BOLIVIA: LA PAZ REVISITED AND TIWANAKU

July 18, 2025
Hotel Quantu
La Paz, Bolivia

The Artisan Market in La Paz

Back in La Paz, we returned to the Hotel Quantu, which felt a little bit like returning home. It was starting to sink in that our tour was almost over and people would be leaving soon. At 16:30, Daniel took us on a walk through the artisan market and explained how the local people make offerings to Pachamama. They start with a llama fetus (No one really knows where they get so many llama fetuses.) and then add sugar representations of whatever it is that they hope to receive. Of course, coca leaves are included. Offerings are typically made on the first Friday of the year and the first Friday of August, the month of Pachamama. Items are wrapped in paper and burned. If the offering is reduced to ashes, it is believed that Pachamama has accepted the offering. If it burns out before being consumed, the process must be repeated.

Offering to Pachamama

 

Shrine to Ekeko

Another tradition is making offerings to Ekeko, the god of abundance. People offer him coca leaves, cigarettes, and small effigies of whatever they desire. Usually, this is money and his shrine was covered in counterfeit bills.

Cecilia, Me, and Janine in Our New Fleeces

After our little lecture, we all bought double thickness, Patagonia fleeces and repaired upstairs to the Lucky Llama, an Irish pub, where we spent the evening drinking and playing jenga and pool. It was our last opportunity to celebrate all together and felt bittersweet. Cecilia, Janine and Sylvan left that night.

Party at the Lucky Llama

I spent Thursday shopping and hanging out with Kasia, Emily, Cheryl, Denise, and Steve. We went for lunch and then wandered through the artisan market. I bought hats for my friends in California. Kasia and Emily were leaving in the wee hours, so we met for a late dinner and then they went off to nap. Cheryl, Denise, and Steve were catching a bus in the morning.

July 19, 2025
Mexico City Airport
Mexico City, Mexico

Driving Towards Tiwanaku

As the sole remaining member of our group, I had scheduled a tour to Tiwanaku for Friday. The tour bus came for me promptly at 8:15. We spent another 45 minutes collecting the remainder of the tour group and then set out up the hill, across El Alto, and into the countryside in the direction of Lake Titicaca. We arrived at our first stop, Puma Punku, about 10:30.

Officially, the Tihuanaco civilization arose about 1600 BC and disappeared abruptly about 1200 AD, 200 years before the rise of the Inca Empire. Little is known about them except what can be inferred from the remains of their constructions. The Puma Punku, or Puma Gate is so called because the three tiered platform sported three sets of puma sculptures. The entrance faced Lake Titicaca. The platform was constructed from huge slabs of stone that had been transported from the Isla del Sol in Lake Titicaca. These immense slabs, weighing as much as 20 tons, were joined together by “staples” made by pouring molten metal into slots carved into the stone. While currently toppled, the gates originally aligned with each other and the movement of the sun.

These Huge Slabs Came from Isla del Sol

Toppled Gates

These Stones Were Secured By Metal Staples

The stones were precisely carved, but no tools were found. How the stones were transported to the site remains a mystery, although it is possible that the level of the lake, now 19 kilometers distant, was once higher, allowing them to have been floated across to the site. No one knows what became of the Tihuanacos, either. Three theories exist: rising lake level due to too much rain, a catastrophic earthquake, or prolonged drought. While the Tihuanacos and the Incas did not overlap, their influence is seen in the Inca symbology and cosmology. They may have dispersed into other pre-Inca civilizations

Excavation at Puma Punku

Excavations at the site were extensive. The walls of trenches dug around the site were surfaced with adobe and capped with a layer of straw that overlapped the walls and protected them from rain. Native plants grew over the layer of straw. We wandered around the site for half an hour and then reboarded the bus for the short drive to Tiwanaku.

At Tiwanaku, we first visited the Lithic Museum, where all the original sculptures from both Puma Punku and Tiwanaku are housed. The crown jewel is the Pachamama stele, standing 7.5 meters high, that was discovered in the subterranean temple at Tiwanaku by an American archaeologist named Bennett in 1932. The huge icon is intricately carved with pumas and condors and circular shapes that might represent fish mouths or possibly units of time.  Unfortunately, photography was not allowed in the museum.

Ascending the Akapana "Pyramid"

The pumas from Puma Punku are also in the museum, although they were defaced by early Christians concerned that they were pagan idols. Many other icons from Tiwanaku are housed in the museum, some of which had been decapitated during the decline of the Tihuanaco civilization, possibly out of desperation.

