Rio has its Christ, now Oruro has a Virgin

Last night we had our yearly fix of dance, Bolivian style at Friend’s of Bolivia’s carnival night in London. I was not disappointed, there was a good folkloric band, two dance groups and a disco.

As with many Catholic countries, Bolivia celebrates carnival and its does it in great style (read Gemma Bowes’ Guardian article on her visit).

Bolivia’s biggest carnival is held in the small mining town of Oruro, which comes to life once a year when more than 30,000 people dance in procession through the streets. Dancers in fantastically elaborate costumes are accompanied by brass bands and perform in front of Bolivians and the odd foreign visitor to honour the Virgin of el Socavon. (La Virgen Morena).

This year to kick of the Carnival celebrations President Evo Morales, himself a musician in the carnival in his youth, was part of the inauguration of the newly erected Virgen of Sovacon statue. It stands 45 metres high, seven metres higher than Rio’s famous Christ the Redeemer statue and just a bit shorter than New York’s Statue of Liberty.

It certainly adds something new to the place, I can’t wait to get back home to see it. If you want to see for yourself, HighLives can help arrange a fantastic stay at next year’s Oruro carnival, or indeed a visit at any time of year.

The collective spirit of the Tiwanaku people- our review

BBC 4 programme
Available on iplayer - click here to watch this programme.

Review 
I enjoyed the programme very much, I expected it to be educational and even though I already knew something about these ancient peoples of my country there was plenty that I learned about them.

What I really liked was that Dr Cooper started the programme explaining about how the civilization began, from a very small group of communities and into massive collective community that spans several modern-day countries. While it was a very sophisticated society, there were some shocking aspects- such as human sacrifice and the forced-shaping of their skulls to give their nobility their distinctive elongated heads. My husband seemed quite happy to find out how important the production of beer was to the Tiwanaku.

While watching the episode I realised how many traditions have been kept intact from this old civilisation in the region of Lake Titicaca and across the Aymara-speaking region.

There is still plenty to see at the site of Tiwanku in Bolivia today and I have fond memories of my school trips to the site. Though I must admit I didn’t enjoy my last visit to the September Solstice festival over 10 years ago: it was extremely cold and too much drinking among people for my liking- though this has been a tradition that has been part of the region for so long.

I prefer to visit the site during the day and combine it with a trip to Lake Titicaca. I have tried to replicate that in a HighLives experience we have now introduced that works as a two-day extension if you are visiting Bolivia in the future. This tour is unique to HighLives and we have put it together to allow the ancient culture of the area to be seen up close. Learn more about our new extension here.

If you have not seen the programme yet I encourage you to do so for another few days on BBC iplayer. I am looking forward to the next episode on Colombia.

Finally, I must share with you one more legacy from the Tiwanaku people that is still a big part of Bolivian life: a good party, with plenty of food, drinks and dancing. The biggest fiesta each year in the country is the Oruro Carnival, which is only a few weeks away.  The Guardian newspaper recently wrote about this festival here.
HighLives will be assisting with the yearly fundraiser that the charity Friends of Bolivia puts together in London, to celebrate Carnival, Bolivia-style. You are very welcome to join us.

Review: BBC2 TV series featuring Bolivia's most dangerous roads

Last night I watched Bolivia’s episode of a BBC2 TV series featuring the world’s most dangerous roads.

I was not too sure what to expect after the BBC car show Top Gear did a typically brash version a few years ago, which offended many Bolivians in the UK.

But I think this show did Bolivia justice in so many ways without glossing over some of the problems in what is still a very poor country. It was clear that a good amount of research had gone into it yet it still packed a good mix of fun and adventure in.

My favourite moments of the programme were:

• A moving interview with the volunteer rescue team about their work dealing with car accidents along Bolivia’s ‘death road’.
•  The view of the clouds rising up from the forest as the presenters’ car ascended steeply towards the mountains.
• Highlighting a unique and successful approach to road safety in La Paz, where crossing guards are dressed in zebra costumes.
• The presenters’ clear awe at approaching and driving over the vast salt flats.
• A glimpse of true Bolivian hospitality when a family of llama farmers performed camp-side singalong for their guests.
• The brightest blue blue skies and sunshine, just as I remember.

I would urge UK viewers not to miss the show, it is available online on iplayer for another 7 days. Please feel free to send me your comments.

World's Most Dangerous Roads - Series 3, Bolivia.


13-day Bolivian Odyssey

Uyuni Salt Flats Safari

Homecoming pleasures

Early this year I was asked to write a blog taking a sideways look at one of the destinations we offer for the website of the travel magazine Wanderlust. I wrote about what I like to do when I go back to my home town, La Paz, in Bolivia (You can read it here).

I got a bit of criticism from one of my industry contacts in Bolivia that the blog did not give the kind of impression for visitors to Bolivia they saw as appropriate because I didn’t talk about typical ‘touristic’ sites or activities.

This was certainly true, but that wasn’t what I was asked to write about. The blog was supposed to offer a few ‘insider’ tips from people that have lived and worked in a particular place.

Of course, when I head somewhere new I want to visit many of the attractions on offer.  But I’ve also found that meeting up with a friend or even a personal recommendation can lead to a discovery equally as interesting.

Even if these might not be the most authentic of options, they might offer a glimpse beyond the guidebooks and take you closer to the people who live there.

For any HighLives' destination, we will look to include the cultural or geographical highlights that stand out. But we will also do our best to point out a few things that I think offer visitors an insight into what day-to-day life is like for local people.

