number Two: the ridiculous lack of services. The city’s solitary bank machine wouldn’t accept our cards. The bank opened two hours later than advertised. Locals were unbelievably rude. Restaurants were terrible. A pizza joint, called La Posta, was recommended in multiple guide books, but I can’t see how anyone who’s ever actually eaten one of their tiny, disgusting pizzas could ever suggest it to others. The number of foreigners was truly depressing. One waiter refused to give us a menu for over a half hour, while he finished a card game with friends.
At around noon on our second day in the city, we began to hate Copacabana. It bears mentioning that we had arrived a few days before the festival of August 6th, when thousands of Peruvian pilgrims arrive for a huge party, so perhaps that had people on edge. But we did manage to see a few cool things within the city, the main one being Copacabana’s magnificent church.
The gleaming white Basílica de Nuestra Señora de Copacabana was originally constructed in 1550. With its bright exterior and colorful tiles, the basilica exudes more warmth than most churches. Outside, long lines of cars were decorated with flower petals, ribbons and even taped-on plastic toy cars, waiting to be blessed by the priests who were walking around with buckets of holy water. Eye roll… Hey, here’s a good-luck idea for you Bolivian drivers that might just be even more effective than holy water. How about you don’t drive like maniacs? Like, don’t pass each other at breakneck speeds around curvy mountain roads? I don’t know, call me crazy.
A section around the side of the Cathedral is called the Chapel of Candles; another bizarre Bolivian twist on the Catholic faith. The darkened room was packed with people burning candles on tables and the floor. Each group had at least twenty candles going, and would collect the dripping wax to create figures on the walls. Cars, houses, dollar signs. Good luck, apparently, and it looked like fun. Crafts hour in a smokey dungeon.
Although we didn’t love Copacabana, it’s worth stopping in for a day. Besides the incredible basilica, there are a number of Incan ruins around the city, which we’ll be writing about soon. And the city is the requisite jumping off point for a trip to the unforgettable Isla del Sol.