YA LEUM.61 — Bolivia chicos! The death road, quinoa soaps and cholita fights
In the last post we arrived at the Uyuni Salar and I think I touched a piece of heaven…
We traveled from Salar de Uyuni to La Paz with one of our travel buddies.
We arrived at La Paz and I felt quite tired from all the traveling! I felt like stopping for a few days and doing nothing… especially after two consecutive months always surrounded by other people.
We decided to spend a few days in La Paz, in resting mode!
La Paz is located on a vale, surrounded by mountains, at a height of 3700 meters. The city looks chaotic, with its many cars, buildings, and people. However, it preserves its Bolivian characteristics, such as its typical markets, the cholitas, and the immense height. La Paz is a city filled with steep hills and, in each walk to the next corner, you need to rest. At least, I do. Altitude issues…
We had already spent some time in Brazil and just a few days between Chile and Bolivia. Yet, only now was I starting to really feel the South American spirit and energy.
I feel Brazil is closer to me, not just due to the language but I have always spent time with Brazilians.
Yet, this was my first time in the Spanish side of South America! And I… was still arriving.
Before the colonization, Bolivia was part of the Inca Empire. When the Spanish empire occupied this region, in the 16th century, it was called High Peru. The country is rich in history and culture, and it was when I started to better understand the Spanish invasion.
Bolivia has more than 30 official languages because the country acknowledges all the indigenous languages as official and more than 45% of the people speak Quechua, Aymara, Guarani, Yuki… I had never heard about it before!
On the streets, markets, and houses, one gets to feel the Bolivian spirit and the cultural heritage.
One of the greatest city attractions is Mercado de Las Brujas. It has plenty of stores, small and big, filled with coca leaf and handicrafts, as well as all the other products that are apparently used by brujas… herbs, love potions, voodoo dolls…
In the city center, you can find countless references to the liberation from Spain or the colonization period… The Casa de Gobierno, the Congress of the Country, or Catedral de La Paz are buildings that tell the stories of the past.
We went to watch a cholita fight, which is a symbol of the feminine resistance and Andean cultural preservation. Cholitas are the indigenous women who dress traditional costumes, have long braids, and can be seen all over the city.
Yet, this is a very special fight, a wrestling theater. They fight against each other, with their costumes, in a Mexican style. There were as many funny moments as pulling braids. A true fight!
Bolivia is rich in quinoa and whenever I could, I enjoyed eating a soup with plenty of potatoes, quinoa, and meat! It was a true delight and quite cheap! I really miss these soups!
To end our stay in La Paz, we went to Carretera de la Muerta. Mathieu was on his bicycle… and I was on the van!
The death road, also known as the Camino de los Yungas, is the most dangerous and scary road in the world! I can confirm it!
For 64 km, 4000m, the 3 meters wide road connects the country highlands to La Paz. The road was built by prisoners during the thirties and about 300 people die per year here.
90% of the time was going down and, according to Mathieu, there is nearly no need to pedal.
I like stories and some of the drivers told me that sometimes, while driving through this area, they could still hear the voices of the people coming from the bottom of the hills…
Some think there are ghosts, others thinks some they are still alive…
February 2018,
Patricia Assis