One such tip I have would be from my last visit to Lima, the often overlooked capital of Peru. If you’re there on a Sunday, head for the upscale seaside district of Miraflores, and queue with local families for a lunch-time treat of ceviche in one of the neighbourhood restaurants. I wasn’t really a fan of this spicy raw seafood dish before- but I’d never tasted fresher or better than on that lazy Sunday afternoon.

You can download HighLives' brochure here and learn more about travel experiences.

Bolivia Carnival, Oruro 2013

As a child I would always look forward to February, the Carnival season. It was really good fun, a whole week of celebrations, dance, music, and good fortune blessing. We Bolivians keep our traditions intact and one thing the country excels in is organising festivals and a good party.
Every year the mining town of Oruro fills with partygoers and becomes the biggest Carnival. Visit our website to find out how you could be part of this celebration, see here.
Gemma Bowes, travel editor of The Guardian, visited Bolivia last February, here is an article Gemma wrote on the Carnival in Bolivia.

Bolivia carnival: wet and wild

With water fights, costumed parades, dancing girls and blood rituals, Bolivians really know how to celebrate carnival in style.

"While these small celebrations add a joyful dimension to South American travel at this time of year, we would have been mad to miss one of the continent's biggest carnival parades, El Carnaval de Oruro, a week-long Rio-style procession of dozens of dancing troupes from all over Bolivia who gather in an isolated mining town on the southern Altiplano. Performing in fantastic costumes and huge masks, they continue for several sleepless days and nights, fuelled by strong spirits and chicha, a thick bubbly slop made from fermented corn".
To read the article in full see here or visit The Guardian website.

Inca trails less travelled

Inca trails less travelled

The Incan Empire once covered an area greater than Europe, providing today’s visitors with many other opportunities to walk the efficient road system that spanned the Andes mountains five hundred years earlier.

Peru’s admirable care for their greatest touristic asset ensures also you can only share their Inca Trail with 499 other visitors every day- unless you arrive in February, when it’s closed for cleaning.

But journey further onto the high Andes plateau into Bolivia to encounter Incan roadways that might not get that many travellers walking them all year.

The Bolivian highlands are criss-crossed with ancient paving that served as working highways for hundreds of years. Many trails were walked long before that by the Quechua and Aymara people that still make up most of Bolivia’s population.

Today, many routes have survived and are still plied by the odd llama herd and mules carrying potatoes and corn to isolated mining outposts.

These trails allow hikers to experience Bolivia’s wild beauty, where it’s possible to walk for days without hearing a car or even crossing a dirt road.  The paths traverse crystal-clear mountain streams, ancient ruined settlements and offer staggering views from jungle to snow-capped peak.

There are three main Inca trails that link Bolivia’s high plain at altitudes of up to 4,700 metres down to the sub-tropical Yungas region at around 1,300 metres. Each has excellent sections of Inca and pre-Inca paving, vary in difficulty from fairly straightforward to quite hardcore- especially in the rainy season- and last between three and five days.

While each trail has no finale to match the awesome Macchu Picchu at sunrise, each ends near idyllic hideaway towns such as Coroico and Chulumani. Both provide a rewarding opportunity to rest weary limbs, comfortable accommodation and dining options as well as ample options for adventurous exploration of the Amazon headwaters and jungle beyond.

My Inca trail experiences
When I was 16, in my winter break from school, I did my first Inca trail. It was probably the most challenging experience of my life up to that point. The hike was particularly testing and the trail itself was quite arduous. But looking back I realise I was very privileged to get to see such unspoilt beauty.
The following years, I went on five more, but on these occasions I got prepared, kept fit and packed wisely. For my visit journey I was a tour leader of a big group of over 100 people.
Here are my top tips of how you should prepare before you do an Inca trail
1.     Pack your bag as light as possible and always put everything in plastic bags.
2.   Get fit before the trip: swimming is a good idea to help your lungs get in good condition.
3.    Eat food reach in iron, which builds the red blood cells needed to function well at altitude.
4.     Acclimatise at high altititude for a couple of days before the walk. So it’s best if you leave the trek for the end of your trip.
5.      Never use brand new boots and take at least two pairs of socks per day.
6.    Carry water purifying tablets
7.   The first day is generally the hardest as you will have to climb to the highest point, get used to your boots and your rucksack will be heavier.
8. Go slow and take it easy there is no need to rush. Enjoy the views, the wildlife and the sunsets!

Picture: Uyuni salt flat, sun set

Here's a collection of photos taken by one HighLives customer, who recently went on our 13 Day Bolivian Odyssey experience. (Notice there are no pictures where the sky wasn't blue and the sun not shining brightly!)

To see Bianca’s trip in pictures, click here.

We have received some fantastic reviews of our travel experiences this year, you can read some of them on our site.
 

With the holiday season fast approaching, I haven't really finished my Christmas present buying yet but I'm looking forward to getting out there to find them. I'll share with you a couple of websites I found for super Latin American gift ideas for this year:

Exclusive Andean designs (these exclusive scarves and home decorative items all feature contemporary designs strongly influenced by Andean culture)

Organic wines (this site allows you to search for wines by country and includes several Latin American varieties)
 

I hope you have a happy and lively holiday season!

To find out more about our travel experiences, come and meet HighLives early in 2013 at the Destinations London travel show at Earl's Court from Jan 31 to Feb 3. We will be at stand LA28.
(Tip- to get a complementary ticket simply visit this page and use code MSC10)
 

Bibiana

highlives.co.uk
+44(0)2081442629

PS – Don’t forget that you can still see the Bolivian salt flats with the incredible mirror effect from now until March, and there is still time to book your trip to experience the unique atmosphere of the Bolivian Carnival in February 2013.