Gail South
Few people seem to know much about Bolivia, a vast, isolated country tucked into the middle of South America. It's surrounded by the Andes to the south, north, and west, and by the jungle to the east. To get to the nearest ocean, you have to cross Chile's desert. Bolivia is hardly the type of place where you happen to stop in by accident. It's not surprising that Bolivia, a country that's twice the size of France, receives fewer than 300,000 visitors a year.
Because so few visitors come here, you can expect to find a country still in its natural state. Nothing has been changed for the sake of tourists. In fact, it almost feels as though nothing has changed here at all in the past few hundred years. Bolivia's isolation has allowed it to keep its traditions alive. This is a country where indigenous women still wear multilayered petticoats, where you can buy good-luck llama fetuses on a city street, and where locals in the rural mountainside weave ponchos and textiles just as their ancestors did hundreds of years ago. Lake Titicaca, which was one of the most sacred places in the Inca empire, still attracts thousands of religious pilgrims a year, all of them paying homage to the beloved Virgin of Copacabana, who is the ultimate symbol of the mixture of Catholicism and ancient traditional beliefs.
A trip to Bolivia will certainly never be boring. From its colorful people to its rich landscapes to its sordid past, Bolivia offers visitors some of the most unique experiences anywhere. And, most importantly, it's a place where you'll feel like the only traveler for miles around.
Surrounded by Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Chile and Peru, Bolivia lies at the heart of South America. Stretching from the majestic icebound peaks and bleak high-altitude deserts of the Andes to the exuberant rainforests and vast savannas of the Amazon basin, it embraces an astonishing range of landscapes and climates. Bolivia encompasses everything outsiders find most exotic and mysterious about the continent.
While three centuries of Spanish colonial rule have left their mark on Bolivia's language, religion and architecture, this European influence is essentially no more than a thin veneer overlying indigenous cultural traditions that stretch back long before the conquest. Though Spanish is the language of business and government, more than thirty indigenous languages are spoken across a country covering an area the size of France and Spain combined. Bolivia is home to fewer than nine million people, the majority living in a handful of cities founded by the Spanish and graced by some of the finest colonial architecture on the continent.
Bolivia is dominated by the mighty Andes, which march through the west of the country along two parallel chains; between them stretches the Altiplano, a bleak and virtually treeless plateau historically home to most of Bolivia's population. Northeast of the Altiplano, the Andes plunge abruptly into the tropical rainforests and savannas of the Amazon lowlands, a seemingly endless wilderness dominated by the major rivers that flow north to the Brazilian border and beyond. East of the Altiplano, the Andes march down more gradually through a drier region of fertile highland valleys that give way eventually to the Eastern Lowlands, a vast and sparsely populated plain covered by a variety of ecosystems, from dense Amazonian rainforest in the north to the dry thornbrush and scrub of the Chaco to the south. This immensely varied topography supports an extraordinary diversity of plant and animal life, and the country's underdevelopment and lack of tourism have been blessings in disguise for the environment. Owing to its remoteness, Bolivia remains one of South America's least-visited countries despite its myriad attractions.
We made our own arrangements for the hotel in Santa Cruz, but we used Crillon Tours (http://www.titicaca.com/) to coordinate the arrangements—I was especially interested in having someone else plan the many “air-hops”. We found that Bolivian and Peruvian tour operators are less sophisticated, but do a much more personalized trip than do the “Go-Todays” of the world who cater to the “let’s do South America in two-weeks folks). We left Beach Haven about 12:30 pm on Friday, May 19, and we arrived in Santa Cruz about 3:30 pm Sat. We got to Newark and had a terrific lunch at the Spanish Tavern, a place I will try to go to every time we have a flight out of Newark. I found it on the internet. Very close to Vista parking and located in the old, “Ironbound”, Spanish/Portuguese part of the city. We arrived at 2:30, in time for lunch, which ends at 3:00, after which the prices go up significantly. A delicious lentil soup and good bread were included. Then we shared an appetizer of steamed pulpo w/ a paprika sauce. The entrees were large—I had a fisherman’s stew (scallops, shrimp, baby lobster tail, clams and mussels) in a green sauce and Jerry had scallops stuffed w/ crab and baked w/ cheeses. It’s a good thing we were well-fortified, because things proceeded downhill from there.
We got to the airport about 4:15 for a 6:15 flight to Miami. The plane never showed up (one of our bags, the one with all the clothes, was already checked in). So, at 8:15, American re-booked us on a flight to Buenos Aires out of JFK. They gave us vouchers and we grabbed a taxi. At 9:10, we arrived for our 10:10 flight and found a huge line. Eventually, they pulled the BA passengers out of line and we got on the flight, checking our other clothes/shoes bag. The plane was an hour late taking off, so an hour late landing. After an 11-hour flight, we had 20 minutes to connect to our TAM flight to Santa Cruz via Ascuncion. Our bag did not make it. The good news is that our driver and guide had tracked down our schedule and were there to meet us. Brilliant Jerry had suggested that we pack one change of clothes on our carry-ons, so we won’t smell tomorrow.
Santa Cruz de la Sierra
858 km (532 miles) SE of La Paz; 473km (293 miles) E of Cochabamba; 612 km (379 miles) NE of Sucre
Santa Cruz (also known as Santa Cruz de la Sierra) is the least Bolivian of all Bolivian cities. In a country defined by the peaks and valleys of the Andes, the flat roads here seem terribly out of place. Santa Cruz -- Bolivia's largest city -- doesn't have much history or a charming historic area. It's a major railroad hub, and oil refining is a major industry here, so people come to Santa Cruz to make money and to escape their past. In this brash and flashy city, SUVs outnumber trufis. But we made Santa Cruz our base for exploring the wealth of attractions -- Inca ruins, and a unique national park -- only a few hours away from this booming metropolis.