From the museum, we proceeded outdoors and ascended the seven tiered, 19 meter high “pyramid” of Akapana. The “pyramid” originally sported a reflecting pool in the shape of an Andean cross that was used to observe the stars. The pool drained to Lake Titicaca through a series of carved stone channels. Curiously, stalactites in the drain channels are dated between five and six thousand years old, calling the dates for the Tihuanaco civilization into question. Was there an even earlier civilization there?

The Pool Drain Hole

Double Walled Rooms

Unfortunately, the pool had been mostly obliterated by treasure seekers. Recent studies using ground penetrating radar have revealed a chamber within the artificial mound, but it has yet to be excavated. Double walled cells atop the mound were possibly used for food storage or as quarters for priests. The rear side of the “pyramid” shows some of the original retaining walls. The carefully fitted stones are rounded, now, as a result of weathering over the centuries.

The Rear of the Akapana "Pyramid"

Next, we visited the subterranean temple where the Pachamama sculpture was found. This sunken area was walled with stone studded with carved heads in various styles. Some have posited that these represented different races, while others think they might represent aliens. Some of them did resemble recent depictions of alien beings.

The Subterranean Temple

Faces on the Walls of the Subterranean Temple

"Alien" Face

The Kalasasaya temple had seven entrances, the principal of which aligned with the winter solstice, while the two entrances flanking it showed the fall and spring equinoxes. The temple was formed from huge standing stones at intervals filled in with smaller bricks. Upon discovery, only the standing stones remained upright, but the walls have been restored. Here, too, the area was drained by carefully carved stone channels that might have been carved offsite. Here, too, the stone used in construction had been transported a great distance.

 

Principal Gate of the Kalasasaya Temple

The Kalasasaya Temple from Above

The Sun Gate, which once aligned with the temple entrance, had been moved to a more convenient location. This four by three meter stone was covered in a bas relief of pumas, with a central figure believed to be Pachamama because pumas usually represent the female. A metal plaque with nearly identical symbols was found in China. The central figure on that plaque is undeniably female.

The Sun Gate at Tiwanaku

We took a few moments to examine the Fraile stele, that had lain partially submerged in water near the bottom of the Akapana “pyramid.” While there was no other evidence of human sacrifice, ten decapitated skeletons were found accompanied by the remains of many llamas in the same area. Was this sacrifice a last ditch effort to stave off whatever caused the demise of Tiwanaku? Many icons were also decapitated about the same time. We may never know the reason for these events.

The Fraile Stele

We descended some very steep steps, possibly designed to encourage a reverant approach, and hurried to the bus for a ride into town for lunch. Having eaten too many heavy tourist lunches, I declined to join the rest of the group and instead spent the time wandering around mostly deserted Tiwanaku. I found a snack bar near the entrance to the archaeological site and bought some snacks.

Very Steep Stairs

Snow on the Mountains Above La Paz

The ride back to La Paz took a couple of hours, including nearly an hour threading our way through the traffic in El Alto and downtown La Paz. The bus dropped us off at the Franciscan church and I then hiked back up the hill to the hotel. I spent the late afternoon writing and then had a late dinner and one last singani sour before lying down to sleep for a few hours before I had to get up at 1:30 to meet my taxi to the airport.

One Last Singani Sour

BOLIVIA: POTOSÍ AND SUCRE

July 12, 2025
Hostal Cerro Rico
Potosí, Bolivia

Oddvar, from our Peru group, was tourning Bolivia in the reverse order and we all ended up at the Samay Wasi Hotel in Uyuni. We had been too tired to see him the night before, but Cecilia, Janine, Sylvan, and I met him for breakfast on Saturday morning. We had a lively time exchanging stories and photos. It was too bad that we had to leave at 9:00 to catch our bus to Pototsí.

Scenery on the Way to Potosí

Waiting for the Bus to Uyuni

The bus ride took about four and a half hours, but the scenery was interesting and the time went quickly. We climbed up through arid hillsides and eroded lava flows. Llamas were grazing all over the place and we stopped at many mining towns to let people on and off. Women in traditional dress with their belongings wrapped in local textiles waited by the side of the highway for the bus.

Courtyard of the National Mint

There was some kind of celebration going on in Pototsí when we got there and many things were closed, including the sandwich shop where we had hoped to grab a quick lunch. We found an open restaurant, but it took so long to get our food and pay that the National Mint was closing by the time we finally got there. We took some pictures in the courtyard and then returned to the main plaza where we visited the cathedral and sat in front of the Bolivian Central Bank, enjoying the sunshine. A few of us returned to the hotel and I spent the rest of the early evening writing. Then we went out for a rather late dinner.

