Bolivia > The Chataquila walk

Today’s program from La Paz includes a hike near Chataquila. The walk, which takes about three hours, follows the old Inca trail to Potosà. When the alarm goes off, I struggle to get out of bed. I would have liked to stay in bed a little longer—especially when I discover that there is no hot water in the shower.

Bolivia - A walk on the old Inca trail from Chataquila towards the Chaunaca river

Breakfast at the hotel is simple but tasty. At eight o’clock, the bus—with rather hard benches—picks us up to take us to the starting point in Chataquila. This journey will take about two hours, not because of the distance, but because the route runs along bumpy roads, many curves, and lots of ups and downs. By now, we are getting quite used to it. At the starting point, the guide explains the chapel. Then we begin with a short climb of no more than five minutes. After that, the route is only downhill via the old Inca trail. Along the way, I try out the trekking poles for the first time. Although it takes some getting used to, they feel quite good. The poles provide stability on the sometimes loose stones. We descend through a truly beautiful landscape. After about three hours of walking, we reach the bottom, where the bus is waiting for us.

Bolivia - A picnic on the bank of the Chaunaca river

We picnic by a small river. Kristina has done the shopping for this picnic. Sitting on a rock by a rapid, we enjoy our lunch and the sunshine. The return trip takes a little longer because the bus must climb significantly to get back to Sucre. By around five o’clock, we are back at the hotel. The husband of our Bolivian guide has recorded the 2004 European Championship match between the Netherlands and the Czech Republic on video for us. With his video recorder under his arm, he arrives at the hotel by taxi. In the dining room, we are finally able to watch the match. Unfortunately, the Netherlands loses. After the match, I wash some clothes and hang them to dry in the hotel room, then take a shower myself. In the evening, we go out to eat croquettes and fries at Joy Ride. At ten o’clock, we take three taxis to the disco. When we arrive, we discover that it has been closed for some time. The taxi driver looks at us questioningly, and we at him. None of us speaks Spanish. Fortunately, a second taxi arrives and takes us to another disco. The entrance procedure is unusual: men pay 15 Bolivias (about €1.50), women 5 Bolivias (50 cents). Men receive two drink vouchers, women one. Inside, there are few people. We step onto the dance floor and dance mainly to salsa music. The DJ comes over to ask what music we want to hear. When we request DJ Tiësto, we are on the dance floor—but the Bolivians aren’t. Dancing at this pace at this altitude is also challenging for us. The music quickly returns to salsa. As the night progresses, the disco gets busier. Around midnight, we take a taxi back to the hotel and go to sleep.