Santa Cruz is a circular city, with each neighborhood known as a "ring" (anillo). The first ring is the first circle around the city; as you move further from the center, you reach the second and third anillos. Santa Cruz is quickly becoming a prime example of urban sprawl. The center of the city is getting smaller, while the outskirts of town keep moving farther and farther away from the center of town.
Our hotel was very nice (a trade for our time-share with Interval International), our guide says it’s the nicest in Bolivia—Los Tajibos (www.lostajiboshotel.com). It’s way bigger than we need, with two full bedrooms (one king and the other two queens), a big living room/kitchen, and a study. It’s raining (this is supposed to be the dry season), but we’re tired and just want to rest. We’ve changed the program to give us a better chance at good weather for Amboro Park. Saw a red-legged Seriema (Cariama Cristate—“Socori” in Bolivia) at the airport.
Had a nice albeit chilly dinner at the hotel. Jerry had creamy hearts of palm soup and roasted rabbit and I had poached trout from Lake Titicaca. Got a good night’s sleep.
SUNDAY, MAY 21
We called American Airlines first thing and were told to call back after 9 am. The first bag DID arrive, but we had to go get it because customs wouldn’t let it through. We taxied over and retrieved it, then had the sumptuous buffet served at the hotel on Sundays, “Delicioso churrasco a la parrilla.” They set up a huge grill and did a whole pig, plus beef and pork ribs, chicken, tripe, sausage and various steaks. Inside were lots of side dishes, soups and desserts. After that meal, we walked about a mile to the zoo and spent the whole afternoon looking at all sorts of South American birds, animals and reptiles. It was wonderful, even though I don’t like to think of them in cages. I had brought my Southern South America bird book (Martin de la Pena and Maurice Rumboll). It’s hard to put a highlight –the cats (jaguars, pumas and ocelots) were magnificent and all of the bright parrots and toucans beautiful, but the Andean cock-of-the-rock, which we had missed in the Ecuadorean rain forest, was unbelievable!! Here are some other rarities: spectacled bear, Andean condor, greater and lesser rheas, Darwin’s tinamou, Jabiru (stork), southern screamer (noted as a good guared for your house) (chauna torquata), harpy eagle, bare-faced curassow (with its mop of kinky curls), chacahlacas and guans, 2 kinds of seriema (red- and black-legged), crested oropendolas, capybaras, tapirs, piccaries, coati, agouti, and alpaca. Shortly after we got back, Jaime, our guide, called and said our second bag had just arrived. We will give him the documents tomorrow and the agency will pick it up while we are out.
MONDAY, MAY 22
Santa Cruz - Full Day Samaipata Ruins including lunch
Full Day tour to Samaipata ruins; these ruins are located on the top of a mountain which like a stone-tower, rises from the tropical vegetation. Strange carving on a giant rock such as a huge snake and other enigmatic figures, have generated countless archaeological debates and inspired Erik Van Deniken in his books on out of space visitors. Lunch in a Samaipata local hotel.
Jaime and the driver, Pepe, picked us up at 8 and we stopped at the tourist bureau to drop off documents. The drive to the ruins was about an hour and a half over a straight, flat road through agricultural fields (small holding) and about an hour and a half over an incredibly rough, bumpy, narrow, windy dirt road up the mountains. We stopped once for a break at a scenic overlook and saw a flock of beautiful green-cheeked parakeets.
The day was bright and clear in the mountains (6000 feet) and we walked the whole route with an excellent narrative by Jaime.
Samaipata -- Samaipata is a charming mountain town located about 2 hours southwest of Santa Cruz. The main attraction here are the Inca ruins known as El Fuerte. The ruins are a huge mysterious complex, much of it unexcavated. From what remains, it's hard to envision the site's former glory.Located in the remote mountains of central Bolivia, 120 kilometers from the town of Santa Cruz, the ruins of Samaipata are one of the most enigmatic ancient sites in all of South America. Perched at 6500 feet above sea level (1949 meters), the site was first discovered by the early Spanish and named ‘El Fuerte’ as it was believed to have military significance. Archaeologists no longer believe in the military use of the site but consider that it had religious significance. The ruins of Samaipata consist of two parts: 1) the stone hill with many fascinating carvings of jaguars, snakes, other zoomorphic and geometrical figures, a water tank with conduits, and a curious seating arrangement, and 2) an area to the south of the stone hill that seems to have been the administrative and residential district. The seating arrangement at the top of the stone hill was designed with 12 seats carved into the hilltop facing toward each other in a circle. Within this circle of 12 seats is another set of three seats facing outward toward the 12 seats. These three seats are back-to-back, so that each seat faces 4 of the seats of the 12.
The most impressive structure here is the Chinkana, also known as the labyrinth. It consists mainly of a hole that was originally 9 feet deep. The actual function of this hole is unknown, but some scientists believe that it may have been used to connect other Inca villages. From the top of el Fuerte there were great views of the surrounding mountains. We also saw what are believed to be amphitheaters and temples for religious ceremonies.
The village of Samaipata, at 1660 meters is situated in the dry eastern Andean foothills 120 kilometers southwest of Santa Cruz. Samaipata has become virtually deserted since the opening of the new road to Cochabamba, however, many Germans have apparently decided to retire here. We stopped in the town for a good lunch at a pleasant outdoor restaurant. After lunch, we visited the small museum in town with scraps of pottery from the surrounding areas. Then we stopped to see the waterfalls at Cuevas. They were very pretty and we were just in time to watch flocks of parrots cross the sky high above us as they returned to the mountainside sandstone cliffs for the night.
Back down the bad road, fording streams as we went. We stopped for Jaime and Pepe to buy tangerines @ two cents and avocados @ ten cents before a traffic-filled ride home. The agency charged us (after some negotiation) $25 for the luggage pickup and the extra trip to meet us at the airport. We had a bite to eat at the hotel restaurant, then packed to be ready for a 7 am departure.
