Travel photos from Bolivia, part 1

Photos from Bolivia, part 1.

Place cursor over picture to see a description. Click on thumb for a larger image.
The lady who scanned the Toro Toro photo's tried to scan as many photo's as possible in one scan, covering parts of photos in the course of it. So some are incomplete.

1^st-2^nd week December 2003 (Lake Titicaca – La Paz).

Puno to Copacabana takes one through the Peruvian/Bolivian border. According to my books I should be able to get a 90-day Bolivian visa. Like most I only got a 30-day visa. Arguing didn't help. Saying that I'd then spend my money in another country only got a shrug. For 150 Bs he'd give me a 90 day visa. Adios señor. Copacabana didn't turn out to be quite what I expected. Many tourists I met say that it was a 'must' stopover. I didn't like it. There were 3 short main tourist streets, a small stony beach crowded with pedelows and a cathedral. Cathedral entrance fees had to be paid before we got out of the bus on arrival in Copacabana! Tourists with through tickets to La Paz had a couple of hours to look around before boarding their next special tourist bus. Special being nothing else than an ordinary old bus, only at a slightly higher price. Listening to other tourists opinions of Isla del Sol. Maybe I should have. Next time. Instead I caught one of those special buses to La Paz, but at a normal price. But not before going to the cathedral. After all, I'd already paid the entrance fee. There turned out to be a special service. Outside were all sorts of police and military giving a parade for some minister or other. After the parade they all went into the cathedral, each to their reserved seats. I had a look around inside just before they came marching in, literally. The bus to La Paz had to cross Lake Titicaca. This is done by two separate boats, one small one for the passengers, one open one for the bus.

In La Paz it rained just about every afternoon. This gave me a chance to catch up on the what was going on at the cinema. La Paz has several cinemas, not all of the same quality, but still better than watching pirated dvd’s. The mornings were spent looking for souvenirs (Christmas is a coming). I expected, as I was told by tourists in Peru, to find better deals with at least the same quality as in Peru. Only I couldn’t find the souvenirs that I liked in Peru. I ended up with nothing I wanted to give away. Maybe my mind setting will change on the way and I’ll buy some of what I saw anyway.

After a few days my mornings started of with a trip to the market. There I bought the first part of my breakfast, a fruit-salad with yoghurt. This was introduced to me by other tourists. Since then I always check-out the local market for their fruit salads. To date the La Paz, Cochabamba and Sucre markets have good, ‘safe’, fruit salads.

La Paz is a busy hectic metropolitan city. The streets are noisy and crowded, especially at night. They have more modern shops with ‘western’ articles. The buses, as everywhere else, are old. Having a hotel close to the parliament buildings, I saw many different types of uniforms and arms. At last I’ve found a subject to take photos of. It’s a shame most refused to have their photo taken. The grey/white uniform of the special police brigade was at least different. I thought it would be more suitable in a snowy environment. I did take some uniform photos.

Listening to other tourists adventures, mainly misadventures, was also a good pastime (e.g. (attempted) (armed) robberies, policemen who aren’t, taxi tricks). After meeting up with many tourists I met in Cusco and admiring some of their digital Machupicchu photos, I left for a better climate, Cochabamba.

3^rd-4^th week December 2003 (Cochabamba – Totora).

I’ve forgotten how long the journey to Cochabamba took. What I do remember that it was a good road, but that the driver took his time. What a difference to the Peruvian racing technique.

Cochabamba had indeed a better climate. But it still rained in the afternoon. Not as long as in La Paz, but still it rained. Cochabamba has many Plazas, full of flowering trees. It bears the unofficial name of ‘City of eternal Spring’. Well I suppose it must rain in spring for things to flower. So here I also frequented the cinema. Cochabamba itself hasn’t got so many sites. It has several markets. One of the street markets was like a maze. I just didn’t know how to get out of it. Not as bad as the 5-km square! market at El Alto, La Paz.

From Cochabamba I took a return trip to Toro Toro, which is in the middle of the Parque Nacional Torotoro. Normally it would be very difficult to get there, it being the rain season and the bus having to cross many riverbeds. In the rainy-reason, like now, all buses and lorries to/from Toro Toro leave in a convoy. In spite of the amount of rain in La Paz and Cochabamba, the residents of Toto Toro were complaining about the lack of rain in their area. Indeed, many riverbeds on the way were dry and the principal river just outside the village had only a trickle of water. This didn’t stop us arriving overdue. Yet again I was in a bus that managed to get two punctures on the way. The crowded old bus took 9,5 hours to reach it’s destination, including punctures and a stop in the village of Cliza At least there happened to be an ice-cream vendor on board who gratefully took his opportunity during these hot breakdowns. As did the villagers during the 2^nd breakdown who didn’t often get a chance to buy any, due to their remote location.

