JOURNEYS IN BOLIVIA
As
may be glaringly apparent, I have a special affinity for primates. They
take up thousands of images in my somewhat vast photo library and I
have lost count of how many hours I've spent behind the camera looking
for that perfect shot and then taking a couple hundred more, just in
case. Penguins are a close second, but more on that later. So - without
further ado, shall we start with Bolivia and the spider monkey that took
over the hut's only patio chair?
Senda Verde, located a couple of hours north of La Paz, was a small rescue center with
a wonderfully dedicated staff tasked with the job of caring for injured
primates, some of which were former victims of illegal trafficking.
Getting a little too close :)
Feeding time for the white howler monkey
Young red howler monkey
After
several days at Senda Verde, the journey went south to Uyuni de Salar,
Bolivia's pristine salt flats. It took four days to circumnavigate the
Salar, which span an area of 4,086 square miles and were formed as a result of transformations between several
prehistoric lakes. Today, the flats are covered by some six feet of salt crust.
We
had many stops along the way, courtesy of our driver, and some
wonderful overnight stays in various hostels. Days were hot and nights
were freezing cold.
Rusty old trail engine at the start of the trip
First night at Hostal Tunupa where the wind almost blew us over as we
walked from the hostel to the commissary!
One of the local inhabitants posing for the photographer.
Next stop, Laguna Blanca followed by Laguna Verde. These large mineral-rich lakes are home to several species of migratory flamingos.
And on to the last stop on this unique journey - the steamy geothermal plains of Sol de la Manana characterized by intense volcanic activity and a field of sulphur
springs. This entire 10 square kilometer area in the south-eastern corner of Salar de Uyuni is full of mud
lakes and steam pools with boiling mud. There are several holes on the plain, some of which emit
pressurized steam in columns up to 150 feet high.
Tempting but we skipped this one...
But not this one after many days on the road... cow part soup.
After
a long drive from the salt flats back to La Paz, we took a local bus to
the ferry terminal in Copacabana and then hired a small boat to take us
across to Isla del Sol on the Bolivian side of Lake Titicaca. At the
time of this writing, there was no official shuttle ferry - we simply
went to the dock, found someone willing to take us, and then negotiated a
price, which seemed to be the same no matter how many people were on
board.
Leaving Copacabana behind
Isla
del Sol was a beautiful island with very few tourists and seemed to be
mostly utilized as a get away for locals. There were several hostels
with clean and basic rooms. We stayed at Inca Pacha, which had a nice
garden full of flowers and overlooking the church and ocean beyond. One
of the days I climbed the central hill - it's a fairly small island and
getting to the top only took an hour or so - where the main and only
real cobblestone street had a number of hostels and a few restaurants. I
met a few other backpackers but this was definitely, gratefully not a
crowded tourist hub.
The
view from the top of the island was amazing. There was a trail running
the other side, mostly used by the local farmers as a access route to
their terraced fields. It was a pretty steep descent in some places but
generally well used and I was excited to see an abundance of agaves and
puyas along the trail. It was utter bliss to hear the sudden but
unmistakable whirring of wings heralding the arrival of the world's
largest hummingbird, appropriately named the Giant Hummingbird (patagona gigas), as it swooped in to feast off the chartreuse flowers of the puya.
Farmers on their way to the ferry to sell their vegetables at the market in Copacabana.
Our gracious host at Inca Pacha.
Donkeys, sheep and llamas abound on Isla del Sol.
La Paz at its finest.
I
like this city despite its
reputation as being a little rough around the edges, mainly in El Alto
where
you probably don’t want to walk around after dark. A lot of the old
colonial
buildings of the downtown area remain well kept and the city definitely
has a vibe
of being up-and-coming in terms of some really good places to eat, drink
and see
local art. The coffee is, not surprisingly, excellent – as is the hot
chocolate
for obvious reasons and, unlike in Ecuador, it is not accompanied by a
slice of
queso fresca. There is good street food to be had at all the random
markets around town, as well as fresh veggies and fruit. The Museo
Costumbrista Juan de Vargas has a good selection of folk costumes and
woven textiles and a nice
little museum shop.
The dehydrated llama fetuses is a little curious to see at
first but popular for use in local ceremonies.
Empanada con queso, a favorite for lunch!
Public transport.
And so it’s farewell to Bolivia. I highly recommend anyone
to come here – it’s stunningly beautiful, the people are friendly, and the food
is excellent. What else could one ask for?
The itinerary and where we stayed:
La Paz –
Estrella Andina Guesthouse and Hostal Isidoro
Coroico –
Senda Verde Animal Sanctuary
Uyuni –Piedra
Blance Backpackers Hostel and 4 day tour with Uyuni Tours Travel Company
Isla del Sol
– Inca Pacha Hostal
Sorata –
Altai Oasis Eco Lodge
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