The West of Bolivia. 11 days,

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1 The West of Bolivia 11 days, Bolivia is slowly becoming a popular holyday destination which besides its big brother Peru enjoys growing acceptance among adventurers, nature- and culture lovers. This compact journey which due to its length is confined to the most important and diversified Western part of this Andean country shall convey to the visitor archaeology/history and the unique miracles of nature at an average height of about 3,600 meters above sea level whereupon especially the Salar de Uyuni, the colorful lagoons as well as the craggy rock formations formed by wind and weather amaze the visitor. The enigmatic ruins of Tiwanaku and Puma Punku are likewise astonishing which became well known by numerous literature and documentaries. The strange mountain of Potosí (Cerro Rico) and the sparsely populated region from there to Sucre in which we slowly descend to a moderate height offer a landscaped contrast to the Andean high plateau, before we fly back to La

2 Paz from Sucre crossing the majestic Andes. This travel module also suits excellently as a connection module of a Peru trip or of any other country in South Amerika. THE ITINERARY IN QUICK OVERVIEW DAY 01 DAY 02 DAY 03 DAY 04 DAY 05 DAY 06 DAY 07 DAY 08 DAY 09 DAY 10 DAY 11 (your international flight to South Amerika) Welcome to La Paz! La Paz -> Tiahuanaco and Puma Punku -> La Paz* *additional option one extra day in Tiwanaku; look for more details further down La Paz -> Sajama National Park Sajama -> Salar de Coipasa -> Salar de Uyuni/north site Salar de Uyuni -> San Juan San Juan -> Salar de Chiguana -> Ojo de Perdiz Ojo de Perdiz -> Eduardo Avaroa National Park -> Uyuni Uyuni -> Potosí Potosí -> Sucre domestic flight: Sucre > La Paz La Paz -> El Alto airport: Good-bye! GENERAL TOUR DESCRIPTION DAY 01 (Your Flug international flight to South America or entry from another country) Welcome to La Paz! expect you at the La Paz airport El Alto and may cordially welcome you. Our private transport is already standing by. We will drive together to the Andean metropolis of La Paz (3,600 meters above sea level) which is situated in a basin and surrounded by the Altiplano, the Andean high plateau Kings Cordilleras and the Altiplano, the Andean high plateau. While descending to the valley you have the possibility to make a little stop next to the main road in order to make some impressing panoramic photography of the city and its surroundings. We The highest seat of government continue to our hotel which is strategically well situated in the of the world: La Paz. central city. From there you have the possibility to explore the town (therefore I recommend the arrival to La Paz in the morning to at most midday) respectively to include the money exchange for the local currency. Towards evening

3 we will meet in the hotel for a dinner whereupon I will take advantage of the situation to explain to you the itinerary. Accommodation in La Paz. ( - / - / d ) DAY 02 LA PAZ -> TIWANAKU/PUMA PUNKU -> LA PAZ The Sun Gate of Tiwanaku a one of a kind. fter an invigorating breakfast our transport will await us at the hotel at about eight o clock in the morning in order to drive us to one of the most mysterious sites of this planet: Tiwanaku with its neighboring complex Puma Punku, about 75 km off La Paz. We will dedicate ourselves a whole day to these both locations because there is so much to tell and to experience that it can t be treated of in only 1,5 to 2 hours as it is common practice in so many other travel agencies, because we want to immerge into the enigmatic past of these sites. The Sun Gate should be the synonym for Tiwanaku whose high relief on the front side could have provided for almost as many speculations as the three worldfamous Egyptian pyramids on the Giza Plateau. It was manufactured by one single andesite block and weights impressive 9 tons! Lunch in Tiwanaku. In the afternoon we will visit Puma Punku where you will face archaeological evidences of perfect stone working which I couldn t have found at any other place on Earth hitherto. There are blocks and foundation plates of different implementation and size lying around in a chaos in which archaeologists have tried to establish an order or a system; all these examples were manufactured or machined in such a perfection that one has to think of modern production engineering. You will see cuts so perfectly made that you will think of some kind of laser technology, drillings in andesite, recesses, grooves and borders on structures which couldn t have been implemented without planning and advanced technology. What should formerly represent this 3D puzzle in stone? For what it was built and which ancient culture could be responsible for this? When did it all happen? If there is a little bit of time in the afternoon, a visit in the Lithic Museum in Tiwanaku is recommendable (included in the entrance card) which after a long lasting closing and reopening in 2014 exposes unique steale, gigantic stone heads, animal representations and anthropomorphic, partially not finished sculptures. Return fare to La Paz, arrival towards evening. Accommodation in La Paz. ( b / l / - ) Mysterious vestiges on the pyramidal plateau of Puma Punku. ADDITIONAL OPTION A unique experience in Tiwanaku: Andean Astronomy and Cosmogony with the astronomer Manuel de la Torre. If you choose this option you will also have more time to visit the Lithic Museum and the Ceramic Museum before we will visit Manuel s local and private observatory in order to dedicate to the observation of the Southern hemisphere which also includes the observation of our planetary neighbors, provided that they will appear (depending of the season). The presentation will be completed by two exhibition rooms. To demonstrate better all this stuff a nocturnal visit in Tiwanaku is on the schedule (clear sky preconditioned) on which Manuel gives further explanations in the Semi-subterranean Temple by means of a laser pointer

