According to our original itinerary, we were to visit the jungles of Rurrenabaque after our stint in Cochabamba. But after looking at the map, we altered our plans and instead checked out the jungles of the Chapare province, much closer to Cochabamba and less frequented by tourists. The capital of Chapare is Villa Tunari.
Built in 1945 with the cooperation of Mexico, Angostura was the biggest irrigation project yet attempted in Bolivia, and still provides over 75 million cubic meters of water to the region, and is a gorgeous place to take a short boat ride.
A slightly-alcoholic drink made from fermented corn, chicha is a sickly-yellow beverage hugely popular in Bolivia, especially in and around Cochabamba. It's always homemade, prepared in huge earthenware vats, where the corn mixture is left to ferment for several days.
One of the most impressive buildings in Cochabamba is the Convent of Santa Teresa, on the corner of Ecuador and Aguirre. This still-active convent of Carmelite nuns was established in 1726, and is now open to the public for tours. The nuns live separated from the rest of humanity, hidden away from prying eyes in sections of the temple which are strictly off-limits.
The charming village of Tarata makes a perfect day trip from Cochabamba. It's a quick 45-minute trip in a minibus, which costs just five Bolivianos, or about $0.70. Only about 8000 people live in Tarata, but this town boasts a disproportionate amount of importance in Bolivia's history.
Eating in Bolivia has been a real test of intestinal fortitude. We've had a lot of incredible dishes, but our stomachs are unused to the style of food. Here are three other dishes which we've battled through during our time here
After a restless night, Jürgen and I were back in the main plaza at 7am of Saturday, July 16th, watching cholitas in glittering dresses and politely declining offers of cerveza from marching band members who clearly hadn't stopped imbibing all night. The party had never paused -- of this, I'm sure. I had laid in bed, eyes wide open, listening to it rage the entire night.
Completed in 1994 to commemorate the 1988 visit of Pope John Paul II, Cochabamba's mighty Christ towers over the city from the top of San Pedro hill. With his arms open toward the city, it seems as though Cochabamba is about to get a bear hug from the big guy. Rio's Jesus measures exactly 33 meters in height: one meter for each year of the savior's life. Cochabamba's is 33 meters and 20 centimeters, which locals attribute to the fact that Jesus lived for 33 years and a bit.
Cochabamba lays in the middle of Bolivia, both in terms of latitude and altitude. The biggest city of the country's extensive valley range, it boasts Bolivia's best climate and is known as its "breadbasket". Surrounded by mountains and in easy reach of national parks and the jungle, there are plenty of things to see. All of which makes the lack of tourism in Cochabamba nothing less than astounding.
Random festivals, cholitas with hats balanced crookedly on their heads, crazy graffiti, mountain views, pigeons and lines of mini-buses and trufis... around every corner in La Paz are another hundred photos waiting to be snapped! Enjoy this final set of random images from Bolivia's most important city.
