To Rurrenabaque by boat

16th May 2010

Continuing our trip with Deep Rainforest, interrupted due to a roadblock at Caranavi, we travelled 6 hours north of La Paz on a nail biting bus ride to Teoponte, part of which could have been on the world´s second most dangerous road. 

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From there we boarded a long river boat powered by an outboard motor, expertly manouvered through the rapids by Herman and Camisas for a 3 day trip down the Rivers Kaka and Beni to Rurrenabaque in the Bolivian Amazon.  Such a memorable trip it was, gliding with the current of the river, thick jungle of the Madidi National Park all around us.

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We camped 2 nights on the river banks, went piraña fishing (Jeff was the only  person to catch one) and had jungle walks with Ivan, our guide, opening up a space ahead with his machette and explaining the medicinal value of various plants.  Carmén, the cook, was up well before dawn cooking up huge meals for 12 tourists and 4 crew.

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Rurre, as the locals call it, is a real jungle outpost where canoes arrive at the market on the river bank.  The amazing sunsets are best watched from an open air thatched roof bar beside the river.

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We flew back to La Paz on an Amaszonas Airline 19 seat Metro.  What an experience – taking off from the rough grass airstrip and flying through a gap in the snow covered mountains to land at one of the world’s highest airports .

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Our boat

Our boat

Gliding down river

Gliding down river

Camping on the river bank

Camping on the river bank

Early morning mist

Early morning mist

Village on the river

Village on the river

Dense jungle lines the river

Dense jungle lines the river

Our cook Carmen at work

Our cook Carmen at work

Waterfall and swimming hole

Waterfall and swimming hole

Hanging nests of the Oropendola birds

Hanging nests of the Oropendola birds

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jeff's pirana

Jeff's piraña

Ivan with his machette

Ivan with his machette

Termite nests attached to a tree

Termite nests attached to a tree

Spiny tree in the jungle

Spiny tree in the jungle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Moth disguised as an owl

Moth disguised as an owl

Looking up into the canopy

Looking up into the canopy

Wild cocoa growing in the jungle

Wild cocoa growing in the jungle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Capibarra leaving the water (giant guinea pig)

Capibarra leaving the water (giant guinea pig)

Leaf cutter ants at work

Leaf cutter ants at work

Waiting for the banana boat at Rurrenabaque

Waiting for the banana boat at Rurrenabaque

Sleepy Rurrenabaque

Sleepy Rurrenabaque

Rurrenabaque river bank

Rurrenabaque river bank

Sunset over the river at Rurrenabaque

Sunset over the river at Rurrenabaque

Back to La Paz the quick way

Back to La Paz the quick way

Flying between mountain peaks

Flying between mountain peaks

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Santa Cruz – Bolivia

24th May 2010

Santa Cruz, in the eastern lowlands of Bolivia, is 1 hour from La Paz by plane and 23 hours by bus.  We took the plane.  There are tall white Mennonites strolling around the city, the men all dressed alike in overalls and straw hats, the women in the same coloured conservative dresses.

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Near Samaipata, 120 kilometres away, is the mystical carved mountain top used by the Pre Incas 3000 years ago, and later the Incas, as a temple to the sun and moon.  Samaipata is a nice little place so it is no surprise that many foreigners live there.  In the nearby jungle are many lovely walks.  Just out of town is the animal refuge El Refugio where sick and injured animals are cared for by volunteers.

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Not far away in La Higuera, the Bolivian army captured and killed Che Guevara.