4 showing the Andean constellations, planets and stars in the context of Andean astronomy and cosmology. Doing that he also he can illustrate the astronomic background of these ancient buildings. Accommodation in Tiwanacu and continuation of the itinerary as from DAY 03 as described below. DAY 03 LA PAZ -> THE SAJAMA NATIONAL PARK (By utilization of the additional option return to La Paz after the breakfast and continuation of the itinerary) The highest mountain of Bolivia near the frontier to Chile: The Sajama volcano in the homonymous national park. n the morning after the breakfast we set out. Our private transport awaits you at the hotel. We pass the city of El Alto and then head for Patacamaya on southwards. In Patacamaya we turn southwestward and are on target for the Sajama National Park. The highest mountain of Bolivia the Sajama- is already visible from the distance: the regular 6,542 meters-high, snowcovered cone majestically towers and is silhouetted against the landscape. Along this route section we stop at the chullpas, the fabulous funerary towers and enjoy the vastness of the landscape. These chullpas distinguish from their famous Peruvian equivalents in Sillustani because they were built of air-dried adobe (mud bricks) and not of massive granite blocks. There are several stop we recommend in order to admire bizarre geological formations. One can nearly feel how there once worked gigantic geological forces. The Sajama mountain and its two volcanic sisters, the Pomarape and the Parimacota, are coming much closer now. When we arrive at the entrance of the national park, we pause for a moment and admire the Sajama in all its grandeur. In the park we continue in direction of the center where our eco lodge is situated. There we will have lunch. Then you have the possibility to resort to the gushers, the sea and finally to the thermal springs in which you can take a relaxed bath and unwind. Therefore I recommend the tour to the thermal springs in the open on this day. In the late afternoon return to the eco lodge in which we also will have dinner. By night it is recommended to go outside in order to enjoy the silence, the special atmosphere and especially the starry sky which imposes on the special panorama. ( b / l / d ) DAY 04 SAJAMA -> SALAR DE COIPASA -> SALAR DE UYUNI/NORTH SIDE The less known Salar de Coipasa, viewed from a space perspective. reakfast in the eco lodge; meanwhile I will tell you something about the strange, dead straight lines stretching for miles which cross the Sajama National Park and let one think of another famous archeological site in South America. Then we admire the lagoons, the gushers and the highest forest of the world called Bosque de Queñua which extends between 4,300 and 5,200 meters above sea level. We leave the park and travel south-easterly to pass the Salar de Coipasa, in a manner of speaking the little brother of the Salar de Uyuni situated more southward. It s about a former brackish-water sea with a surface of about 2,500 km² which was connected with the Lago Poopo, the second largest sea of Bolivia, by a river which partially ran in the underground respectively nowadays only temporarily is connected in the rainy season. It arguably

