THE RICH CITY OF ORURO

Located on the Altiplano on and beneath the slopes of a hill, earth-colored Oruro is one of Bolivia's major cities. Founded in 1601, it has since been a minig center of tin, silver and wolfram.

The city of Oruro is visited by tens of thousands of Bolivians from other regions of the country and by foreigners from all over the world during the Carnaval celebration, wich occurs at the end of February or beginning of March. It is definitely a must when you visit Bolivia: it is probable one of the most spectacular cultural events in Latin America. It is best if you make arrangements for travel and lodging with travel agencies in La Paz. The new Museum of Archeology, located on the southern side of the city next to the botanical gardens, is also worth visiting. Especially notable are the stone llama head from the Huancarani period and a first-rate colection of masks used in Carnaval. 

Maskmakers and embroiders can be found on Calle La Paz. They make the elaborate plaster-of-paris and tin masks and the costumes used for the Diablada.

Also worth visiting is the Virgin del Socavón Sanctuary, located to the west of the city at the foothill of the mountain that overlooks the city. Here is where all Carnaval celebrations are focused, and also where the Virgin of Candelaria is worshipped. During Carnaval, dancers wearing devil masks and outfits end up at the church, where they pay homage to the Virgin. 

Since it is part of the Altiplano, there are often strong winds that sweep trough the city. Oruro is at an altitude of 12,143 feet (3,702m ) Clothing for visiting Oruro would be the same as for La Paz.

The city of Oruro, is not only known for its majestic carnival, which is recognized as the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity, but also for its gastronomy. We will describe a little about it.

Oruro is famous for one dish: Rostro Asado, baked lamb's head, which is a calf's head baked, even skin. Its origin goes back to the time when the Spaniards dominated the ancient Villa Real de San Felipe de Austria, when the Indians traded lamb and just left with their heads, which is then baked in the ovens of the bakeries of tambos. This dish is not very appealing to the eye, is one of the most requested by diners who frequent the street 6 October city of Oruro, from night until dawn, when selling it offered in huge pots, wrapped with napkins, newspapers and nylon to keep warm. There are even accompaniments, from potatoes, rice to salad.

The lamb is an essential ingredient for other culinary offerings, such as shin, which can be enjoyed in its heyday in restaurants like Nayjama and Rincon Orureño; or thimpu, Creole dish that emerged in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, and consists of rice, potatoes, potato starch, watery yellow pepper; or toast, boiled in water and fries in oil with potatoes, salad and potato flour prey.

In this account can not miss the charquecán, served with peeled mote, cheese, boiled egg and fry meat dehydrated and flame, and llajua; is one of the attractions of Campero market and it is said that in ancient times was consumed by the ancestors sliced ​​and only mote. Another delicacy is the ferroviario, which dates back some 30 years and combines meat, potatoes and chorrellana.

El Intendente is a dish created by a government official from Sucre who was sent to Oruro in the early years of this century.The dish became so popular that it is still offered on the menu. It tells that was created in the mid of last century and is named after a city official who held the post of mayor and strictly controlled stalls where comideras offered him their best products and a piece of different meats. So, this treat is rack of lamb, chicken, kidneys, intestines, udders, testicles, sausages, among others.

Same is the Pampaco or Huatía that originally prepared in the highlands only root vegetables such as sweet potato, potato, oca; however, now does it with cooked meat underground. Or the k'alapari, Lawa made with hot stones. Or the mistake, you have to quinoa as an ingredient, which is then cooked accompanied with cheese, sugar or milk.

At present, even pizza and peanut soup have adopted a orureño flavor, and can not fail to mention the api p'osko, cinnamon ice cream, heart anticuchos and choripanes from La Rancheria based sausages made in Oruro.

Cabeza. A dish that enjoys great demand among domestic and foreign guests is the head, which is elemental to the head of lamb, which is cooked and then served with potatoes, potato flour ingredient, bush onions, chopped tomatoes (even with peppers or locotos) and the inevitable llajua. Head eat brains, eyes, tongue and little meat that is attached to the bone.

Api. It is a delicacy that is consumed mainly as breakfast. It is a typical highland thick drink served hot and is developed based on flour milled purple and yellow corn, then, is cooked in water with cinnamon and sugar grains. The main accompaniments are donuts and pastries, which are made with pastry filled with cheese fried in oil.

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Tourist attractions that make LA PAZ a wonderful city!!!

With the Andes and deep blue skies as a blackdrop, Aymara Indian women, children in tow, sell their wares at roadside market stalls facing tin- and straw-covered adobe homes. Wheter landing on the El Alto airstrip at 13,000 feet (3,962 m) or crossing Lake Titicaca by boat, the barren plateu known as the Altiplano is a visitor's first introduction to the city of La Paz.