Toro Toro turned out to be a small but prosperous community. Many houses were or were being rebuilt with style. Not only had some wealthy nationals settled there, but the government is subsidising some of this too. Needless to say they had only had electricity since less than a year. The candle stains were still in my hotel room. I wonder when they’ll get round to doing the streets. They are some of the worst I’d seen.

The guide I hired for three days took me to a local cave (Humajalanta). On the way there we got a lift in the back of a lorry, full of teenagers on an outing, all holding onto the side or each other for dear life on this bumpy ride. The cave-entrance was guarded by the 2^nd (small) tarantula I’d seen this year. This cave trip involved more climbing and crawling than caves tourists in western countries normally enter.

Walking back to the village we passed several locations with dinosaur footprints. The scenery was of course also interesting.

The second day, with a different, better, guide, I went to one of the local canyons where we were greeted by a ‘small’ vulture which we disturbed during it’s warming-up, where after it came down on me in a mock attack. Looking through my camera I didn’t notice how close it was, 2-3m, until the guide shouted a warning. I thought I had fully zoomed in, which I hadn’t. I recall this also happening in Los Llanos, Venezuela while taking pictures of an ant-eater.

After that small adventure we descended into the canyon where we were greeted by a small viper. Evading the snake we arrived at El Vergel, a small waterfall and a several natural swimming-pools. Being at the bottom of the canyon meant a climb back up. On the way up and out we passed a cave that was meant to be far more interesting than the one I saw the day before. Alas too dangerous (for tourists) to enter. We also passed 5 adjacent manmade caves. ‘Caves’ created by miners. Also too dangerous to enter.

The last day we climbed a hill in the other direction opposite the village to enjoy the views. Back on the plain we followed the main riverbed until we came to their famous pre-historic rock-paintings (Chiflonkhakha). Not much to see. They are all on the one photo.

When I wasn’t on tour with the guides I walked around the village. I came across a 2 month old eagle that wasn’t caged or clipped. Brought up by a villager it stayed in the area. A walk to the Tortugua Cementario didn’t reveal any tortoises. It did reveal a lovely nice and the remains of a violet coloured bus that had ran off the straight part of the cliff road exactly a month ago, killing four of it’s passengers. The small local museum, Pachamama Wasi, is full of stones, rocks and fossils found in the surroundings.

Via Cochabamba I went to Totora, a small colonial village. The village has received a government grant to carry out repairs. Many houses have new roofs and reinforced walls (concrete columns added). There is only a certain budget per house, US$9000, which means that after the roof has, sometimes only partly, been done there is no budget for the front. The main square is having a complete facelift. The whole square was in scaffolding. Some of the building on it are at the moment see-through. I only intended to stay here for a day, carrying on to Samaipata to spend Christmas. Alas, I must have eaten something there that didn't agree with me. I had a bad nights sleep only to throw up twice in the morning. Feeling very weak with rapid body-temperature changes I didn't want to sit out a long bus ride. I stayed. During the day Christmas music could be heard from the main square and sometimes people singing, talking, shouting through the loudspeaker system at that same square. Much of it originating form the church on the square. At about 20:00 all the local young children gathered at the square where father Christmas received them. He gave each of them a gift. A small Barbie-like doll for the girls, a toy car for the boys. Surprisingly all construction work continued on the 24th, 25th and 26th. When do these guys get a break? I had to wait for hours for a colectivo taxi to fill up to go Epizana where I could catch a passing bus onward to Samaipata. Nobody wanted to travel on Christmas Day. But at last a taxi came from Cochabamba that wanted to return without having to wait long. Why do people suddenly turn up when the taxi starts moving out. Within seconds there were eight of us in it. I didn't have to wait long in Epizana for a bus. In fact as we drove up to the police checkpoint a bus pulled up that was willing to take us (two other tourists too).

South-Am   (Country overview)

Venezuela (21-02-2003 thru 15-08-2003) [Overview]
Brazil         (16-08-2003 thru 28-08-2003) [Overview]
Peru           (12-09-2003 thru 04-12-2003) [Overview]
Bolivia        Overview
Bolivia-2    (28-12-2003 thru 07-02-2004) [Sucre, Tarija, Tupiza, Uyuni]
Bolivia-3    (08-02-2004 thru 23-02-2004) [Uyuni, Potosi, Oruro]
Bolivia-4    (February 2004)                         [Oruro, La Paz, Cochabamba]
Bolivia-5    (21 February 2004)                    [more Oruro carnival]
Chili            (01-03-2004 thru 09-03-2004) [Overview]
Argentina   (02-05-2004 thru 08-05-2004) [Overview]