5 formed an inland sea with the southern Salar de Uyuni, the Lake Titicaca and the Lake Poopo before the Andes formed and rose into the height which nowadays it about meters above sea level. The salty crust is so thick that big off-road vehicles can drive on it. In the rainy season, normally between September and March of the following year, large slickenside surfaces are formed by the water which doesn t drain off and are a dream motive for passionate photographers, especially in this region rich in contrast: a snow-white surface, a deep blue sky and the dark-earthy color of the volcanic mountain chain which surrounds the salt desert. We continue in direction of the Salar de Uyuni whereupon the Thunupa volcano blazes us the trail. Near the volcano is our next eco lodge which offers a wonderful panorama because of its location and its comfort doesn t miss out. Accommodation at the border of the Salar de Uyuni. ( b / lunch box / d ) DAY 05 SALAR DE UYUNI -> SAN JUAN The Salar de Uyuni: a nature mosaic made of salt with an extension of more than 10,000 km². fter having invigorated ourselves at the breakfast buffet a trip to the not only largest but also the world s highest salt desert is in store for us. Before doing this we visit a cave situated at the basis of the holy Thunupa volcano which contains naturally conserved mummies several hundred years old. These bodies exceptionally didn t fall victim to tomb raiders or the Spanish Conquista. Now we drive singlemindedly to the sheer endless, white surface and after some photo stops where we see amongst other things the Ojos del Sal (salt eyes) which let rise to the surface the bubbling water mixed with natural gas underneath the salt layer. Then we will be on target for the center of the Salar where we stop at the so-called Isla del Pescado (fish islet, because of its aspect) where also is our resting place. The islet surrounded by the salt lake has a lot of petrified corals which are suspiciously well preserved if science assigns to them an age of several million years which should correspond to the formation of the Andes. The islet is also well-known for its several-hundred-years old cactuses which are up to 8 meters high (would you have expected that at a height of more than 3,600 meters?) and which we will observe when we ascend to the upper platform which allows a perfect 360 panoramic view In the afternoon we will leave the Salar de Uyuni in a southerly direction in order to move in a salt eco lodge in the hamlet of San Juan whose main source of income is the cultivation of Quinoa which now is exported all over the world. The panoramic dining room invites to abidance and philosophizing. The hostel incidentally bears the name of a pre-inca regional culture: the Lípez (Hostal los Lípez). If there is interest you can also visit the little museum and the cemetery of the Lípez people. Accommodation in San Juan. ( b / l / d ) DAY 06 SAN JUAN -> SALAR DE CHIGUANA -> OJO DE PERDIZ fter a typical Andean breakfast we get on our off-road vehicle and are on target for the Salar de Chiguana, a salty plane of about 12x15 kilometers. We will stop there for some minutes in order to watch the strandlines at a current height of about 15 meters which bespeak a prehistoric, large lake or more precisely an inland lake (think of the petrified corals in the Salar de Uyuni which are only growing in saltwater) which also must have covered the Salar de Coipasa and the Salar de Uyuni. After that

6 The Arbol de Piedra (stone tree), arguably the most famous formation of this region. impression we expand into the probably most remote region of Bolivia whose landscape is unique on this planet. Our today s destination, Ojo de Perdiz (eye of the partridge) is situated amidst Siloli desert which is part of the Atacama desert, the driest desert of the world. Here the world seems unfamiliar and you will enjoy the silence and the loneliness of the Andean highlands. Experience this beautiful location which offers you the following highlights: a sheer endless desert world, the steaming thermal springs of Polques, the majestic Llicancaur volcano in the South signalizing the frontier to Chile and ancient petrified forests, lava structures in the desert, bizarre formations which almost are tantamount to artwork. We cross the Valley of the Rocks and in the late afternoon we arrive at a nice hostel where we have dinner and stay overnight. ( b / l / d ) DAY 07 OJO DE PERDIZ -> EDUARDO AVAROA NATIONAL PARK -> UYUNI High-contrast impressions at the shore of the Laguna Colorada. n the morning our driver expects us in order to bring us to the Eduardo Avaroa National Park. We head for the Laguna Colorada (colored lagoon) which is a synonym for the large park which includes the southern corner of Bolivia and the border triangle of Bolivia Chile Argentina. There a contrast scenery in colors is shown like I never have seen it anywhere else. The Laguna Colorada is a shallow see of about 60 km² at a height of 4,278 meters above sea level and got its name because of its conspicuous coloring which is caused by the predominant algae species and the high mineral content of its water. The lagoon is known for its high flamingo population of different species. It s amazing that this bird species can be found at this height. After a well-prepared lunch we drive in southern direction and ascend the Mañana Pass scarcely less than 5,000 meters above sea level. Directly after the highest point of the pass we see large, geothermic fields, the Sol de Mañana (rising sun) gushers. It is a two square kilometer geothermal area which is characterized by intensive geothermal activities caused by gushers, boiling mud holes and fumaroles. On the basis of these open wounds of our planet you can get to yourself an idea of the tectonic activities of the Andes (which is corroborated by some active volcanos in this region) which at least shall rise in height of about two centimeters yearly. The circa 110 km² desert Desierto de Dali (Dali desert, named after the famous Spanish painter) commemorates a surrealistic canvas of the master and let me think of the planet Mars. Then we will have a long trip to the town of Uyuni near the border of the homonymous salt desert. Enjoy one more time the combination of a volcanic landscape and desert. In the evening we arrive in Uyuni. There we will have a nice accommodation. ( b / l / - )