The Altiplano hides the presence of a thriving metropolis of 900,000 habitants that opens up at its edge. Without warning, the plateu breaks and reveals below a deep, jagged valley covered with adobe and brick homes clinging to the hillside. Skyscrapers, rising to meet the jagged hills of the valley, cast shadows over cobblestone streets and tree-lined plazas that hide rich and colorful traditions.

To get your bearings and capture some of the color, bustle and contrasting life-styles found in La Paz, start your visit by taking a walking tour of downtown. With most good hostels located in the center.

A visitor can spend several days exploring the roads and alleys that branch off from the San Francisco Church. Bordering it is Calle Sagárnaga, lined with shops offering leather goods, weavings, alpaca sweaters, silver and antiques.

The city of La Paz is known for being a city full of tourist attractions, and be a starting point to many attractions there is both in the Altiplano and Yungas. However, that's not the only thing that you can enjoy in the city of La Paz. The gastronomy is exquisite, and so we provide below a brief overview of it.

La Paz Specialities

If you asked any Boliving in a foreign country which foods they longed for when thinking of home, the two things most likely mentioned would be Salteñas and Picantes. A paceño living far from home would also mention Chairo and Fricasé.

Salteñas are a meat or chicken turnover that are traditionally eaten sometime before lunch and accompanied by a cold drink (never coffee or tea). There are many heated discussions as to wich salteñas are the best, but the truth is that each restaurant and each region, mainly in the cities of the Altiplano and the valleys, has its own special way of preparing them.

A picante or ají is a meat cooked in ají sauce and served with boiled potato and chuño phuti. A raw sarsa - sliced tomato and onion, parsley and sometimes a little thinly sliced locto - is served on top. Chicken picante or Sajta de pollo is the most favored. The La Paz version of picante, The Picante Mixto, is by far the best and most complete: it contains sajta de pollo, charquecan (jerky), picante de lengua (tongue), picante de conejo (rabbit), saice (chopped beef) and ranga ranga (tripe). This dish is also accompanied by tunta rellena (filled tunta with cheese, the best of tunta recipes). Each regions in the Bolivia's valleys and in the Altiplano has its picante specialty, usually a combination of chicken and tongue. Fricasé can be a respectable picante when the broth is very hot.

The picante sauce is made by cooking sliced onion and tomato in oil. When this is cooked, ají and water are added. The meat is then cooked in this sauce, which is seasoned with salt and cumin.

The most common piquant pod in Bolivia is the locoto. It is a small green , yellow or red pod. It appears every day at nearly every table in western Bolivia in llajua (an uncooked piquant sauce made with tomatoes, locoto and quirquiña, a local herb), wich seasons every dish served. Llajua is as common as salt.

Ají is the name given to the long pods, wich are either red or yellow. They are very different in taste and are very hot, but they can be less piquant if they are wash several times, and if the seeds and the fibers are removed. Ají is, by extension, also the name given to dishes prepared with ají powder.

As we mentioned  in the last article, Chairo is a La Paz soup. It is made with beef, lamb and lamb jerky, chuño and pataska (then condiment together).

Fricasé is another soup, made with pork and seasoned with yellow ají or hot pepper. The stock is slightly thickened with bread crumbs. It is served with boiled potato, chuño and pataska. It is usually served at lunch time, but is also a favorite in the wee hours of the morning after a late party.

Anticuchos are another favorite food eaten after late-night parties. Anticuchos are small slices of beef heart and a boiled potatoes on a skewer cooked over a grill and seasoned with yellow ají. 

Thimpu is a popular dish on native restaurant menus. After the soup is cooked, the solid ingredients are served on a plate and the broth is served separately.

Finally, Plato paceño, is fried fresh cheese, served with bolied potato, mote de habas (cooked fresh broad beans) corn on the cob and llajua.

As you can see, the cuisine of the city of La Paz is diversified, for these reasons worth visiting this wonderful city.

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BOLIVIAN FOOD

One of Bolivia's little-known secrets is its great culinary tradition. Some day the cooking of the Andes may receive the credit it deserves. Corn, potatoes and quinoa, a high-protein grain are native to the Bolivian Andes, and thousands of dishes are based on these and other products. 

For a mind-morning snack, nothing beats a salteña, a hearty stew of beef, peas, potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, olives and spicy sauce wrapped in a dough and baked. Served piping hot, it is popular at mind-morning celebrations. 

Bolivian soups are second to none. Try a creamy peanut soup (sopa de maní) with chunks of corn, melted cheese and fava beans. 

Also worth trying are chairo, a hearty soup made with beef chunks and dehydrated potatoes, fava beans and potatoes; sopa de papa lisa, made from small, yellowish potatoes native to the highlands; and sopa de quinua, made from quinoa grain, wich can also be used in thousands of dishes including granola, bread, stews, casseroles and puddings.

La Paz and other cities also make an excellent French bread. In La Paz this typical bread is known as marraqueta. 

Baked early morning and afternoon, the marraqueta is one of the best options.

