La Paz, Cororico, and Lake Titicaca

La Paz is an amazing city where we got to really experience highland Bolivian culture. From the new Telefericos (ski lifts) we had amazing views of the city from above. On our walking tour we learned of the unique culture here: from fresh food markets to politics to a jail where inmates have to pay for their own room and board and live with their wives and children. (The details of this prison are extremely intriguing, guards are only on the outside and there’s a whole economy and judicial system inside. Coca Cola even has an exclusive contract to be the only soft drink sold inside!) its a vibrant and unique city that we spent a few days

One such experience was to visit a local shaman to have our fortunes read from the coca leaves. She said nice things so that was a plus!

We were also in town during one of the yearly festivals in La Paz, where locals purchase miniatures of the things they are hoping for in the new year (food, money, cars, etc) and then perform a ritual with the shamans to ask indigenous deities for these things. While it was more a street fair than a serious religious activity, we enjoyed seeing all the things people were requesting in their miniature forms.

The most memorable activity, however, would probably be the fighting Cholitas we went to see. Mexican wrestling is very popular in Bolivia and women from families that have been doing this type of performance for many years jumped into the fun (literally) and are now a major tourist attraction! They were certainly impressive with their moves.

Another day we decided to take an adrenaline rush and try our hand at mountain biking down “Death Road”, a popular site where you hurtle down 60km of cliff edged dirt road from an altitude of 4,200 meters to 1,500 in the span of a few hours. It was a breathtaking experience (literally), and the changes of weather, temperature, and climate along the way were spectacular. 

Unfortunately, recent landslides made the full trail impassable so we needed to re-route back up the dirt road in our van, which may have been even scarier than the biking part! However, we ascended without issue and continued to the town of Coroico.

The town of Coroico is located in a cloud forest with dramatic views of the mountains and jungle below. While our time here was limited to hiking up to a gorgeous mirador, we enjoyed the serenity compared to La Paz and having a little break from the thin air!

We traveled to Lake Titicaca with one primary goal: to see the local festival for the Virgin de La Candalaria, a bi-annual festival that merges Catholicism and indigenous religion in celebration of the most famous Virgin statue in all Bolivia. While it was very difficult to pinpoint exactly when this celebration would begin, we were treated with parades, glittering costumes, and lots of dancing. In addition to the theatrics the people lined the Main Street with flower petal mosaics. It was a stunning display of color and sound.

We additionally made it to the Isla del Sol, fabled birthplace of the rulers of the Incan empire. There we did a dramatic hike along the ridge of the island, treated to stunning views even as we were unable to catch our breath! It was a beautiful place to spend the day and a must-see for any trip through Bolivia.