You grind them into to powder then snort them up your nose! Well, of course not. Although many people make the mistake, the centuries-old tradition of chewing coca leaves has absolutely nothing to do with cocaine. In their natural form, coca leaves provide nothing more than a mild stimulant, akin to coffee. Brewing the leaves into tea is popular among all levels of Bolivian society, but among the working class, and especially for those whose labor is physically demanding, coca is usually chewed.

While “chewing” is the popular term for it, the leaves should never actually be munched upon. Instead, they should be placed one-by-one into the cheek, forming a small saliva-generating ball which you just leave there. Because the stems of the leaves can hurt the inside of your cheek, you should remove them first. Some remove the stems by sliding the leaves between their two front teeth, while others use a lick-fold-tear method.

After you’ve got a good amount of leaves squirreled away inside your cheek, you need to activate their alkaloids inside them to feel any effect. Some people use bicarbonate powder, but a more pleasant option is lejía: a sweet-tasting combination of ash and flavor. A tiny nip every fifteen minutes or so, and the mild stimulant effects of the coca can last for hours.

Chewing coca leaves acts as an appetite suppressant, helps with altitude sickness, provides energy and improves digestion. It also mildly numbs your cheek. It’s impossible to get “addicted” to chewing the leaves, and they don’t provide any sort of high. Making cocaine out of coca leaves is a complicated, chemical process, and chewing the leaves is no more an act of “drug consumption” than eating a poppy-seed bagel.

While we were on the ferry over to the Isla del Sol, we were subjected to a monologue from a self-impressed British guy wearing colorful over-sized sunglasses and a shark’s tooth necklace. All the awesome places he’s been! All the incredible things he’s done! He had a bag of coca with him, and shoved a handful into his mouth, actually chewing them like a cow chews grass. As he did so, he bragged about how awesome coca was and how he felt an instant buzz. We had to stifle our urge to push him off the boat. Please, don’t be that guy.

- The Unfairly Maligned Coca Leaf

Hotels and Hostels in Copacabana

The hill at the northern end of Copacabana is called the Calvario, or Station of the Cross. The trail, leading past fourteen crosses, takes about thirty minutes to ascend, and at the top, you’re rewarded with a great view of the city behind you and Lake Titicaca, stretching out endlessly in front.

We were in Copacabana just before the celebrations of August 6th, and the Calvario was being used by thousands of pilgrims as Ritual Central. Tents had been erected all along the path, and a number of curanderos (Andean medicine men) were performing rituals for believers. With groups of people holding hands and laughing, thick clouds of incense wafting into the air, and the lake reflecting the waning sun in the background, the scene was one of spectacular beauty.

Taking a short break from the ascent, we watched the rituals for awhile. These are the same people who had just been at the city’s Cathedral to pray to the Virgin. Yet here they were, being blessed with incense, pouring beer on the ground, shooting off firecrackers, and touching live armadillos for luck. Why choose just one religion? The gatherings, consisting of three to six people, looked like more fun than the church services I grew up with. In fact, if the Presbyterian belief had included more fireworks and armadillo-fondling, I might still be a faithful member!

At the top of the hill, people were waiting in a long line to decorate the Virgin with pins and ribbons. Around the path, worshipers huddled around little gardens of candles, using the melted wax to sculpt shapes of cars and houses onto whatever empty piece of cement they could find. Stands at the top of the hill sold toy cars, model houses and fake money: all trinkets which provide luck to the owner.

The stands also sold beer. We bought a couple, and sat down to watch the sunset behind the lake. It would be beautiful any time of year, but with the celebrations going on all around us, the scene had a special significance. We didn’t love our time in Copacabana, but the Calvario Hill was certainly a highlight.

Location of the Cerro Calvario
-Bolivia Travel Insurance