January 29, 2017

AMC Bolivia: Sorata

After a five hour bumpy ride, we finally reached our eco-hotel "Altai Oasis" in sleepy Sorata in the Cordillera Real.  As soon as we dropped our bags in our rooms, we set off for the most direct route to town - very steep down, across the river and up - then back again.  The next morning, we were greeted with a view of Mount Illampu (20,892').  While most hiked to San Pedro Cave, a fellow hiker and I walked the gentle, longer route into town to enjoy the Saturday Market.
The next day, we took taxis to our starting point and climbed from 11,500' to 13,800' in ~ 3 miles to reach Lago Chilata which is in the Mount Illampu foothills.  Of course, we had to hike back down but the views were well worth the effort.



January 26, 2017

AMC Bolivia: La Paz

One of the best decisions Susan and I made was to come two days early to La Paz.  The hotel was a lovely place to stay and we were able to walk to any place we wanted to visit.  By the time the rest our group arrived, we were well rested and starting to acclimate to climbing the steep hills in high altitude (almost 12,000') La Paz. 
The month-long Alasitas Festival started January 24 and we were almost crushed by the crowds. This "Festival of Miniatures" honors Amymara the God of Abundance. It is said that the recipient of a miniature will manifest that in the following year. The streets were packed with people buying miniature cars, houses, passports, and stacks of bills. We stopped for lunch at La Catita and the owner gave me a miniature for prosperity and a return visit to Bolivia.
We enjoyed many coffee breaks but we also visited several museums.  Our favorite was the Museo Nacional de Etnografia y Folklore.  Exhibits included textiles, masks, ceramics, plumes, coins, metals and mining.


Many residents of La Paz have built their homes on the sides of mountains.  One of my favorite excursions was on one of the telefericos used by commuters.  We paid 35 cents to take the Yellow Line to its summit at 12,260'.  There we enjoyed coffee and donuts with a view.

On our first full tour day in La Paz, we were taken to the outskirts of La Paz to hike in the other-worldly Valle de la Luna.
Entrance - Enter at your own risk

Boardwalks and winding trails

Viscacha - related to chinchillas
Wildflowers

Views of the highest golf course in the world
Musical entertainment and yes, the tip jar was more conveniently located