Quick glimpse and Points of Interest:
Bolivia: Only superlatives do it justice. It’s the hemisphere’s highest, most isolated and most rugged nation. It’s among the earth’s coldest, warmest, windiest and steamiest spots. It boasts the driest, saltiest and swampiest natural landscapes in the world.
Small Colonial cities and towns like Sucre and Potosí and Sorata dot the landscape in the mountains and near Lake Titicaca and speak of a time of great mineral wealth. Silver was mined in the once mineral rich Potosi until there was no silver left and the city was then reduced to mining tin. Bolivia is also a place where the indigenous community has withstood against cultural assimilation or erosion remarkably well. In a country of about 9 million more than 60% of that population is indigenous and their vibrant folk traditions remain largely intact. Here you will walk among Aymará, Quechua, Guaraní and over 30 other ethnic groups. Bolivia has it all…except, that is, for beaches.
No beaches but you do have the Cordillera Real. The Cordillera Real, a range with almost a thousand peaks soaring over 5,000 meters matches anything the Himalayas can offer in climbing and trekking, but with much less of the human traffic. This is one of the most rugged inhabited environments on earth, from shimmering Lake Titicaca, the only lake to give birth to an empire, to the stark Salar de Uyuni, the most vast and high salt lake in the world - 12,000 sq km of blinding white, completely flat nothingness.
It is a vast and surreal tract of wild, unexplored natural beauty. You will find a simply breathtaking and sprawling wilderness.
“It is sometimes called the Tibet of the Americas, for its arid, high-altitude desert-like plateau, the Altiplano. It’s also thought of this way because it is place of timeless and unparalleled natural beauty and a vibrant indigenous culture. It’s allure lay in that stark beauty while its mystery lay in the stone ruins and monuments that speak eloquently of lost glory and ancient civilizations.”
- Tim Holmstrom
Lago Titicaca: the vast, high-altitude lake that straddles the border with Peru and dominates the northern Altiplano, its deep waters a vivid blue against the parched grasslands that surround it.
Copacabana: a small town close to the Peruvian border which is the home of the country's most revered religious image: the Virgin de Copacabana. It is an important Catholic pilgrimage center. It's also the jumping-off point for boat trips to Isla del Sol and Isla de la Luna, two idyllic islands inhabited by deeply traditional peasant communities and dotted with the ruins of Inca temples and shrines which attest to the lake's position as the sacred centre of the Andean world.
Isla del Sol and Isla de la Luna: two idyllic islands inhabited by deeply traditional peasant communities and dotted with the ruins of Inca temples and shrines which attest to the lake's position as the sacred centre of the Andean world.
Cordillera Real: Marking the edge of the Altiplano is the massive snow-capped Cordillera Real mountain range whose jagged blade cuts the high plain from the lower, steamy Yungas to the East
This is the highest and most spectacular section of the Cordillera Oriental within Bolivia. Stretching some 160km along the edge of the Altiplano, from Mount Illimani (6439m), southeast of La Paz, to the Illampu massif (6370m), which towers over the eastern side of Lago Titicaca.
Sorata: A picturesque colonial mountain village set just below the Illampu massif. The Homecoming Festival on September 14th is a celebration of the Exaltacion de la Santa Cruz (Exaltation of the Holy Cross) Dancing in colorful costumes, bands and parades with music and singing. Traditional foods everywhere. The festival culminates with a holy mass held in the main church.
Bolivia and Bolivian Culture: Almost two-thirds of Bolivian people are indigenous people of South America. Although there are approximately three-dozen indigenous groups, the largest are the Quechua-speaking groups (2.5 million people), the Aymara (2 million people) and the Chiquitano (180,000 people). There are also Mestizo people (mixed European and indigenous) and those from European ancestry, probably dating back to 1532 when Spanish adventurers (called ‘conquistadores’) invaded Bolivia, having heard about its vast deposits of silver.
Potosi: once ‘the richest city on earth’, had the largest silver mine in the 1500s. Between the Spanish conquistadores, and later the English tradesmen, the mines of Potosi were stripped of their silver, using the indigenous Bolivians and African slaves to extract the silver. Today the mines are still worked by locals, in an attempt to find any remaining wealth, although since the Europeans departed, there is little hope of discovering any more ‘veins’.
Music: The Andean regions of South America (Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia) are known for their panpipe music, and Bolivia has one of the strongest traditions in music. A lot is played on panpipes of various sizes, each with different names: Zampoña, Quena and Siku. Also popular is a small type of guitar called ‘Charango’, traditionally made from an Armadillo shell. (An Armadillo is a toothless, nocturnal animal native to South America) Other common Bolivian musical instruments include skin drums, bronze cymbals and copper (cow) bells.
Dancing: Bolivian dances are a good example of where Native and European cultures combine. For example, the dance of the ‘Waka-tokoris’, often danced by the Native Americans, is influenced by the bullfights – a Spanish tradition. Another popular one is the ‘Diablado’ (dance of the devil) where the Bolivian dancers wear masks that depict the devil believed to live in the mines. Dancing, in its honor, is thought to please the devil and bring safety to the miners. Many dance festivals are accompanied by brass bands.
Festivals: All of the festivals in Bolivia include dances, special costumes and lots of music! Most large festivals are based around church holidays, including the best-known one in Bolivia: ‘El carnival de Oruro’. It includes special dance celebrations, as described above, and also attracts many tourists. Other festivals are based on indigenous beliefs, like the Aymaran New Year – which coincides with the winter solstice.
Getting there: Planning your trip
Fly to La Paz
Board one of our designated shuttles to Copacabana (2.5-3 hrs)
(September 7 afternoon shuttle)
(September 8 morning and afternoon shuttle)
Arrive at our host hotel in Copacabana
Shuttle times and detailed instructions will be provided to registered competitors and guests.
Bolivia is a haven for the outdoor adventure seeker so please be sure to plan ahead. Flights and accommodations before or after event dates should be booked early for peak-season travel and the Inca Run takes place during peak season.
There are only a few airlines offering direct flights to Bolivia. There are direct services to most major South American cities; the flights to/from Chile and Peru are the cheapest.
The USA & Canada
Inexpensive tickets from North American gateways (Miami is cheapest) usually have restrictions. Often there’s a two-week advance-purchase requirement, and usually you must stay at least one week and no more than three months (prices often double for longer periods).
Airlines flying to/from Bolivia
Airlines with international flights and offices in La Paz include the following:
- AeroSur (airline code 5L; 2-231-1333; www.aerosur.com)
- American Airlines (airline code AA; 2-235-1360; www.aa.com)
- Aerolíneas Argentinas (airline code AR; 2-235-1711; www.aerolineas.com.ar)
- Gol Airlines (airline code EH; 800-10-01-21; www.voegol.com.br)
- Grupo Taca (airline code TA; 2-231-3132; www.taca.com)
- Lloyd Aéreo Boliviano (LAB; airline code LB; 2-237-1024; www.labairlines.com.bo)
- Lan Airlines (airline code LA; 2-235-8377; www.lan.com)
- TAM Mercosur (airline code PZ; 2-244-3442; www.tam.com.py in Spanish)
Have questions? Give us a call at (203) 353-1608 or email info@incarun.com |