TUESDAY, MAY 23
Amboro National Park -- Amboró is only 3 hours west of Santa Cruz, and it is one of the most pristine national parks in all of Bolivia. The park covers more than 1.5 million acres and encompasses four different biodiversity zones, including a part of the Amazon basin, subtropical forests, temperate woodlands, and the cool mountainous terrain of the Andes.
Transfer from the hotel to the Amboro EcoResort Hotel, a beautiful , albeit deserted,hotel,(another victim of Bolivia’s inexpereince in tourism) one and ¾ hours from Santa Cruz. Saw a Southern Lapwing, had a snack, and left about 9:45. Departed in a four-wheel-drive vehicle to the Mataracu Tent Camp (MTC) (individuals can’t reserve this camp themselves—only through an agency—Crillon did a good job, and we were the only guests!!).
A half hour on a hard road, turned left on dirt road at sign “24 km to Amboro”. After a half hour of very bumpy road we came to a big river. While we were crossing it, the refrigerator we were carrying tried to fall off. The Quechuan men on the other side, collecting tolls, helped us retie it. After another one and one half hours on the bumpiest road ever, crossing at least five more large streams, and hanging onto the frige at every one, we arrived at camp. Saw many butterflies and oropendolas. Lunch, after they finished beating it to death, was steak, rice and salad with fresh papaya juice. Watched literally hundreds of brightly colored butterflies. Our accommodations are on the top of a two-story building in a tent with five beds. Jaime is on the first floor, as is the bathroom (no hot water).
After lunch, Valentin led us on a hike through the Ponds Trail, which goes through the primary and secondary forests within the Park, where we enjoyed the dense and different vegetation of the tropical humid forest. We also visited the interesting dinosaur fossil. Saw a grey hawk circling and calling to his friends to come for a hunt. Return to the MTC where we had a good dinner. Tino led us on a very, very dark nighthike with the sky covered with “sin cuenta” stars. We didn’t see anything, but we heard things, and a murcielago (bat) flew by my right ear (Wooosh).
WEDNESDAY, MAY 24
Up at 6 am. Left after breakfast at 7:30 for an interesting five-hour hike. We flushed five birds, a cross between a turkey and a grouse, Kiula (Puna Tinamous). We were a bit disappointed in the lack of birds in general. Our guide is a better botanist than birder. We hiked to a beautiful waterfall. As we sat by the waterfall, the sun rose higher, and as each area lit up, the butterflies filled it. We were very ready for lunch, grilled chicken and a huge bowl of spaghetti. Rested for two hours, then drove out to the school and saw many great birds. We also saw some of the indigenous people. They are very, very poor.
THURSDAY, MAY 25
Breakfast. Drove to the “lake” (not even really a pond, but we did see birds, including a “pava” (nothocrax urumutm, nocturnal curassow), and several Great Toucans, and hawks. Lunch (another steak), then the three-hour drive back to the resort. Took a walk through their zoo, and visited with the resident parrot. Saw tapir with its baby, pigs, a trogon, and a very aggressive anteater. Visited Tino’s (our leader) house and met his wife and daughter and his favorite pet, a turkey. Hot shower, buffet dinner at the hotel, and to bed.
FRIDAY, MAY 26
After a good night’s sleep, we took a cab to the Mariposaria (Butterfly garden). It was pretty, but nothing at all after Amboro (or even Key West). There was an orchid display, a pretty “natural” area with descending swimming pools (too chilly to contemplate). Had a “tipico” lunch, pork with corn and chinos (Andean potatoes), and pot roast w/ rice and cheese, and an excellent bottle of Chilean Cabernet. Back at the hotel, Gail went to the pool for a bit and Jerry napped. Dinner at the grill restaurant across the street. It was great, with the animals on display as they slowly roasted “a la cruz”. Gail had lamb and Jerry had goat.
SATURDAY, MAY 27
Sucre, 701km (435 miles) SE of La Paz; 366km (227 miles) SE of Cochabamba; 612km (379 miles) SW of Santa Cruz; 162km (100 miles) NE of Potosí.
During Bolivia's glory days, when Sucre existed solely for the purpose of administering the silver mines in nearby Potosí, the wealthy locals here would often brag, "My mines are in Potosí, but I live in Chuquisaca [the former name of Sucre]." For those who could afford it, it made sense to live 161km (100 miles) down the road from Potosí in the relative lowlands (2,706m/9,020 ft.) of Sucre, which is blessed with a mild climate and a much cheerier disposition. Gradually, Sucre became a city of understated prestige. It's been called the Paris of South America because the wealth here attracted some of the finest arts and culture from all over the world. It's also been known as the Athens of South America because it's home to the continent's second-oldest and most prestigious university, San Francisco Xavier University, which dates to 1624 and has educated presidents of Argentina, Paraguay, Chile, Uruguay, and of course, Bolivia. (Today, out of a total pop. of 200,000, over 30,000 are students, many of them studying medicine or law.) For a city like Sucre, money, prestige, and knowledge weren't enough. It also had to have a place in the history books. In 1825, some of the most important South American revolutionaries converged upon the city and signed the country's declaration of independence. Sucre then became the capital of the new republic. These days, Sucre is the capital of Bolivia in name only -- both the executive and legislative branches of the government left long ago for La Paz. The silver in nearby Potosí has pretty much run out, and the high culture has returned to Paris. Nevertheless, the city remains one of the most colorful and interesting places in Bolivia. Visitors can sit in the room where the Bolivian declaration of independence was signed, tour churches and museums that still have impressive collections of colonial art, and view the dinosaur tracks that archaeologists recently discovered right in Sucre's backyard.
Founded in 1538 as La Plata, the city was renamed Sucre in 1825 in honor of General Sucre, first president of the new Republic of Bolivia (which was itself named after the Great Liberator, Simón Bolívar). Sucre is nicknamed La Ciudad Blanca, i.e., "The White City", due to the tradition of whitewashing all the buildings in central Sucre. It is generally agreed that Sucre is Bolivia's most beautiful city, with a relaxing atmosphere and just a thoroughly pleasant place to be. It is also a university town and the students add to the friendly ambience.