HOME

Updated: March 12, 2004
Webmaster: wm_deacon@hotmail.com

	Puno to Copacabana takes one through the Peruvian/Bolivian border. According to my books I should be able to get a 90-day Bolivian visa. Like most I only got a 30-day visa. Arguing didn't help. Saying that I'd then spend my money in another country only got a shrug. For 150 Bs he'd give me a 90 day visa. Adios señor. Copacabana didn't turn out to be quite what I expected. Many tourists I met say that it was a 'must' stopover. I didn't like it. There were 3 short main tourist streets, a small stony beach crowded with pedelows and a cathedral. Cathedral entrance fees had to be paid before we got out of the bus on arrival in Copacabana! Tourists with through tickets to La Paz had a couple of hours to look around before boarding their next special tourist bus. Special being nothing else than an ordinary old bus, only at a slightly higher price. Listening to other tourists opinions of Isla del Sol. Maybe I should have. Next time. Instead I caught one of those special buses to La Paz, but at a normal price. But not before going to the cathedral. After all, I'd already paid the entrance fee. There turned out to be a special service. Outside were all sorts of police and military giving a parade for some minister or other. After the parade they all went into the cathedral, each to their reserved seats. I had a look around inside just before they came marching in, literally. The bus to La Paz had to cross Lake Titicaca. This is done by two separate boats, one small one for the passengers, one open one for the bus.

	La Paz is a busy hectic metropolitan city. The streets are noisy and crowded, especially at night. They have more modern shops with ‘western’ articles. The buses, as everywhere else, are old. Having a hotel close to the parliament buildings, I saw many different types of uniforms and arms. At last I’ve found a subject to take photos of. It’s a shame most refused to have their photo taken. The grey/white uniform of the special police brigade was at least different. I thought it would be more suitable in a snowy environment. I did take some uniform photos.

	From Cochabamba I took a return trip to Toro Toro, which is in the middle of the Parque Nacional Torotoro. Normally it would be very difficult to get there, it being the rain season and the bus having to cross many riverbeds. In the rainy-reason, like now, all buses and lorries to/from Toro Toro leave in a convoy. In spite of the amount of rain in La Paz and Cochabamba, the residents of Toto Toro were complaining about the lack of rain in their area. Indeed, many riverbeds on the way were dry and the principal river just outside the village had only a trickle of water. This didn’t stop us arriving overdue. Yet again I was in a bus that managed to get two punctures on the way. The crowded old bus took 9,5 hours to reach it’s destination, including punctures and a stop in the village of Cliza At least there happened to be an ice-cream vendor on board who gratefully took his opportunity during these hot breakdowns. As did the villagers during the 2^nd breakdown who didn’t often get a chance to buy any, due to their remote location.

	The guide I hired for three days took me to a local cave (Humajalanta). On the way there we got a lift in the back of a lorry, full of teenagers on an outing, all holding onto the side or each other for dear life on this bumpy ride. The cave-entrance was guarded by the 2^nd (small) tarantula I’d seen this year. This cave trip involved more climbing and crawling than caves tourists in western countries normally enter.

	Walking back to the village we passed several locations with dinosaur footprints. The scenery was of course also interesting.

	The second day, with a different, better, guide, I went to one of the local canyons where we were greeted by a ‘small’ vulture which we disturbed during it’s warming-up, where after it came down on me in a mock attack. Looking through my camera I didn’t notice how close it was, 2-3m, until the guide shouted a warning. I thought I had fully zoomed in, which I hadn’t. I recall this also happening in Los Llanos, Venezuela while taking pictures of an ant-eater.

	After that small adventure we descended into the canyon where we were greeted by a small viper. Evading the snake we arrived at El Vergel, a small waterfall and a several natural swimming-pools. Being at the bottom of the canyon meant a climb back up. On the way up and out we passed a cave that was meant to be far more interesting than the one I saw the day before. Alas too dangerous (for tourists) to enter. We also passed 5 adjacent manmade caves. ‘Caves’ created by miners. Also too dangerous to enter.

	The last day we climbed a hill in the other direction opposite the village to enjoy the views. Back on the plain we followed the main riverbed until we came to their famous pre-historic rock-paintings (Chiflonkhakha). Not much to see. They are all on the one photo.
	When I wasn’t on tour with the guides I walked around the village. I came across a 2 month old eagle that wasn’t caged or clipped. Brought up by a villager it stayed in the area. A walk to the Tortugua Cementario didn’t reveal any tortoises. It did reveal a lovely nice and the remains of a violet coloured bus that had ran off the straight part of the cliff road exactly a month ago, killing four of it’s passengers. The small local museum, Pachamama Wasi, is full of stones, rocks and fossils found in the surroundings.