This face represents the indigenous miners of Potosí.
The bottom half is happy for the wealth.  The top half
is concerned by the danger.

Cathedral Interior

Lots of French Horns in the Parade

A parade was clogging our route home and we stopped in front of a church to watch it pass by. It was late and cold, but the street was full of people and there were marching bands and groups of dancers. I had never seen so many French horns in one place. One gentleman was drinking beer and playing the tuba at the same time. Everyone seemed to be having fun. Denise got dragged into one of the groups of dancers and danced with them for a few minutes. When the parade finally passed, we followed them for a few blocks before turning down a side street to reach our hotel. I wrote for another 45 minutes before going to bed.

Tuba Player with Beer

July 18, 2025
Hotel Quantu
La Paz, Bolivia

The Miner's Plaza was Deserted on Saturday Morning

Those of us who were going to tour the mines got up early. We were picked up in a rattletrap minivan that was jokingly dubbed our Lamborghini. Our guide, Wilson, took us to the miners’ market. It was early on Saturday morning and everyone had been celebrating the night before. The market was pretty quiet. Usually, anyone can buy dynamite, fuses, amonium nitrate, and detonators in the market. In any other city, they would be prohibited. Mining is king in Potosí. Next, Wilson took us to a storage facility where he dressed us in coveralls, helmets, and headlamps and explained how the explosives are used in the mines. Then, he took us to one of the many refineries on the mountain.

Wilson Explained the Use of Explosives

Cerro Rico

In Potosí, they have been extracting minerals from Cerro Rico (Rich Hill) for over four hundred years. Silver, tin, zinc, copper, gold, tungsten, antimony, and other industrial minerals have all been mined there. The refinery we visited processed silver, tin, and zinc. When the rocks are delivered to the refinery, they are manually broken into manageable pieces and are then loaded into big drums filled with steel balls to crush them. When pulverized, they are mixed with water and stirred with paddles. The useful minerals form a scum on top of the liquid that is then scraped off and collected in vats. When a vat is filled, the material is spread in the sun to dry. At this point, it is a powder composed of mixed metals. This powder is then shipped out of Bolivia by rail to be further refined in more sophisticated facilities.

Ore of Silver, Tin, and Zinc

 

Sylvan Breaking Rocks

The Crushers

Vats of Material

The Final Product

During the nationalization craze in the 1950’s, the Bolivian government built a refinery on Cerro Rico. It produced a mountain of tailings before falling into disuse and being replaced by private concerns. We stood on that mountain of tailings to take photos of the city.

Potosí from Cerro Rico

Once we understood the process, Wilson took us to the entrance to the mine. The portal was shored up with timbers that were black with llama blood. Llamas are sacrificed to bring good fortune. They must always be sacrificed in even numbers, one for Pachamama (mother earth) and one for Tio (the male deity that protects miners underground.) We followed the tracks for the mine cars a couple of hundred meters into the mountain until we came to an alcove containing an image of the Tio. Miners bring offerings of coca leaves, cigarettes, and 96% alcohol to the Tio. The alcove was littered with alcohol bottles. Whenever alcohol is offered to the Tio, the miner must also drink. The habit of chewing coca leaves, working very hard, smoking, and drinking pure alcohol contributes as much to the low life expectancy of miners as lung problems from inhaling mineral dust.

Entering the Mine

Shrine to the Tio

After returning from the mine, we collected the remaining members of our group who had not relished crawling around inside a mountain and proceeded to the very impressive bus terminal in Potosí. We were dropped off at the upper level and descended a spiral ramp to the departure gates.

Bus Terminal in Potosí

Driving to Sucre

The Former Government Palace in Sucre

The drive to Sucre only took a couple of hours. We were descending the entire way and the countryside gradually became less barren as we advanced. We stayed at the Hostal Sucre near the main plaza in Sucre. Sucre is known as the “white city” because most of the buildings are white. We walked down to the main plaza where there was a concert underway at the former government palace that is now a cultural center. We didn’t have time to explore much around the square because we had a dinner reservation at a rooftop restaurant and wanted to be sure to catch the sunset. Dinner was tasty. I had an anticucho appetizer that was more than enough dinner. It was chilly, but the view was fantastic and we enjoyed watching the lights come on in Sucre. After dinner, we toured the basement museum. The building was originally a palace for Spanish nobles and many artifacts were discovered in the process of renovating the building.

The Museum in the Basement

View from the Rooftop Restaurant

After dinner, Sylvan, Janine, and I went out for coffee and desert at the Metro Cafe. They had a broad selection of wonderful deserts and, best of all, decaf coffee. I had a decaf afogato for desert. It was delicious!