Jaime and Pepe arrived to take us to the airport at 7:45 and we saw perdiz (partridges) and burrowing owls on the way. Flight in a small plane with neat views of an inhospitable, dry, hilly landscape. It’s Mother’s Day, and the ladies got a special candy in a ribbon-tied box. Our guide, Noelia, and driver, Rolando, were waiting and brought us right to our hotel, a restored 19th century house reminiscent of one in Andalucía—four walls with a central courtyard w fountains—three stories w/ a roof top deck on the fourth. The furnishings are antique, but the bath is modern.
Hostal De Su Merced, Sucre, Chuquisaca - Bolivia
Ancient colonial XVIII century house, situated in the colonial architectural center of Sucre.
Address: Calle Azurduy No. 16
Hostal de su Merced, it has a warm family atmosphere that invites you to be a guest and to enjoy the comfortable and authentic XIX century furniture. From our terraces you can have a breathless view of the city, breathe the purest air, and enjoy the sun
We left for the tour right away, as most things close for lunch. First stop was the Museo de Arte Indigena, where Noelia did an excellent job of explaining the difference between Jalq’a and Tarabuco cultures and weaving techniques. Demonstrators showed us how they did it. Then we went to La Recoleta , a Franciscan church and monetary, where we admired the architecture, although the buildings were closed. All of the houses in the center are white with terracotta rooves. The streets are narrow, but straight and very clean. Lunch in the courtyard of a very nice hotel: shrimp/pork and a buffet salad bar w/an aperitif of Regina de Corazon and postre of coffee flan and tubo(?) meringue. Back to the hotel, then N & R picked us up at 3 and we changed some money (actually N did it because she gets special attention because she is pregnant) and went to the House of Liberty, site of the declaration of independence from Spain.Dinner at a restaurant recommended by N. We were the only Americanos, but the meal wasn’t very good—no vodka, no “pollo suprema” .
SUNDAY, MAY 28
Left at 9 for a one-hour ride to the village of Tarabuco where local Quechua people still wear traditional costume of multi-colored ponchos, chuspas (woven bags for carrying coca leaves), elaborate axsu (overskirts) for the women, and helmet-like headgear (apparently derived from conquistadors helmets) for the married men and women. Sunday is market day in Tarabuco and this market is famous for its color. We traveled through a very dry landscape w/ scattered adobe huts. Families farm for corn or a few vegetables, raise sheep, chicken, burros and the occasional cow. The adults continue to wear the traditional woven clothes. White, medium calf linen-like trousers w/ colorful ponchos and coca bags for the men and, for the women, skirts, either black w/ embroidered borders, or very beautifully woven fabric, over the shoulder bags for babies or purchases. There are various types of traditional hats—felt fedora, miner’s helmets, ornately sequined and pearled toques for single women, andmonteres—leather Spanish conquistadore’s hats. Many of the children wore American clothes. N said it is so much cheaper for them to buy used clothes than to make the traditional dress that they are no longer learning to weave. We learned about differences in weaving quality yesterday and bought a very beautiful one in the Tarabuco style with the story of the Condor and the Fox. Also a very intricate coca purse for Meagan. We had lunch at the museum, and saw an exhibition of a native dance, and escaped just before “the big group” of tourists arrived. I’m so glad we are not part of a “big group”
MONDAY, MAY 29
Sucre - Transfer from hotel to airport (flight 11:05-11:50)Our flight was delayed until 1:10, so we had time for a bit more sight-seeing in Sucre. N picked us up at 9:10 and we had a very interesting tour of the Monasterio La Recoleta Franciscan institution. First we discussed at length the current political situation (Morales, etc), then the three cloisters—very beautiful and the church with extraordinary choir carvings of the martyrs of Nagasaki. They left us off at the square and we toured the central market. Of especial interest were the Cow’s Faces to make soup for new mothers whose milk does not come in. They took us to the airport and we were off for La Paz, one of the world’s highest airports, over 13,500 feet, where we met our new guide, Matias. He loves Morales. From the plane, our views of the city, sprawling throughout a valley below the plateau on which we landed, with snow-crowned Illimani towering on the distant skyline, were magnificent.
La Paz, Bolivia
The city of La Paz is nestled in a valley atop the Bolivian plateau, surrounded by snowy peaks and dominated by the white head of Illimani, the sacred mountain. The setting is sure to take your breath away (and if the setting doesn't, the 3,739m/12,464-ft. altitude will), but that's not what I love best about La Paz. The Paceños themselves, the city's inhabitants, are what make this place unforgettable. No other major South American city holds on to its past so firmly. Many of the women wear traditional clothing every day: colorful multilayered petticoats, fringed shawls, lace aprons, and (oddest of all) bowler hats, which look like they came straight from a prewar London haberdashery. You'll see these women throughout the city -- on the buses, in the churches, shopping, or perhaps setting up their own shops. They probably won't be setting up shop inside, though -- hardly anyone does in La Paz. The city is one giant street market. In stalls on the sidewalks or at street corners you can buy not only batteries and chewing gum, but also dice and leather dice-cups, socks, hats, sneakers, cameras, and telephones. In the Mercado Negro (Black Market) area of the city, computers, electric drills, bookcases, office supplies, and everything else you could think of are all displayed on the sidewalk. At the Mercado de los Brujos (Witch Doctors' Market), the discerning shopper can find the finest in good-luck statuettes and all the materials required for a proper offering to Pachamama, including baskets of dried llama fetuses. Perhaps you aren't in the market for such things, but just being in a place where people are is half the fun of La Paz. La Paz, population approaching a million, is the de facto capital of Bolivia, which is to say that although the much smaller city of Sucre to the south is the legal capital of the republic, most of the government offices are located here in La Paz, and most government business is done here.
