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Bolivia
Best of Bolivia
/ La Paz / Lake Titicaca
/ Sucre-Potosi / Santa
Cruz-Missions
Uyuni Salt Lake / Bolivian
Pantanal / Madidi National Park / Amazon
cruise
Best of Bolivia
Day 1 - arrive Santa Cruz, where you
will be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel. In the afternoon
you will be picked up for a city tour. It is known for its mix of colonial
and modern architecture and it surrounded by tropical vegetation. Mennonites
and Japanese settlements, as well as some primitive tribes, give a special
flavor to this area.
Day
2 - full day Samaipata ruins visit. Located 120 kilometers from the
town of Santa Cruz, the ruins of Samaipata are one of the most enigmatic
ancient sites in all of South America. Perched at 6500 feet above sea
level (1949 meters), the site was first discovered by the early Spanish
and named El Fuerte as it was believed to have military significance.
Archaeologists no longer believe in the military use of the site but consider
that it had religious significance. The ruins of Samaipata consist of
two parts: 1) the stone hill with many fascinating carvings of jaguars,
snakes, other zoomorphic and geometrical figures, a water tank with conduits,
and a curious seating arrangement, and 2) an area to the south of the
stone hill that seems to have been the administrative and residential
district.
Day
3 - transfer to airport, for flight to Sucre, wher you will be met
and transferred to your hotel. In the afternoon you will be picked up
for a city tour. This colonial city, founded in 1538, is the testimony
of Bolivia's independence. Churches centuries old, priceless colonial
paintings, furniture and religious figures are exhibited in its museums
and historical buildings are also a testimony of its past. The San Francisco
Xavier University is the 2nd oldest one in South America and the 1st to
start a medical school. UNESCO has declared it The Historical and
Cultural Legacy of Mankind
Day 4 - transfer to bus station to
take bus to Potosi, where you will be met and transferred to your hotel.
Afternoon tour of the city. The discovery of ore in silver-rich Cerro
Rico (rich hill) in 1544 prompted the foundation of the city of Potosí
on April 10th, 1545 at the foot of the hill. Large-scale excavation began
in the site immediately and the first shipment of silver was sent to Spain.
In 1672, a mint was established to coin silver and water reservoirs were
built to fulfill the growing population's needs. At that time more than
eighty six churches were built and the city's population increased to
nearly 200,000, making it one of the largest and wealthiest cities in
Latin America and in the world, known for its silver mines, magnificent
architecture and extravagance. There is a popular saying that its Rich
Mountain has produced enough silver to build a solid bridge from Potosi
to Madrid. Today, Potosi
speaks of its history with a language of stone written with the blood
and sweat of the silver miners; a sample city of colonial exploitation.The
wooden machinery of the Royal Mint is still perfectly conserved and the
city is today a living museum of the colonial period.
Day 5 - transfer to the bus statio
and take the bus to Uyuni, where you will be met and taken to visit the
salt lake.
Day 6 - transfer back to the bus station
and take the bus back to Sucre (lunch is included)
Day
7 - full day visit to the native Tarabuco market (Sunday). Tarabuco
is located 60 Km far from Sucre, the Tarabuco culture is one of the most
ancient indigenous cultures of this continent which has preserved its
values and customs. The market attracts peasants from the region, who
are famous for their Conquistador style leather helmets and multicolored
hand woven ponchos and chuspas (bags for carrying coca leaves and money).
After a visit to the typical Sunday market of Tarabuco, we continue to
the Indian Community of Jatun Yampara, where we'll have a typical Indian
lunch with the products grown by the community. Demonstration of native
weaving techniques, musical performances by some of the communards and
walks. There's the possibility to consult the "yatiri" to know
the future and buy textiles directly from the community.
Day 8 - transfer to the airport to
fly to La Paz, where you will be met and transferred to Huatajata, on
Lake Titicaca. Your visit includes here the CHULLPAS - mortuary towers
of several periods, the Limachi brothers and their new exclusive museum
including info about all the reed rafts expeditions of our century and
a full size reproduction of the RA II used by Thor Heyerdhal in his epic
expedition across the Atlantic. The brothers were builders of the RA II
and TIGRIS for Thor Heyerdhal's and other scientist vessel expeditions.The
Eco Museum shows the original home of our natives and a later improvement
of their life style. A handicraft village where local artisans make the
"Chicha" (local drink made out of corn), ceramics, "Abarcas"
(native sandals made of old tires), the Melon Hats of the Indian women
and the wonderful masks used in their colorful "fiestas".
Day
9- hydrofoil cruise to Copacabana, the Uros Iruitos floating islands
and the Sun and Moon islands. According to the legend the Sun God Inti
sent down to earth his son Manko Kapak and daughter Mama Ocllo in order
to improve the life of the Andean People. After descending on the Sun
Island they founded the Inca Empire. The Islands of the Sun and the Moon
represent two of the greatest natural and cultural monuments of South
America. Located in the southern side of Lake Titicaca (3810 meters above
sea level), the islands house more than one hundred and fifty ancient
settlements. During the Inca occupation of the region (around A.D. 1470
- 1532) these islands were the final destination of ritual pilgrimages
from all around the empire. However, recently recovered archaeological
evidence indicates that the sacred nature of these islands extends back
at least to the Tiwanaku Empire (A.D. 600 - 1100). Prior to this time,
humans first occupied the islands as early as 2000 B.C., and have continuously
lived there for millennia.
Day
10 - bus to Tiwanacu, the "Cradle of the American Civilizations"
and wonder with their advanced culture, their monoliths, the sun door,
etc. Around A.D. 500, the great high plateau state of Tiwanaku emerged
as the dominant culture of the region. At over 3800 meters above sea level,
Tiwanaku ranks as one of the highest ancient imperial capitals in the
world. The site was founded around 400 B.C. as a modest village. By A.D.
900, Tiwanaku influence and control extended over 350,000 square kilometers,
an area larger than modern Great Britain. During its peak, the capital
of Tiwanaku boasted a huge stone-faced pyramid, cut stone enclosures,
elite residences, exquisitely decorated buildings, a system of subterranean
canals, and at least four square kilometers of residential buildings,
with a population of 100,000. There was a rigid social and political hierarchy
expressed in elaborate art and architectural styles. Then continue to
La Paz and transfer to your hotel.
Day
11 - you are picked up from the hotel to visit a typical Indian Market,
the famous Witch Doctor's Market and the San Francisco Colonial Church.
The tour continues to the Plaza Murillo where the Cathedral, the Government
Palace and the National Congress buildings are located. Then, we will
visit the famous colonial street "Calle Jaén" where interesting
museums are clustered together. To change scenery the tour continues to
the residential areas of Obrajes, Calacoto and La Florida. The tour ends
with a visit to the unique Moon Valley, where you will have the opportunity
to walk around.
Day 12 - transfer to airport.
Price per person in US$: $1836 per
person for 2, $1571 per person for 3, $1416 per person for 4-9, with a
single supplement of $266
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