Above the Clouds

The Virgin of Chataquila

Sunday morning, we all got up early to go hiking on a pre-Inca trail above Sucre. It was foggy, at first, until we popped out above the clouds. The trail had originally been used to bring goods from the valleys to the religious site at the top. We began our trek at the sanctuary on top. There, offerings were made to the Virgin of Chataquila, who resembled the mountain that the pre-Catholic people had worshipped.

Pre-Inca Pathway

Sylvan, Janine & Steve 
Crossing the Landslide

Scenery on Our Hike

The pathway had been restored, but much of it was original. One section had been wiped out by a landslide and we crossed that on a loose, sandy path. Most of the path was paved with stones. We descended 4.5 kilometers through impressive scenery to meet our bus at the bottom. Homemade empanadas called saltanas were awaiting us at the hotel when we returned. I stuffed myself with one chicken and one beef. They were delcious.

I had intended to go to the Freedom House that afternoon, but there was a demonstration going on in the square and it was closed until 16:00. At that point, I elected to return to the hotel and work on my blog, as I was very behind. The Hostal Sucre was very comfortable and it was a real luxury to be able to stay in one place for three nights.

The Hostal Sucre

Dinner Show

That night, we went to a folkloric dinner show that featured dances from every corner of Bolivia. The dancing was augmented with fantastic video backdrops and the costumes were sensational. I especially loved some platform shoes with cymbals mounted on the heels like spurs. The sound when the dancers stamped their feet was thunderous. Many times throughout the evening, the dancers paraded around the tables and often loomed over the diners wearing frightening headdresses. The battle between good and evil was a frequent theme. The show made me long to visit the lowland areas of Bolivia that our tour had neglected, specifically the wine region of Tarija and the city of Santa Cruz.

Sylvan Dancing with the Cast

At the end of the show, the dancers led some of the guests to the stage to dance. Sylvan and our leader, Daniel, were two of the chosen, being handsome young men. After the show, we had the opportunity to examine some of the costumes in a museum under the theater.

Costumes in the Museum

Monday morning, we finally got to have a leisurely breakfast. We did not leave the hotel to go to the Parque Cretácico until 10:30 and then we only walked to the square where we had reserved seats on the Dinobus that brought tourists to the park.

Portland Cement Factory

Parque Cretácico

The Parque Cretácico had begun as a Portland cement factory on the edge of Sucre. After mining cement there for decades, they discovered the first dinosaur footprints in a layer uncovered in the 1990’s. What had once been a muddy area surrounding a lake had been folded and uplifted when the Andes were formed. That cement-like mud preserved the footprints. Today, the footprints march up a nearly vertical wall.

Dinosaur in the Trees

The cement company developed their discovery into a park. Visitors climb a ramp to the top of a hill where there is a small museum, an overlook where one can view the footprints from afar, and many sculptures of the types or dinosaurs that inhabited the area. I especially appreciated the life-sized dinosaurs. I felt like I was in Jurassic Park.

Dinosaur Replicas

Cheryl & Emily in Helmets

Herbivore Footprints

Prints Marched Up the Wall

Those of us who didn’t mind climbing down (and back up) the hill, donned helmets and joined a tour to visit the footprints up close. At first, they didn’t seem too impressive, but their impact grew as we observed them closely. The large, round tracks of the herbivores were most distinct. It was hot and dusty down in what was still a limestone quarry. There was a lot of construction going on that would eventually be an extension of the park. It was a slog back up the hill, but I enjoyed the view and the diverting road signs along the way.

The Wall of Footprints

24,106,500,000 Days Without An Accident

The Hall of the Legislature

Freedom House

Back in Sucre, I finally got a chance to visit the Freedom House, a museum about the independence movement in Bolivia. Then I went for lunch with Daniel, Sylvan, and Janine at the Metro cafe where I had a spinach empanada and a decaf iced latte. The rest of the day, I spent trying to catch up on my blog while I had reliable internet. Entel, the Bolivian cell service provider, did not have reciprocity with Telcel, so I had not had data since entering Bolivia.

We had been planning to fly from Sucre back to La Paz on Tuesday. The time of the flight was changed four times. What had originally been a mid-morning flight was delayed until noon, then changed to mid-afternoon, and finally rescheduled for 6:30. When we finally got to the airport, the flight had been delayed, again. Daniel taught us a cardgame called shithead. Daniel, Emily, Kasia, Janine, Sylvan, and I drank coffee and played cards for a couple of hours until it was finally time to board our flight. There was a very friendly dog hanging around the boarding gate and we joked that she was an undercover drug-sniffing dog.

Undercover Drug Sniffing Dog?