Went to the Valley of the Moon, where we walked around a very arid, ghostly landscape with none of the safety requirement we would have found at any American park. Checked in at the Hotel Presidente has 86 rooms and 18 suites. It is located in the heart of La Paz just blocks from the famed Witch Doctor's Market. Then Matias took us on a tour of the city.
The Plaza Murillo with its government palaces and cathedral, and then set out on foot to explore the incredible market complex near our hotel. Here block after block of shops, booths, and street vendors offer an amazing and bewildering array of goods ranging from wonderful woven goods of alpaca and llama wool, musical instruments, antiques, foodstuffs, hardware, and all the items a well-supplied brujo (witch doctor) might need, including herbs, potions, and dried llama fetuses. Dinner at the hotel.
TUESDAY, MAY 30
Excellent buffet breakfast at the hotel. Left at 8 with frost visible on the ground. For a half Day Tour to the Tiwanacu ruins. From La Paz we enjoyed scenic altiplano vistas all along the way. TIWANAKU RUINS: (1.580 BC-1.000 AD) The magnificent pre-Inkan ruins of Bolivia and believed by many archeologists to have been the longest surviving empire of all the pre-Columbian Andean civilizations, flourishing for over a thousand years, one of the oldest civilizations in the Americas. The Sun gate, the temple of Kalasasaya and the pyramid of Akapana are the sample of a glorious past. Tiwanaku culture was an agrarian based economy with an estimated population of 115.000 Aymaras. The state controlled agriculture produced the surplus wealth to support the urban center and administrative system. They were outstanding in agriculture, hydraulics, architecture & medicine, as well as in social organization. Due to an economic crisis caused by a long dry season, Tiwanaku collapsed around 1.000 AD. . The ruins are known to have been visited by one of the Inka emperors and are thought to have served as an inspiration for the later Inca stonework.
During its golden years, Tiwanaku was a 400 hectares city; it was the economic and religious center of the most important Empire of the southern hemisphere 800 years ago. Nowadays, the ruins of this civilization just cover 16 hectares. The city was carefully planned, so that the most important buildings headed to the north. It had a very well build sewage system. Today the main temples and the Akapana pyramid are covered with andesita or volcanic rock from the Andes. The pyramid of Akapana is a stepwise construction of seven different levels, at the top of it there is a water mirror, which may have been used to observe the sun movements, some kind of telescope device. Kalasasaya is the most important temple in Tiwanaku, there is the famous Sun Gate and some great size monolites. Kalasasaya was build using big stone blocks, which were cut with extreme precision, the whole edification was done in order to indicate the season’s change at the southern hemisphere.
Matias gave us a very interesting explanation during the tour. This was the civilization that predated the Incas. There were two museums on site, both very new. The ceramics museum was interesting, but the culture museum, opened in 2003, was great, with wonderful monoliths, cuchapumas, basalt fountains which acted as mirrors for viewing the stars, and other artefacts found at the site, all beautifully presented. There was an exhibit of medicine, which showed that these people performed brain surgery, just as we saw in the Aztec show in St. Petersburg. Left Tiwanacu about noon, stopping at a “hardware” store for tape and twine to repair our ailing duffel. Drove about two hours along a road running parallel with the Royal Range of the Andes.
Arrived at our hotel at Huatajata, on the shores of Lake Titicaca. Our two-room suite has huge windows overlooking the lake (heaters in both rooms, electric blankets on the beds). Had a good lunch of fresh trout then toured two of the four museums on site: the Altiplano Museum, where an audio tape explained the cultural heritage of the Aymaras and the Incas, the colonial time and Jacques Cousteau expedition to LakeTiticaca.
The “Andean Roots Eco Village" had reproductions of villages and the Mud Igloos of the Uru Chipayas, and explanations of handicrafts (weaving, dance costume making, hat and tire-shoe making, and corn beer). We met the last of the Limachi brothers, builders of the RA II and Tigris for Thor Heyerdhal epic expeditions across the Atlantic Ocean. He told us about the experience and about what they were still doing. His nephew will be the first Quecuan to sail when the next expedition leaves New York in Feb., 2007.
Before dinner, we visited "The Mystic World of the Kallawayas", natural healers of Bolivia authorized by law to practice natural medicine. They believe that you first have to heal the soul in order to heal your body. "Tata Benjo", Kallawaya, blessed us. Then a real treat!! We saw a short video at the Native Observatory "Alajpacha” on the Southern constellations, then the roof opened up and we saw “estrellas sin cuenta”. I saw a shooting star, then, in the second biggest telescope in Bolivia, we saw Saturn with its rings, Jupiter with its moons, the double star Omega Centuri, and the moon—incredible, just unforgettable. Dinner was pumpkin soup, filet mignon, and flan. The temperature is falling.
Lake Titicaca
Copacabana: 151km (94 miles) NW of La Paz; 8km (5 miles) N of Kasani (the border of Peru)
Lake Titicaca is much more than a phrase you found hilarious in third grade. This serene expanse of chilly water is not only the highest navigable lake in the world, but it's also, according to legend, the birthplace of one of the greatest empires in history. Here, in the midst of the lake, the children of the Sun, Manco Capac and Mama Ocllo, stepped forth from the sacred rock that still stands near the northwest tip of the Isla delSol (the Sun Island). The rugged, snow-covered peaks of the Cordillera Real loom over the shores of the lake, but its waters are calm and relaxing to the eye. They're disturbed only by the operators of a few tour boats, launches, and hydrofoils and by local fishermen searching for trout, often in wooden sailboats or rowboats. Even the most primitive of these vessels are relative newcomers. The swaying reeds on the water's shore provided the material for the first boats on Lake Titicaca, and today there are still a few craftsmen who remember how to make boats from reeds, as their ancestors did. Besides the lake itself, and the Isladel Sol within it, the highlight of the region is the picturesque lakeshore town of Copacabana, allegedly established by the Inca Tupac Yupanqui. Copacabana has a number of small but important Inca ruins, but all of them are overshadowed by the town's main attraction, the Virgin of Copacabana. Pilgrims travel from all over South America for the Virgin's blessing. If you're here on a Sunday, you'll notice above all the car and truck drivers, who come to have their vehicles blessed by one of the local priests in a ceremony that involves lots of garlands, the shaking and spraying of fizzy drinks, and of course, a small donation to the church. Nobody seems to mind paying.
