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The Big Trip Report #19 - Kamisaraki from Bolivia - Fri, 18 Jun 2004
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(Kamisaraki means hello in Aymara, the local indigenous language)
For most of you Bolivia will conjure up Butch and Sundance and cocaine. In fact,
it is very unlikely that Butch and Sundance actually met their end at the hands
of the Bolivian army in San Vicente. As to cocaine, Bolivia is one of the three
biggest growers of coca leaf (alongside Colombia and Peru), which can be processed
into cocaine. However coca leaf is an intrinsic part of Bolivian daily life
and has been since pre-Inca times. The leaf, when chewed or taken as tea, is
a very mild stimulant (less so than caffeine) that helps with the tough existence
that many Bolivians endure. It has also been very useful for us in coping with
the high altitude, as it helps with acclimatization. Speaking of altitude, much
of Bolivia is on the Andean altiplano, so we have been spending much of the
past month at 3000 to 5000m. This has made it very cold (no heating!) as well
as hard to breathe. However, there has been a lot to see:
The Salar de Uyuni - The largest and highest salt flat in the world at an altitude
of over 3600m and stretching over 10,000 sq. kms, containing more than 10 billion
tons of salt. We spent four days crammed in a jeep touring the salt flats and
surrounding flamingo- filled multi-colored lagoons, volcanoes, hot springs,
geysers spewing sulphuric gases and boiling mud, the 'Dali desert' which did
look just like a Dali painting, minus the dripping clocks. This harsh but spectacular
landscape was unlike any we have encountered before but, unlike the llamas,
alpacas and their wild cousins the vicuñas, we couldn't live happily
up here as the nights at 4300m were the coldest we have ever spent.
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Potosi - at 4100m, the highest city in the world. In the 17th century it was
the largest and richest city in the Americas due to one thing: Cerro Rico, the
gold and silver mine. This was the financial driver of the Spanish empire in
South America. However, its dark side was that indigenous slave labor was used
to work the mines in horrific conditions. Between 3 and 8 million natives died
here under colonial rule. Though much depleted the mine is still operating on
a cooperative basis, now allowing the miners to share in any profits. However,
the conditions are still appalling as the mining is done totally by hand with
scant regard to health and safety. We were able to see this first hand by taking
a tour and spending several hours crawling underground in the choking dust and
heat watching the miners at work. We were very happy to get out into the fresh
air again, but it was a very informative experience, and redefines one's perception
of what a bad job is (these guys have an average life expectancy of 45 years).
By the way, more than 50% of the Bolivian population is indigenous, mostly Aymara
and Quechua. Many still speak their native languages and wear colorful costumes.
The men with multi-colored layered ponchos topped off with fabric versions of
Spanish conquistadore helmets. Most women wear their hair in long braids with
bowler hats perched incongruously on their heads. Their bodies seem to be square
underneath layers of gaudy pleated skirts.
Sucre - a small city with fine examples of Spanish colonial architecture. At
only 2800m it was relatively warm and a good place to recover from the stomach
problems that seem to afflict every traveler in Bolivia.
Even warmer was the jungle town of Villa Tunari. We came here to visit the monkeys
that had been rescued (many from the pet trade) to live free in the sanctuary.
We spent a very entertaining day with capuchin, squirrel and spider monkeys
climbing all over us, searching our pockets for goodies and grooming us.
Then back up to 3700m and the capital La Paz, beautifully circled by snow-capped
peaks. This is a bustling intense city, good for shopping (anything in Alpaca
you could possibly desire). We took a day trip to Tiahuanuco to see the ruins
of the capital of the civilization that preceded the Incas. This civilization
lasted for nearly 3000 years compared to 400 for the Incas, though they still
remain relatively unknown. To reach the ruins we passed the remains of many
of the sporadic roadblocks that currently plague the country and turn every
bus journey into an adventure. Bolivia is a country in crisis. The rural peasants
(campesinos) have many grievances varying from lack of government support, to
the attempted U.S.-backed eradication of the coca plant so they blockade the
roads with huge piles of stones in protest, bringing the country to a standstill.
To get ourselves into shape for the upcoming trekking in Peru we embarked on
a three day trek that started in the mountains near La Paz and followed an Incan
trail down to the jungle. We had hoped to relax in the sun here but we were
rained out and so returned directly to La Paz via the notorious 'death road',
a single gravel track winding up a sheer mountainside with nothing to prevent
you from going over the edge. The scenery was stunning but we were relieved
to reach the top alive.
We are writing this from Copacabana, a very chill town on the shore of beautiful
blue Lake Titicaca (3900m). We were lucky to get here as the road had been blockaded
for the past couple of weeks. Yesterday we visited the largest island in the
lake, Isla de Sol, purportedly the birthplace of the original Incan ruler, and
so the origin of the Incan civilization. We spent a pleasant four hours hiking
across the barren island (not many trees grow at this altitude) but the 360
degree panoramic views of the lake made it worthwhile. We are now sitting in
the sun waiting for our bus to take us to the Peruvian end of the lake, and
then on to Cusco and the heart of the Incan empire.
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