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Showing posts with the label Bolivia

Isla del Sol y de la Luna, Lake Titicaca, Bolivia

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  Photos of a boat trip on Lake Titicaca to Isla del Sol and de la Luna. We visited Isla de la Luna first - it is quite small but it has a nice Inka ruin. Isla del Sol is bigger and it needs more time to explore - we only stopped briefly, enough for climbing some stairs and drinking from an Inca spring. It is supposed to give health and longevity. Late lunch was eaten on a floating restaurant.

Copacabana, Bolivia - Port city on Lake Titicaca

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  The trip from La Paz to Copacabana is beautiful and involves crossing a strait on ferry, and Copacabana itself is stunning. Located on the shore of Lake Titicaca, its historic centre is charming, and there are several hills that offer great views on the lake, the town and the surroundings.

Tiwanaku - An ancient pre-Inca culture

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  This is probably the most important archaeological site in Bolivia, located a couple of hours from La Paz. It is easy to visit independently, taking a shared minibus from the main cemetery of La Paz. It was BOB 20 to get there, but on the way back I only paid BOB 20. Probably to Tiwanaku I was charged the full price to the Peruvian border, back however they were happy to pick up someone as the colectivo wasn`t full. Getting in and out of La Paz takes half the time, so upon our return I got out on the outskirts of El Alto and took the cable car (blue and red lines) to the centre. Tiwanaku consists of a main site, two museums and a smaller site closer to the main road. 

Valle de Luna, La Paz

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  it's OK but nothing special ... there are similar landscapes in many places, even nicer, for example around Tupiza ... the view from a nearby hill is nice, and so it the walk down ...

Teleférico La Paz–El Alto - A new meaning to air travel

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  Many big cities have a comprehensive network of metro (subway) lines to provide a cheap and fast means of transport for the working masses - but not La Paz. In this beautiful city, commuters use a comprehensive network of cablecar (teleferico) lines. There are 10 lines covering the city, connecting all the areas, from the centre to the rich suburbs and the plateau of El Alto, where the working class people live. 

La Paz, Bolivia - People and events

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  Celebrations, markets, protests...

La Paz, Bolivia - Streets, buildings, views

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  bustling city in a stunning setting...

Cochabamba - Cholita march

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  the typical indigenous woman, in her modern-traditional outfit, is called Cholita ... there were men also, but mostly women ... and fireworks ... 

Cochabamba - not the most beautiful city in Bolivia, but pleasant

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  It's definitely not the most beautiful city in Bolivia, but it's quite pleasant and the setting itself is nice. It has a big lake, surrounded by slums on hills, the massive Cristo de la Concordia statue which can be reached by a cable car and from where you can get a panoramic view of Cochabamba, and a small and busy centre with very few historic buildings, most of which are on the main plaza. Apart from the hill with the Christ statue, a building called Sky Box offers a 180° view of the city. 

Dinosaur footprints near Sucre, Bolivia

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  Said to be the world's largest collections of fossilised dinosaur footprints, the Parque Cretacico Sucre, or Dinosaur Park, is right next to a big cement factory just outside Sucre. While this setting is quite ugly, it is the factory that was here first. In fact, it is because of the factory that this site was discovered - as they chipped the limestone mountain away, they came across the dinosaur footprints. There is a tourist bus that departs from the main square of Sucre several times a day, but the site can also be reached by the public bus number 4. You can take any of these buses back to the city, or, as I did, walk back and enjoy spectacular views of the surrounding area.

Sucre, Bolivia - People and events

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always something happening ... marches, folk dance, exhibitions ... 

Sucre, Bolivia - 10 viewpoints

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a couple better known and other lesser known viewpoints ...

Sucre - The White City, Bolivia's constitutional capital

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  Sucre is one of Bolivia's two capitals... relaxed atmosphere, beautiful historic centre, hills and  viewpoints ...

Potosí - The richest city in the world

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  At one time, Potosí was the richest city in the world - or at least it made Spain one of the richest countries. It is known for its hill, Cerro Rico, that provided about 80% of the world's silver. The mine is still in operation, and the working conditions did not improve much since the time of the conquistadors. But some got rich, and it is visible in the architecture of the city. I loved this place very much, but the high altitude - over 4,000 meters asl - got me and I decided to move on after 2 days. Nevertheless, I'll remember Potosí as one of the highlights of my Bolivian trip.

Puerta del Diablo and Cañón del Inca - A walk in Tupiza

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  Puerta del Diablo and Cañón del Inca are the most famous attractions of Tupiza, and they are indeed beautiful natural sights. The truth is, however, that you find similar landscapes and rock formations all around the town. But it's worth visiting these places, and it can be done in half a day on foot. It's just the beginning of the walk (and end if you return the same way), the outskirts of Tupiza, that are ruined by rubbish thrown next to the road. 

Cerro Cruz - A hike in Tupiza

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Cerro Cruz, with its white cross on its peak, is well visible from all over Tupiza. The hill is just across the river, a short walk from the centre, and the hike to the top takes about 30-40 minutes from the base. The view is fantastic and it's very much worth the effort!

Tupiza - Bolivia's little known gem

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  text to come...

Uyuni - End of the Railway

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  Once, Uyuni was Bolivia's main railway hub, but after the country lost some of its territories to Chile, including its main port, Antofagasta, the industry died. There is still plenty of reminder of this past in the city, but most striking is the train cemetery on the outskirts. Otherwise Uyuni is a dusty, ugly, modern city, but it is still interesting and has its own charm. 

Bolivia Day 3 - Salar de Uyuni

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  On the third and last day of our tour we got up really early to see the sunrise from Salar de Uyuni, the world's biggest salt flat covering over 10,000 square kilometres. We spent the whole morning there, having lunch and finishing in dusty and sleepy Uyuni. That's where we said goodbye to our friendly driver and guide, Crispin. 

Bolivia Day 2 - Rocks, rivers, grasslands and llamas

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  Day 2 of our tour started slowly in the cute village of Villa Mar where we had the chance for the first time to get close to llamas. The village is set among rocky outcrops, a stream flows through it and the area is much greener than what we saw on the previous day. Then we saw more rocks, more streams, more grassland and many more llamas. Just before reaching our destination for the night on the edge of the Salar de Uyuni, we stopped at a half-abandoned village that used to be a major railway hub when Antofagasta was still part of Bolivia. Arriving little after sunset, we managed to catch a glimpse of the salt flat in the distance.