At 11,500 feet, Lake Titicaca is one of the world's highest navigable lakes and with its clear sapphire-blue waters, it is also one of the most beautiful. Set in the dry, rolling scrub-covered hills of the altiplanonorthwest of La Paz, Lake Titicaca represents another important Bolivian birding site. We saw lots of the endemic flightless Short-winged Grebe, on the lake itself.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 31
Had a good (served) breakfast and left on our hydrofoil for the floating islands. The URUS-IRUITOS floating islands & Quewaya Sustainable Project is a rescue of an over 5.000 years old culture and a social project to assure their survival with a breath-taking view of the Royal Range of the Andes. We tied up to a mooring offshore, and a man in a rowboat took us to a floating greenhouse where they grow vegetables that could not have survived the temperature fluctuations on the land. Then we went in a reed boat to their settlement and had an explanation and an opportunity to buy.
Stopped at Moon Island where Inca female students, arriving at ages 9-12 and leaving at ages 18-20, were educated. Some left as wives to the Inca or his generals or administrators, some as teachers, and some, the chosen, as sacrifices. I bought an Andean Cross, which illustrates the above, at, and below ground nature and duality of the world.
Isla de la Luna (Sun Virgins Temple Iñak Uyu)
During the time of the Incas, this island was used to house "chosen" women. The island was similar to a convent. The women here wove garments by hand with alpaca wool and performed special ceremonies dedicated to the sun. Unfortunately, most of the structures here have been destroyed. From the 1930s to the 1960s, this island became a political prison. In the 1960s, when some archaeologists got wind of what had become of the island, the prisoners were ordered to rebuild the main palace, which has 35 rooms around a courtyard. This is historically significant because the Aymara culture -- not the Incas -- used constructions with courtyards, thus proving that the Moon Island was used by pre-Inca cultures. However, most of the remaining doors are trapezoidal shaped, which is very typical of the Incas. As you first walk onto the island, keep an eye out for the polished stones. These stones are similar to what you'd find in Machu Picchu, and they allow you to understand how the Incas used hinges to hold rocks together.
At Sun Island, we visited the Inca Staircase & Sacred fountain. I tasted the sacred water believed to give eternal youth & happiness (well, happiness anyway). We had a nice lunch while waiting (three hours) for another passenger—an Amazon named Trish.Took our hydrofoil across the lake to Copacabana, where we toured the church and were transferred to our Peruvian guide, Oruyno.
Crossed the border and headed for Puno. We were supposed to visit a church, but when we passed a parade of bands on the road to a small town, we stopped to investigate. It turned out to be the anniversary of the founding of the community of Satu, District of Pomata. They were having a dance competition and we stayed for two hours, sharing beer and enjoying the party. Everyone was gracious and welcoming. Great!! They loved Trish. We took her to her hotel, La Glorieta, (I looked it up later, $16 per night) a very dark and very remote in the hills “hotel”, and us to our hotel (very odd). Jerry had alpaca and I had pizza for dinner.
THURSDAY, JUNE 1
Left about 7 after a good breakfast. I had a cheese and alpaca ham sandwich. We had a six-hour drive which didn’t seem as long as the same amount of time on I95. The only problem was that Orunyo doesn’t speak much English, so we didn’t learn as much as usual. We started in the valley between the two Andean ranges. Very agricultural, with overcast weather and lots of llamas. On the way down the landscape changed—rushing mountain streams, more cows and sheep. We watched the different methods of harvesting—wheat, corn, fava beans. They use horses or burros to tromp in circles to separate the grains/beans from chaff. Corn, they lay out to dry, on the ground, on roofs, windowsills, everywhere. Drove through the dirty, poor suburbs into Cusco. Our Hotel Jose Antonio is fine, a half mile walk to the center—Plaza des Armes, where we visited the shops, enjoyed lunch, and found the perfect shawl I had been looking for. We left as they were setting up a rally for a candidate for Presidente, Ollante (election is on Sunday). As we walked back to the hotel, the candidate’s parade passed us on the street. Dinner at the hotel. There was folk music because there was a big group in the dining room
FRIDAY, JUNE 2 CUSCO AND THE SACRED VALLEY
The heart and soul of Peru is the Cusco area, which was the Inca homeland for two centuries before the Spaniards built Peru’s first capital here in the 16th century. Cusco, an imperial city that is still caught in a tug-of-war between the New World and European mindset. Atop the flawless stone walls built by the Incas, the Spaniards erected more than a dozen baroque churches and filled them with religious paintings, saints, and gold-plated altars. Other highlights of a Cusco tour including the artisan barrio of San Blas and the fortress of Sacsayhuamán.
This has not been the best day. After breakfast (very greasy fried chicken) we walked back to the Plaza and visited the very interesting Inca Museum. We returned to the hotel (I had a double-dip helado) and met the person we believed to be our tour guide, Mega, at 1:25. She informed us that we were to do Cusco and Machu Piccu as part of a group of 30—it was horrible. We were herded into a bus and toured the Cathedral and the Coriconcha—at the pace of the slowest, always calling roll and taking bano breaks. Then we could only see two archeological sites because of bano and sweater-buying breaks. The guide was very good, it was just too many people to contend with.