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Santa Cruz cathedral

Santa Cruz cathedral

The Mennonites come to town

The Mennonites come to town

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ancient hilltop temple near Samaipata, called El Fuerte by the Spanish

Ancient hilltop temple near Samaipata, called El Fuerte by the Spanish

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tiny hummingbird in the hibiscus

Tiny hummingbird in the hibiscus

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Parrots in the mist

Parrots in the mist

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A forest of giant tree ferns, hundreds of years old

A forest of giant tree ferns, hundreds of years old

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The ferns grow 1 centimetre a year - this one was here before the Spanish

The ferns grow 1 centimetre a year - this one was here before the Spanish

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spider web

Spider web

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fungus

Fungus

Another type of fungus

Another type of fungus

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Orchids growing in the tree

Orchids growing in the tree

Knot tree

Knot tree

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Orchid flowers

Orchid flowers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Of of many waterfalls

One of many waterfalls

Butterfly

Butterfly

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beautiful valleys

Beautiful valleys

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Common parrot

Common parrot

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Strange fern growing from the tree

Strange fern growing from the tree

Tucan in El Rufgio

Tucan in El Rufgio

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These are the real road runners!

These are the real road runners!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A native deer

A native orina

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of the many monkeys

One of the many monkeys

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What animal is this?

What animal is this?

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The Jesuits arrived in eastern Bolivia (Chiquitania) in 1691 aiming to convert, civilize and educate the indigenous people in a harmonious social environment.  San Xavier was the first mission, followed by 10 others until the Jesuits were expelled from South America in 1767. 

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In a week we travelled a circuit of some 1000 kilometres by train, buses and taxis from Santa Cruz to visit 8 former Jesuit Missions with centuries old restored churches.  The region has been declared a Unesco World Heritage site, not only for its churches, but also for the rich indigenous culture.

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All the churches feature huge, artistically hewn wooden columns supporting exposed timber beams and wood or cane ceilings.  The white washed adobe walls are covered inside and out with elaborate decoration, painted in ochre, yellow and black.  Mirrors near ground level on the altars taught the heathens how to bow down to God.  The churches all face beautiful plazas, the other 3 sides are lined with colonial buildings, their terracotta tiled roofs overhanging the sidewalks are supported by carved wooden columns.  One block away the streets are dirt.

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San José de Chiquitos was founded in 1698.  Its beautifully restored church complex, the only one to be built in stone, consists of 4 buildings, taking up an entire city block.  Nearby the church of Santiago de Chiquitos, 1754, bears images of the Santiago pilgrim.  The mission of San Ignacio de Velasco was founded in 1748.  San Miguel dates from 1721, San Rafael from1696.  Santa Ana mission, although established in 1755, has a humble church which was built after the Jesuit expulsion of 1767.  The Concepción mission was founded in1709 and San Xavier in 1691.

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San José de Chiquitos

San José de Chiquitos

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Murals .....

Murals .....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

.... found during restoration

.... found during restoration

Santiago de Chiquitos

Santiago de Chiquitos

Main street of Santiago

Main street of Santiago

Santiago Peregrino (St James the Pilgrim)

Santiago Peregrino (St James the Pilgrim)

Santiago relief on the 1767 bell

Santiago relief on the 1767 bell

San Ignacio de Velasco

San Ignacio de Velasco

Inside

Inside

Native with traditional head dress depicted as an angel on the wall of the church

Native with traditional head dress depicted as an angel on the wall of the church

Statue in San Ignacio

Statue in San Ignacio - music was important on the missions

San Miguel

San Miguel

Stylized seahorses leading to the pulpit

Stylized seahorses leading to the pulpit

Interior decoration

Interior decoration

San Rafael with a carved wooden bell tower

San Rafael with a carved wooden bell tower

The interior

The interior

Carving of an angel

Carving of an angel

One of the music murals on the wall

One of the music murals on the wall

Seahorses as envisioned by native craftsmen

Seahorses as envisioned by native craftsmen

Santa Ana

Santa Ana

Inside

Inside

Organ found during restoration is still used

Organ found during restoration is still used

Concepción

Concepción

Inside the Mission complex

Inside the Mission complex

Painting inside the church

Painting inside the church

San Xavier

San Xavier

The only church with painted columns, beams and ceiling

The only church with painted columns, beams and ceiling

Mennonite farmer waiting for the bus

Mennonite farmer waiting for the bus

Typical Chiquitana village

Typical Chiquitana village

Decorative masks ....

Masks ....

