Bolivia - Walk like an Inca

So we just got back from a week and a half away in the state of La Paz (I say state because it is, contrary to popular belief, not just a city). After a few days of catching up with old friends and hanging out in some old haunts (bars, markets, you name it – I love that town), and then attending the national rugby championship (Cochabamba kicked Peru’s butt, but then proceeded to get whooped by La Paz), we headed for Copacabana (Lake Titicaca) and the Isla del Sol, birthplace of the Inca empire.

So the Isla del Sol is a big deal because, according to Inca religion, the first Inca - Manco Capac - emerged from a prominent crag in a large sandstone outcrop known as Titikala (the Sacred Rock). Manco Capac was the son of Inti and Mama Quilla, the Andean deities of the sun and moon, respectively. Legend has it that the ancient people of the province were without light in the sky for many days and grew frightened of the darkness. Finally, the people saw the Sun emerge from the crag and believed it was the Sun's dwelling place. A temple was built at this rock and later expanded by the 10th Inca, who built a convent for mamaconas (chosen women) and a tambo (inn) for visiting pilgrims. Sunrise and sunset were spectacular, and staying on the island is totally worth it.

…in usual Bolivia fashion however, we got stuck in Copacabana for an extra night due to protests about local government in a village that lies on the road back to La Paz. Ni que hacer! It gave us a chance to indulge in some fine food at La Cupula hotel, overlooking the little harbor. With some chatting and extra dinero to pad the deal, we got back to town the next day via independently contracted taxis.

Next was a bigger endeavor, the Choro trek. This lasts 3 days and begins at the cold Cumbre (4725m) just above La Paz, passes Abra Chucura (4859m), and ends in a warm, tropical village of Chairo at 1750m. It’s 70km long, over which you descend about 3km in altitude. Suffice it to say that going downhill got old, but there were several uphill climbs, which strangely I was grateful for as it used an entirely different set of muscles. Conversation spanned the usual trekking spectrum - weather, philosophy, and then food (tuna and noodles leave much to be desired) – but mostly weather, because instead of being rained on, we were actually stuck IN the rain cloud for about half of the time (the rainy season started early this year).

In brief, this trek allows you to follow the steps of the Inca from a barren, cold and rugged terrain down a beautifully preserved stone path into the subtropical vegetation of the Yungas, where you see citrus, banana trees, coffee and coca plantations, colorful birds and butterflies. It’s less travelled than the other Inca trails of the Cordillera region – frankly, we didn’t see more than 5 people along the way, and to my delight there wasn’t as much garbage along the way either (I understand the more transited treks are shocking in that regard). Once we arrived to Chairo we took a bus to Coroico, the “hub” of the Yungas region. Here, we ate ate ate like chanchitos...oddly, but much to our delight, there is an established connection with European settlers (French, Dutch, Swiss, German) here. All of the above offer amazing food with a gourmet touch, everything from fresh organic bread, to bitter chocolate and delicious coffee, to llama in tamarind sauces (all at very low prices). If I hadn’t had to come back to Cochabamba, I’d still be there now...

Click here to see my photos.