Cusco’s baroque Catedral sits between the more recent church of Jesús María (1733) on its right and, on its left, El Triunfo (1539), the first Christian church in Cusco, built to celebrate the victory over Manco Inca. The cathedral was built on top of Inca Viracocha’s palace using blocks of red granite taken from Sacsayhuamán and took more than a century to construct from 1560 onwards. At least four earthquakes from 1650 to 1986, along with damp and neglect, had taken a serious toll on the building. Fortunately, Cusco’s archbishop acquired financial backing from Telefónica for a complete renovation from 1997 to 2002, which removed much of time’s grime that had covered chapels and paintings. For the first time in a century perhaps, it is possible to make out the unique Cusco School paintings, including odd works such as Christ eating a guinea pig at the Last Supper and a (very) pregnant Virgin Mary. There is also an interesting painting, reported to be the oldest in Cusco, showing Cusco during the 1650 earthquake with the townspeople praying in the Plaza de Armas. The church also contains considerable gold- and silverwork, including a silver bier for the Señor de los Temblores (Lord of the Earthquakes), patron of Cusco. There is also 17th-century carved pulpit and choir stalls and an original gold-covered Renaissance altar. In the bell tower is the huge Maria Angola bell, one of the largest bells in the world and made with 27 kg of gold.
Probably one of the most famous of the old buildings in Cusco was the church of Santo Domingo, which was built over the site of the Inca's most sacred temple, the Coricancha. A large section of the original Inca curved wall can still be seen below the church on the outside, and the walls of a few small Inca temples still exist within the church grounds. The stonework on these walls (especially the interior temples) is excellent, and is definitely worth the visit if you are interested in Inca stonemasonry techniques. The Spanish church has actually been destroyed twice and damaged again in 1986, while the Inca walls have remained relatively untouched.
The exterior of the Coricancha, the site of the sacred Inca temple that was replaced by a Spanish church. The curved gray stone wall in the center foreground is the remainder of the Inca temple that was left behind (and built on top of) by the Spanish. You can see the difference between the Spanish method of wall construction (using irregular stones fixed in mortar), versus the Inca technique of using perfectly fit stones that required no mortar. Inside the church grounds are the standing walls of some of the original Inca interior temples. You can see the perfect fit of the stones.
Once we were done at the Coricancha, we were taken to the ruins of, the famous Inca fortress of Sacsahuaman (sexy woman). Some people believe that the old Inca capital of Cusco was laid out in the shape of a puma's body, and that the zig-zag walls of Sacsahuaman represented the teeth in the jaws of the puma. As a defensive fortress it must have been very impressive in its time, and even with most of the stones gone it is still impressive today. The walls of Sacsahuaman are known for containing huge rocks that seem too large to move by any ancient methods, as well as for containing rocks that have a large number of angled or curved corners. These corners fit exactly into the other odd-shaped rocks that surround them, and due to being a variety of unusual shapes and perfectly fit, they have survived countless earthquakes over the ages. It doesn't take much of an imagination to think that long after modern civilization has fallen and all the skyscrapers have turned into rubble, these massive walls will still be here, unchanged.
Many people marvel at how the Incas cut and fitted their stones so precisely. The PBS series "Nova" had an interesting episode on the subject, though I wasn't convinced by their conclusions. Personally I think that there was more to it than just repeatedly hitting stones to chip away minute pieces until the two sections matched exactly. There are some quarries in South America where it looks like the stones were removed from the bedrock using lasers, leaving perfectly flat right angles behind. While I don't believe they used lasers, the perfect cuts (like a hot knife through cold butter) are not only unnecessary, but beg the questions "How?" and "Why?" Another aspect that interests me was a story that I read in a book I once had. It related the tale that archeologists in South America once found some ancient pots in a cave, and upon retrieving them accidentally dropped one to the ground, where it broke upon and the liquid inside spilled upon the ground. The scientists noted that where the liquid lay on the bedrock, the rock became softened and malleable. The softened rock later re-hardened to its original hardness. It was postulated that ancient peoples had found a formula using a certain plant extract that caused rock to temporarily soften so that it could be worked into other shapes. Perhaps this might explain some of the excellent stonework of ancient cultures, where stones were fitted so closely together that even a piece of paper cannot be put between them. If two stones were reasonably dressed (smoothed), then both sides were treated with this softening agent, the stones could be put together so that when they re-hardened there would be no gaps.
This Inca fortress was mostly dismantled by the Spaniards, who hauled the stones away to Cusco for construction purposes. Only the heaviest stones at the base of the walls remained, too large for the Spanish to move (how the Inca did it in the first place is still somewhat of a mystery). So when you look at the walls above, what you are seeing is only the bottom third of the original walls. When you realize the original size of this fortress it is impossible not to be impressed.
The second site was Qenko (also called Qenqo, Kenko, Qenco, etc.). Qenko is mostly made up of one incredibly large limestone rock, which is covered with symbolic carvings, and contains a number of tunnels and an unusual cave that has been carved out of the rock. It must have taken a massive amount of work to cut this cave directly out of the solid rock. Dinner was at a nice restaurant next to the hotel.
SATURDAY, JUNE 3
“Machu Picchu was never discovered by the Spaniards. For centuries it was buried in the jungle until Hiram Bingham found it in 1911.The Holy City of Machu Picchu was built in stone among the flanks of two hills belonging to the eastern mountain range of the Andes, descending into the Amazonian upper sylvan. There is no doubt that Machu Picchu represents an extraordinary example or architecture and engineering”.
MACHU PICCHU
The day got off to another early start, as we had to be taken to the train station at 5:30, so that we could catch the first train to Aguas Calientes (the town at the base of the mountain that Machu Picchu resides on). We had left most of our luggage at the hotel in Cusco, only taking one small bag for the overnight stay at Machu Picchu.
The train ride took about four hours, running through the valley of the Incas, with towering mountains and cliffs on one or both sides. At many points along the way the tracks ran alongside the rapids of the Urubamba River, making it a very scenic and beautiful trip. The train stopped at a couple of points along the way to let on more passengers, or to let off a few hikers who wanted to start doing the Inca trail at one point or another. Every once in a while we could catch a glimpse of portions of the Inca trail on the mountains around us.