7 DAY 08 UYUNI -> POTOSÍ Rusty remnants of another epoch: the train cemetery of Uyuni. one in the world. We head directly our hotel in order to first get rid of our luggage and relax a little bit after the tour through the wilderness. In the afternoon we will go for a walk through the colonial lanes of Potosí and see amongst others the Royal Treasury ( Casa de la Moneda ), the Royal Gazebo and the main square. Then we enter the silver mines of the Cerro Rico (Rich Mountain), a strange mountain which made once rich Potosí due to its abundant silver deposits and the treasured precious metal primarily Spain was of benefit. In addition to its unique silver wealth the characteristic, pyramidal shape apparently has its own reason, a geographic and transnational one. It s worth to think about that on site, in the mines of the Cerro Rico, in front of its majestic backdrop or after dinner in the hotel lounge. Accommodation in Potosí in a very nice hotel (with swimming pool). ( b / - / - ) n the morning you have the option for a visit of the unique Cementerio de los Trenes (train cemetery), ca. 3 km south of Uyuni. Rusty, decayed steam giants which bespeak a height which about 120 ago reached its climax when minerals were exploited on a big scale in the surroundings of Uyuni and transported by steam train to various regions of Bolivia as well as to Chile (once Bolivian territory), to the harbors at the shore of the Pacific Ocean. Then we can stroll through the gorgeous pedestrian zone of Uyuni bevor we pack our suitcases for another trip which will bring us to the next important city. We will reach Potosí after ca. 4.5 hours: not a very beautiful, but one of the most important colonial cities of Bolivia due to its silver wealth and with more than 4,000 meters above sea level also the highest Potosí with its natural emblem in the background: the Cerro Rico mountain. TAG 09 POTOSÍ -> SUCRE Blick vom Kloster auf den schönen, kolonialen Stadtkern von Sucre. his route (ca. 4 hours with several stopovers) from Potosí to Sucre is especially nice and therefore we make it by day, so we start our tour right after breakfast. After having arrived in Sucre we go to the hotel which is situated near the colonial town center. From here you can ideally start a stroll through the town. Due to its altitude of about 2,750 meters above sea level the climate is milder as on the Altiplano which we could leave for a short time. Early in the afternoon we start with the viewing of the main square and the Franciscan monastery La Recoleta at the foot of the Chrurquella mountain where we have a wonderful panorama over Sucre and its surroundings. We also visit the Indigene Museum of Art ASUR with exhibitions of textile work and art of weaving of the two local cultures Tarabuco and Jalq a. Finally we visit the historical building complex Casa de la Libertad (House of Freedom) in which the independence treaty was signed. In

8 the matching museum all the types of documents are stored which document the historic events concerning the acquisition of the independence. In the evening we can recommend the visit of one of the typical bars all around the main square in which many artists and students also can be met. Sometimes pool tables are offered and there also is sometimes live music. Accommodation in Sucre. ( b / - / - ) DAY 10 SUCRE -> LA PAZ (DOMESTIC FLIGHT) Imprints of the Mesozoic of our planet: petrified dinosaur tracks in lime stone. fter have been engaged in the younger history of Bolivia we now start out to explore the prehistory around the region of Sucre. We get into our private transport which brings us the Parque Cretácico (Creatacious period Park or Jurassic Park) of Cal Orcko (lime mountain). The park is less noteworthy and unique; the reconstructed models of the giant dinosaurs and the different exhibition rooms on the subject of Proterozoic and the era of the dinosaurs but the nearly vertical lime wall about 400 meters long and 70 meters high in which there are imprinted ca. 400 different petrified dinosaur tracks; the biggest find of the world! The equivalent restoration- and conservation works are respectively extensive on this scarp slope. It was discovered by accident during mining operations of a located factory extracting and processing lime stone. The strange panorama let rise questions: so many different species in one geological layer (carnivores and herbivores) which all ran in different directions, only individual animals, herds of the same species cannot be recognized and no hints that these tracks were later destructed by newer tracks of other dinosaurs. Did these specimen flee from a catastrophe which could explain this confused-looking stone relief? Did the petrification process of the limestone slap develop so fast followed by a subsequent blanket that no further tracks could be impressed? Was the rapid petrification process caused by a supposed earth catastrophe and didn t therefore exist any other animals which could have crossed this area? Was the slab covered shortly after the natural concreting phase? Return to the hotel and in the afternoon we drive to the Sucre airport in order to fly back to La Paz. Arrival in La Paz, transfer to the hotel and accommodation in La Paz. ( b / - / - ) DY 11 LA PAZ -> EL ALTO AIRPORT n the morning (after breakfast, depending on the chosen international flight, otherwise breakfast at the airport) transfer from the hotel to the airport on which I accompany you. I gladly will assist you with filling the form (customs) at the airline desk. Then I will say good-bye to you and I wish you a pleasant flight home. I hope that you will return with many new impressions to your homeland. Goodbye! ( b / - / - )

