Bolivia Blog – Page 4 – Bolivia For 91 Days

The Prettiest Cholita in La Paz

Walking aimlessly about town one sunny weekend afternoon, we happened upon a pageant called Miss Cholita Paceña 2011, just as the winner was being announced. With a grin larger than her hat, she danced about the stage, gladly receiving accolades from the crowd. We thought it was a good introduction to this random picture post, which includes a lot of other lovely things from La Paz... a soccer field with a gorgeous mountain view... the Illimani... and two Boxer dogs, handsome from the front and behind!

The Mirador Killi Killi

"Why are we walking?! There are buses which go up to Killi Killi". Aw man, don't be a such a wimp, Jürgen! We need the exercise. And it's not even all that high.

The Iglesia de San Francisco

The stunning Iglesia de San Francisco was built in the 18th century, and sits at the very top of the city's main thoroughfare. After the Metropolitan Cathedral, it's the most important religious building in La Paz, and because of its advantageous position near the tourist hub of Calle Sagárnaga, probably the most well-known.

Mirador Laikakota and the Green Bridge

Basically, any spot in La Paz can be used a makeshift viewing point. Just raise your eyes off the ground and there's the massive Illimani Mountain towering over the southeast. Looking up towards the west provides a view of El Alto, Bolivia's fastest growing city, stretching haphazardly across the cliff. And if you drive into El Alto, the panorama of the city below is unmatched. Though La Paz itself can be grimy, polluted and uninspiring from an architectural standpoint, I doubt any other city in the world provides as many incredible picture-taking opportunities.

More Pictures from the Aymara New Year

We've already written about the our visit to Tiwanaku for the Aymara New Year celebration. But we had so many pictures, we've had to split them up into two posts. Here's our second set of images from this amazing festival... including the sunrise, and the events which followed. Keep your eye out for Evo Morales: this is the second time we've been able to see Bolivia's president!

The Aymara New Year at Tiwanaku

The pre-Incan ruins of Tiwanaku, just 35 miles west of La Paz, host Bolivia's biggest celebrations in honor of the Aymara New Year. With a belief system rooted heavily in the natural world, the Aymara recognize the winter solstice (June 21st) as the true beginning of the year. We woke up early in the morning to take part in the fun.

San Cristóbal and Final Thoughts

After surviving the morning blizzard in the mountains, we emerged intact onto the dusty plains south of Uyuni. This was the last portion of a long, three-day journey which had offered some of the most incredible nature I've ever been exposed to. Salt flats, semi-active volcanoes, deserts, lagoons, and more. But there was still a bit more to be astounded by.

Playing with Perspective at the Salar de Uyuni

A geological marvel, the Salar de Uyuni is one of the most perfectly flat areas on earth. There aren't hills, bumps, shadows, vegetation or depressions of any sort, and given the lack of visual reference points in such an immense area, one's sense of perspective is bound to become skewed.

Incahuasi – Home of the Incas

Also called the Isla del Pescado thanks to its fish-like profile, the island of Incahuasi is situated smack in the middle of the enormous Salar de Uyuni. We arrived there midway through the first day of our tour. Covered by millennial cacti and composed of coral, the island is a stunning reminder that the salt flats used to be part of a gigantic lake.

Api Morado – Bolivia’s Colorful Breakfast Drink

One of the most popular Bolivian drinks is api morado, usually referred to as just "api". Made from purple maize, cinnamon, water and sugar, the beverage is colorful, heavy and delicious. And it makes for a hearty breakfast, especially when accompanied with fritters (buñuelos).