.... used in ceromonial dances

.... used in ceromonial dances

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Sajama National Park

04th June 2010

South west of La Paz, near the border with Chile, lies Sajama National Park, Bolivia´s first.  We spent 2 nights in the small pueblo of Sajama (4200 metres) below the majestic, snow capped Sajama Volcano.  When the sun set behind the twin volcanos on the Chile border, the temperature dropped to well below zero.

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Inside the park we walked in a forest of keñua trees, the highest in the world, at over 4400 metres.  We cooked eggs in a bubbling geyser, ate llama, soaked in an open air hot springs surrounded by volcanos and observed llamas, alpacas and vicuñas.

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On the way we passed many ancient Aymara funeral towers, made of adobe brick and almost always facing the rising sun in the east.  Many still contain  human remains.

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A striking adobe and thatch church stands proudly above the humble dewllings in many of the local villages.  The largest and best restored of these is the church of Santiago de Carangas, built between 1587 and 1608.  Inside the walls and ceiling are covered in original frescoes of bible scenes in the Mestizo style.

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Aymara burial towers, 800 years old

Aymara burial towers ....

.... 800 years old

.... 800 years old

Inside the church at Calamarca are paintings of angels

Inside the church at Calamarca are paintings of angels

One of the angels

One of the angels

Crumbling adobe church at Ichiga

Crumbling adobe church at Ichiga

Llamas grazing at the foot of Sajama Volcano

Llamas grazing at the foot of Sajama Volcano

Sajama Church

Sajama Church

Twin volcanos on the Bolivia/Chile border

Twin volcanos on the Bolivia/Chile border

Boiling eggs in a geyser at 4400 metres

Boiling eggs in a geyser at 4400 metres

Soaking in the hot springs

Soaking in the hot springs

A trek to Sajama base camp

A trek to Sajama base camp

The church of Santiago de Carangas

The church of Santiago de Carangas from 1587

The bell tower

Its bell tower

Inside mural of Santiago Matamoros (The Moor slayer)

Inside mural of Santiago Matamoros (The Moor slayer)

Bible scenes ....

Bible scenes ....

.... painted 300 years ago

.... painted 300 years ago

A chapel at Curahuara de Carangas

A chapel at Curahuara de Carangas

Vicuñas

Vicuñas

Multi-coloured Alpaca herd

Multi-coloured Alpaca herd

Church at Tomarapi village

Church at Tomarapi village

Llama going to market in style

Llama going to market in style

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Lake Titicaca – Bolivia

20th June 2010

We arrived in the enchanting town of Copacabana, nestled between two hills on the southern shore of Lake Titicaca at 3872 metres, in time for a lovely sunset followed by a dinner of trout from the lake. The Moorish style cathedral, built between 1605 and 1820, dominates the town.
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At 10am every day outside the cathedral, cars, trucks and buses decorated with flowers are first blessed by a priest, then sprayed with soft drink, beer, rice and flower petals. A traditional holy man then passes over them with smoke. It is quite a spectacle to watch.
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A little over an hour away by boat is the Isla del Sol, birthplace of the Inca. We climbed to the village of Yumani on the southern end of the island where we spent the night, the views over the lake outstanding.
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Copacabana on the shore of Lake Titicaca

Copacabana on the shore of Lake Titicaca

Sunset over Lake Titicaca

Sunset over Lake Titicaca

Copacabana´s Cathedral

Copacabana´s Cathedral

Trout dinner at Pamela´s Diner

Trout dinner at Pamela´s Diner

Moorish style is evident in the Cathedral

Moorish style is evident in the Cathedral

Priest blesses the car

Priest blesses the car

Katie and Chantelle relax at the hostel

Katie and Chantelle relax at the hostel

Lake Titicaca

Lake Titicaca

Inca Steps on the Isla del Sol

Inca Steps on the Isla del Sol

Pack llama

Pack llama

Church on Isla del Sol

Church on Isla del Sol

Inca terraces

Inca terraces

Inca stone carving

Inca stone carving

Ruins of Inca Palace on Isla del Sol

Ruins of Inca Palace on Isla del Sol

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