9 END OF THE GENERAL TOUR DISCRIPTON gross prices 2017 and 2018 per capita, accomodation in double rooms: 2 persons: $US 3, ; 3 persons: $US 2, persons: $US 2, ; 5-8 persons: $US 2, ; 9-12 persons: $US 1, ; persons: $US 1, single supplement: $US on request: price for one person, option with triple-room The execution of the tour is confirmed subject to modifications the confirmation of the trip is revelvant. ORGANIZATIONAL MATTERS: The tour guide in Peru and Bolivia will be assumed by Dieter Groben of Groben Turismo S.R.L. Voyages to the Origins. NOTE: DUE TO THE TRAVEL CONDITIONS (WEATHER; POLITICAL CONDITIONS) ITINERARY CAN BE SUBJECT TO SHORT-TERM CHANGES. THE SERVICES INCLUDED IN THE PRICE ARE:: All transfers from/to the hotels, Bus, airport Accommodation in double room during the whole trip, hotel category ***, in Potosí ****, in the Sajama National Park, Uyuni and Ojo de Perdiz accommodations of upper class with private bath, shower and domestic hot water. DAY 02, additional option: translation of the lectures of Manuel de la Torre from Spanish into English by Dieter Groben Breakfast (if you wish half-board or full board, please let us know) and additional meals according to the description of the corresponding days: b = breakfast, l = lunch, d = Dinner All excursions like described in the itinerayr

10 All routes in private passenger cars/van and 4x4 off-road vehicle where it is required, including driver All entrance fees in national parks, museum, archaeological sites, Salar de Uyuni, Cerro Rico and other places of interest like mentioned in the itinerary FLIGHTS: domestic flight Sucre -> La Paz The travel companion is Dieter Groben during the whole trip. NOT INCLUDED ARE:, International flights or feeders from abroad Drinks, alcoholic drinks, tips and other personal expenses Tours, visitations of museums, etc. which are not mentioned in the itinerary as inclusive services All meals (if not mentioned in the program) Travel insurances (and travel cancellation insurance) Necessary data for the reservation For all reservations we need the following information: Name(s) and surname, date of birth, nationality, passport number, the best thing is a scan of your pass port (.pdf/jpg) sent to us by . Arrival time and departure time at the international airport in Lima or any other for your international flight. Specific requirements and possible restrictions concerning the meals (food allergy) Medical problems Smoker / non smoker Notes / recommendations T-Shirts and long trousers Two to three pairs of absorbing cotton socks Two to three pairs of normal cotton socks Rain coat or a long poncho (100% water proof), alternatively a collapsible umbrella Two sweat shirts with long arms Two pull overs 2 Pullover Warm jacket (cargoule) coat/jacket with inner lining for the cold nights on the Altiplano Sun screen with high protective factor (sunblock) A hat (with a wide brim) or a cap

11 Swimwear, a towel (for the hot springs in the Sajama National Park, swimming pool in the hotel in Potosí Sun glasses Hiking boots (with a good tread) and a pair of normal shoes Torch with batteries, best is a headlamp to keep free both hands, especially at night Personal hygiene articles and medicaments Enough cash for drinks at the bar/restaurant and other personal expenses Copy of your vaccination card Recommendable: copy of your passport. Health / medical matters / fitness A vaccination against yellow fever is mandatory. During this trip we will pass through all climes and heights from mean sea level up to 4,500 meters above sea level. Thus the tour (with expedition character) is considered to be partially arduous and requires a good health condition, fitness and freedom from giddiness. In rare cases altitude sickness can occur in several characteristics (dizziness, headache, light nausea). Thus we recommend to consult your family doctor before you make the trip. For all preventive measures please turn to a doctor or a consult a tropical institute. "Groben - Turismo S.R.L. - Reisen zu den Ursprüngen" contact: mobile phone und WhatsApp: +591/ , dieter.groben@gmx.de contact in Germany: Marco Alhelm; WhatsApp: 0151/ , m.alhelm@arcor.de Internet: Twitter: Groben_Turismo, Google+: Dieter Groben facebook: Groben Turismo address: Calle 50, Chasquipampa/La Paz Bolivia address in Germany: Siegfriedstraße 11, D Wiehl