Bolivia - the country and people

Boliva - the country high in the Andes where once the Incas ruled. That may be our - more idyllic - idea of this land-locked state. And indeed we can find traces of that past. Here the ruins of an Inca fortress high above the little town of Sipe Sipe in the Valles, the valleys by which the Andes slope into the flatter rainforest areas in the centre of the continent. From here the Incas controlled the valley. Nowadays Incaracay lies nearly forgotten, far eclipsed by the city of Cochabamba. Not even tourists find their way up here.
The ruins of Incallajta are more impressive. This was a fortress to keep out the invading tribes from the lowlands and keep the borders of the empire secure. But not unlike the United States today with the missile defence system, the empire spent money on defence measures which did not help against the real threat.
The display of military power remains very important in Bolivia today. Every parade, and there are many throughout the year, sees a large military contingent marching down the streets. Like so many Thirld World countries, Bolivia is extremely proud of its military and spends large amounts to maintain it, though its equipment may be outdated and rudimentary by the standards of developed countries. However its military has never helped, as Bolivia has lost territory in every war it became engaged in.

Military service - which the sons of the rich can avoid - is also the passage to manhood in Bolivia. Not an easy passage, if one hears the stories of those who have done their time in the army.

Even though Bolivia has no coast, it maintains a navy on Lake Titicaca. The base is small and the ships miniscule. Its motto "To the sea" illustrates the desire to once sail ships on the ocean from its own port. Bolivia has never accepted its loss of access to the sea. This creates a current of animosity towards Chile and informs politics. Somehow it has not realized that the politico-jurisdictional separation from the sea matters little if the infrastructure, economics and agreements are in place to cater for trade.
One cannot attempt to describe Bolivia without mentioning the passion Bolivians show for their game - soccer. It is played everywhere, including at the seminary for future priests.
Another Bolivian passion is dancing and celebrating. It changes the everyday to something special. At every festival there are also stands selling food and cheap goods. Here vendors line the streets of Quillacollo, during the religious festival in honour of the Virgin of Urkupiña.
On a hill high above Cochabamba the Cristo de la concordia stretches his arms out over the city. The figure is a little taller than the one of Rio de Janeiro. Visitors from all over Bolivia and the world come here. An aerial cable car makes the trip up the hill easier. A photo in front of the statue is obligatory, but the view over the city is also impressive. One can also climb the inside of the Christ figure, but only to the heart not the head.
In the country beyond the big city meanwhile, these houses made from mud-bricks are still the standard home (as they are in the poorer areas of the big cities). In the lower areas near the stream and the road, these fields are cultivated with hard work and simple irrigation systems, while higher up the mountains animals graze. Here one can see the torched tops, as another has swept through this region earlier in the year.
Bolivia has many and varied land forms, from the Altiplano to the searing heat of the Eastern lowlands. Here a deep canyon near Potosí draws a sharp scar in the landscape. The water of the stream is deep silver-brown, polluted by mining activities.
The Salar of Uyuni is an amazing sea of salt high in the Andes. Covering several thousand square kilometres it has a larger area than some small European countries. Like ice a crust of salt, mostly several metres thick, covers the water underneath. The white expanse glitters unreal in the strong sun. Animal life and vegetation is only found at its egdes and on the islands which dot the sea. Nowadays the life most frequently encountered is another of the off-road vehicles transporting tourists through this area.
Here the view from the Isla del Pescado, named so for its fish-like form, not for the presence of fish.
At sunset the salar presents an amazing spectacle.
This volcano, now extinct, rises from the shores of the salar with a village at its foot. Its colours present a striking contrast to the white salt.
In contrast, the lowlands in the east are marked by the green of the tropical forest and the red of the soil. The heat here can make not only the nights uncomfortable. This house in the Chapare region gives a clue of the climate. A sturdy roof for the frequent rain, but only thin walls.
These cows lazily wander around in the heat, grazing along the streets of towns or the open fields of the country.