Bolivia
Makayla Ripperda
INTRODUCTION
WEATHER/CLIMATE
LEISURE ACTIVITIES
Salar de Uyuni:"Truly out of this world destination." It is one of the flattest places in the world. It is a salt flat formed from a prehistoric lake. "Salt flats are at their most spectacular after a rain, when water sitting atop the cemented salt acts like a mirror, perfectly reflecting the sky above."
Yungas Road:Dubbed the “World’s Most Dangerous Road” Yungas Road runs from La Paz to Bolivia’s Amazon rainforest region in the north of the country. From La Paz, the road climbs around 15,000 feet before descending around 4,000 feet to the town of Coroico. The road has proved dangerous for those traveling in vehicles, but Yungas has become a favorite travel attraction for mountain bikers who rave about the 40-mile-long stretch of downhill riding.
Lake Titicaca:Bordering Bolivia and Peru, Lake Titicaca is the largest lake in South America. Incans, as well as a number of other native peoples, are thought to have originated in the region. Near the south-eastern shore of the lake lies Tiwanaku, ruins of an ancient city state that scholars believe was a precursor of the Inca Empire. Lake Titicaca is a popular vacation destination. The original Copacabana is a favorite resort for both tourists and locals.
History Of Horca Del Inca
Despite its name, the Horca del Inca was built by the pre-IncaChiripa culture in the 14th century BC as an astronomical observatory. Rituals on the winter soltice June 21 were also held here.
When the Spanish came along, they destroyed some of the site in the hopes of finding gold hidden there. Noting its resemblence to a gallows and mistakenly associating it with the Incas, they gave the monument its present name.
What To See At Horca Del Inca:The trilithic (three-rock) structure resembles a gallows, hence its popular name. Between the two naturally upright rocks, the Chiripa builders placed seven horizontal rock slabs in precise positions that would enable observation of the heavenly bodies. On the equinoxes, the sun can be viewed as it reflects off the rocks.
There is only one cross-piece left in position today, thanks to the Spanish, and unfortunately the rocks have been decorated with graffiti. However, the ancient site still has plenty of ambience as well as fine views of Lake Titicaca and the town of Copacabana.
Getting There:The site is located on a rocky hill in the southeast part of town (see map). Hiking to the Horca del Inca is only for those of reasonable fitness and comfortable shoes, as the path is steep and rough. Boys hanging around by the base will usually offer to show the way for about $1; it is worth taking them up on it.
Christ Of The Tears,Cochabamba
The Capilla Cristo de las Lágrimas de San Pedro (Chapel of Christ of the Tears of St. Peter) in Cochabamba enshrines a mysterious sculpture of Christ. Since 1995, it has wept tears of human blood every Good Friday.
Devotees claim that the tears have been tested in an Australian lab and found to contain human blood, and that the statue has been examined for fraudulent mechanisms and found to be hollow. To top it all off, the weeping has been caught on film
Christ Of The Tears Before Weeping
Christ Of The Tears
Christ Of The Tears
Bolivian Cuisine
Salteñas are savory pastries filled with beef, pork or chicken mixed in a sweet, slightly spicy or very spicy sauce, and sometimes also containing peas, eggs, olives, raisins, potatoes and other ingredients. Vegetarian salteñas are sometimes available at certain restaurants.
Typically salteñas can be found in any town or city throughout the country, but each area has its variations; Cochabamba and Sucreclaim to have the best version of this snack, and many will go out of their way to try the variation from Potosí. In La Paz, it is a tradition to enjoy salteñas as a mid-morning snack, although vendors often start selling salteñas very early in the morning. The pastries are sold anywhere from 7am to noon; most vendors sell out by mid-morning.
Marraqueta(also called Pan Frances): Is a soft bread made with flour, salt, water and yeast. The Chilean marraqueta is, strictly speaking, a se-tenant pair of small rolls, baked with another pair attached, comprising four rolls in total; some confusion can be caused when ordering one marraqueta, as this may be interpreted as either two or four rolls. It has a crunchy texture,[1] and is most popular inChile, Bolivia and Peru (where it has only two sections and is called pan francés) but can also be found in Argentina and Uruguay.
Llajwa or llajwa: Is a hot sauce prepared from hot chili peppers known as locotos and tomato. Sometimes onions are added, and one of twoseasoning herbs cultivated especially for this purpose: kilkiña (Bolivian Coriander) in Cochabamba and wakataya in the Altiplano and other valleys of Bolivia. It is preferably prepared on a grinding stone called a batan, which can be found in most Bolivian households of Cochabamba and Altiplano. In the absence of a batan, it can be prepared inblender.
It is consumed all over Bolivia.
Llajua is used to season a wide variety of dishes. A traditional use is as a dip for plain cooked potatoes or bread, or an addition to soup prior to the main course. Food cartsusually have it available for customers and for take-away food it is dispensed in small hand-tied clear plastic bags.
In the north of Chile (Arica and Iquique) the same sauce receives the name pebre, which in the rest of Chile refers to a completely different dressing.
The name "Llajua", despite being the traditional name for this recipe, was accorded trademark protection in 2008 by the Bolivian government.
Bolivian Government
The politics of Bolivia takes place in a framework of a presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the president is head of state, head of government and head of a Diversity multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government.
Population: 10.67 million (2013)
Monetary System
National Bolivian Public Holidays
Day Date Holiday Comments
Thursday January 01 New Years Day
Thursday January 22 Plurinational State Foundation Day Marks the adoption of new constitution in 2010
Monday February 16 Carnival Celebrated Monday and Tuesday before Ash Wednesday
Tuesday February 17 Carnival Celebrated Monday and Tuesday before Ash Wednesday
Friday April 03Good Friday Viernes Santo. Friday before Easter Sunday
Friday May 01 May Day Día del Trabajador
Thursday June 04 Corpus Christi Second Thursday after Whitsun
Sunday June 21 Andean New Year Winter Solstice in Southern Hemisphere
Wednesday July 08 Public Holiday La Paz only. Due to papal visit
Thursday July 09 Public Holiday Santa Cruz only. Due to papal visit
Thursday August 06 Independence Day National day. Independence from Spain in 1825
Monday November 02 All Souls Day Dia de Finados
Friday December 25 Christmas Day Navidad