As we got closer to Machu Picchu the mountains and hills became covered with trees, as opposed to the bare rocky walls that had previously surrounded us. It seemed as if we had transitioned in a jungle zone, and would have seemed like a "lost world", except for the occasional sign of civilization. When the train finally arrived in Aguas Calientes, we immediately set off on the brief hike to the area where the buses awaited the tourists. We had to run the usual gauntlet of locals offering us various services or souvenirs, but we were soon on board a waiting bus, and within minutes were winding our way through the narrow streets, on our way to the road to the ruins at the top.
The bus trip took about twenty minutes to go the two or three miles up the side of the mountain, using a narrow dirt road that zig-zagged back and forth all the way up. Sometimes you could see nothing but dust-covered trees alongside the road, but at other times you got spectacular views of the valley and the surrounding mountains, which got increasingly more impressive the higher we climbed. The group was nowhere near as bad as yesterday: five couples from all over the world, but speaking English. The first thing we did when we entered the ruins a second time was to head up and to the left, up the long set of stairs that went up to the Hut of the Funerary Caretaker.
You see a lot of photos of Machu Picchu, but they just can't do it justice. You have to be there to really experience and understand it. When you see the ruins, with their surrounding majestic mountains, it is hard not to say "Wow!" You realize that you are on top of a mountain, and that somehow an ancient people actually built a city by hand up here. You look around and see even higher mountains, with incredibly steep sides and cloud-covered tops, and it only tends to make the ambience even more special. If you stop long enough to soak it all in (and not run around like a typical tourist), you can sense something magical here. It's nothing that can be quantified, just a feeling that this place deserves being called "sacred".
Well, plenty of time to "soak it in" later, so we took off for the typical tourist highlights of the site, with our guide explaining everything along the way. Our guide took us to all of the important parts of the site that were on the main level, including all of the important temples and religious structures. At the opposite end of the site (the northern end) is the rock on the left, known as the Sacred Rock. It stands just a few dozen feet away from the guard shack for the path to Huayna Picchu. This rock is 12-15 feet high, and is carved as a silhouette of the mountains behind it. On the right, some have seen the shape of a bird??
On the right is the Temple of the Sun, as seen from below. The temple rises two stories above the ground, with a cave-like tomb area directly below the bottom of the photo. The curved front wall makes it an instantly recognizable landmark of the site, and it contains some of the best examples of closely-fit stonework at Machu Picchu. The "Intihuatana" stone pillar. Loosely translated, this Quechua word means "hitching post of the sun". There were a number of Intihuatanas around the Inca world (one at most of the major sites), but the Spanish destroyed everyone that they found, because they knew how sacred these stones were to the Incas. The Intihuatana at Machu Picchu is the only one that has been found intact, because the Spanish never found this city on top of the mountain. It serves a number of purposes, including as a sundial and as an astronomical calendar for solstice/equinox calculations.
We got on the waiting bus. On the winding trip down the mountain we experienced the local phenomenon of the "goodbye boy" - a local Quechua boy dressed in traditional Inca clothes, who waved goodbye to us and shouted some unknown Quechua words at us. It was kind of like "goodbye, come back again soon!", I guess. After going down to the next bend in the road, there he was again, waving and yelling the same phrases. As we kept going down the mountain we would see him waiting for us at the next turn again and again. People on the bus were speculating whether he was identical triplets or whatever, but it was soon obvious that the boy was running straight down the old footpath down the mountain (which was slightly quicker than the bus could drive the zig-zag road), and waiting for the bus to drive by. Once or twice he barely made it in time. Near the bottom he appeared again, and was let on the bus by the driver. When he came on board he proceeded to yell his expressions again, just in case we didn't remember him. He was sweating and slightly winded from all the running, and deserved the numerous tips that the tourists gave him when he went down the bus aisle with his donation bag.
SATURDAY, JUNE 3
I haven’t talked about our hotel in Aguas Calientes, the Pueblo, but it was wonderful. I think our complaints to the tour company resulted in an upgrade to a junior suite, with a fireplace (Jerry built us a nice fire) and a waterfall outside of our window. We had a lovely dinner (included) (relanos rellenos, steak w gooseberries and chocolate ice cream) and saw a slide show (Power Point) by Patrick about the cloud forest. Woke up early for a 6:30 bird walk which didn’t venture far off the patios. Saw lots of tanagers, hummingbirds, and other small birds. Had breakfast and then went for a nature walk where we saw a COCK-OF-THE-ROCK!! It was a female, and my photo didn’t turn out too well, but—what a find!! Went to the café for lunch, but after a 50 minute wait, we left and returned to the Ecology Building for a private 1:30 bird walk. We saw spectacled bear (in cages, where they are trying to get them ready to be returned to the wild), golden olive woodpecker. We walked to the train station, stopping at the vendor area to buy a beautiful alpaca table runner and some other small things (including a bag to replace the worn-out, taped and roped one. Uneventful, but pretty train ride. Met at Poroy by our guide and taken to the hotel. Dinner at same place next door.
MONDAY, JUNE 5
To airport for flight to Lima
Met by guide and driver who took us to our “day-use”hotel. We took a taxi to La Mar, the sushi restaurant I had read about. It was fabulous. Definitely worth recommending or visiting again. Picked up for a four-hour tour of this, the first real city, we’ve seen. First the city park overlooking the ocean. Then a visit to the Plaza, government buildings and cathedral. Our guide was good. The square was all closed off by the military who were expecting some sort of demonstrations because of the election results.
Checked out of Hotel del Pilar – Miraflores and went to the best restaurant of the whole trip right on the ocean. Appetizer of grilled octopus, scallops grilled in butter, tempura, and calamari salad, then rockfish cooked in a salt crust. Back to hotel for transfer to the airport for an uneventful (thank goodness) flight home at midnight. Got back to Beach Haven about 3 pm—very long two days.