If passing through the Sucre airport, don't miss trying chorizos, pork sausages flavored with green onions, fresh oregano, parsley, nutmeg and garlic. For lunch or dinner be sure to try Fritanga, a pork dish flavored with fresh mint and ground, hot red-pepper sauce that is accompanied by hominy. For an appetizer, or even as a mind dish, pastel de choclo or humintas, made from ground corn, are delicious.

In La Paz, try fricasé, a spicy pork and hominy stew served at hotels and many restaurants (particularly on weekends). If interested in something mild, try the Lake Titicaca salmon trout, or excellent grass-fed filet mignon from the Beni or the highlands, accompanied by one of the 200-odd varieties of potatoes available in Bolivia. 

In Santa Cruz or Trinidad, try a fresh hearth of palm salad or a good juicy steak accompanied by rice with melted cheese and black beans. A delicious accompaniment is fried plantain or yucca.

Perhaps the most delicious Bolivian pastry is the Cuñape, made from cheese and manioc floor and served fresh or dehydrated in the tropical Bolivian lowlands. Nothing beats the flavor of Cuñapes right out of the oven.

In terms of fruit, it is hard to equal the variety found in Bolivia. Because of the country's proximity to the equator, in Andean cities you will find a wide selection of valley and tropical fruits. Try chirimoya, a green and black-pocked fruit with a creamy white filling that makes great ice cream or mousse. Also worth trying are tumbo (a sweet-acid fruit), maracuya (passion fruit), granadina, guayaba, orange-colored bananas.

Bolivia also has a thriving beer and wine industry. Beer made here by Germans and their descendants is superb, as attested to by manu Eurpeans and Americans. Good and flavorful beer is sold throughout the country.

Bolivia's wine industry is based in Tarija, Camargo and other southern Bolivian regions. Best are Concepción, Campos de Solana, Kohlberg Fundador y San Pedro Cavergnet. Bolivian wine is produced at altitudes of 1,000 to 1,500 meters and have recently gained international prominence.

Once you've adjust to the altitude, be sure to try singani, a distilled spirit made from grapes. It is often serve as a pisco sour or chuflay, wich is a mixture of 7-up, singani and lemon juice.

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Before to visit Bolivia you should know certain things

WHEN TO GO

Due to its variety of altitudes and proximity to the equator, Bolivia has every climate and terrain imaginable. Temperature is largely determined by altitude; cities at lower altitudes are warm and tropical, cities at higher altitudes much cooler.

There is a rainy season that runs from October to March, with the dry season being from April to September. Raind can be heavy in the rainy season (which is actually summer), but generally last only an hour or two. 


During the rainy season, it is not advisable to travel by land to remote areas do to deteriorated road conditions. In the dry winter season, the skies over most of Bolivia are a pure, dark blue and sunny. Carnaval take place in either February or March, when the heavy rains are nearly over.
In the mountainous regions of the country (particularly the La Paz, Potosí and Oruro departments), temperatures reach 50 to 70°F (10°C to 20°C) in the sun but drop the freezing at night, and are also much cooler, even on sunny days, if you step into the shade. 

The tropical Beni, Pando and Santa Cruz departments are hot, often swelteringly so, year-round. Respite is offered, however, in the winter season when temperatures cool down a bit and with the arrival of the surazos, strong wind and rains coming in from other regions.

The most moderate, comfortable climates are found in the Sucre, Cochabamba and Traija departments, which have more sunny, warm days than anything else. Here it rains during the rainy season, and gets cool during winter, but you will never be truly cold, or unbearably hot, in these places. 

WHAT TO TAKE

For the highland regions (called the Altiplano), wool sweaters and a windbreaker are recommended. The sun in the Andes is very strong, so be sure to bring a good sunscreen and wear a hat. During the rainy season, an umbrella or raincoat is necesary. In the tropical regions, light clothing is worn year-round except during surazo fronts (these can last up to three days and occur mainly in the winter). A good bug repellent is also recommended.

Jackets are expected at fancy restaurants, but informal clothing should do for most places. A good pair of hiking boots is a must, as well as sandals if headed for the tropical regions.

The bigger cities offer Western-style supermarkets with just about everything you can imagine from home. However, certain toiletry items, such as shampoos, contact lens' solution and sunscreen, are more expensive in Bolivia, and may be worth packing away before you board the plane.

HIGH ALTITUDE HEALTH ADVICE

The sensations that you experience on arrival to the Altiplano, such as increased respiration, fast and pouding heart action, and some tiredness and lightheadness, are all mormal adaptive processes. Don't worry about them; the body will adjust. Apprehension, on the other hand, can increase the symptoms.

Much of what one feels the first days at altitude is an effect of dehydration. You need considerably more fluids (in the form of water, juices, broths and Gatorade-like drinks). Non chocolate candies taken frequently on arrival to high-altitude places can prevent, or at least diminish, symptoms such as headaches if they develop. Also you need more carbohydrates; starches (pasta, potatos, etc). Should make up a large part of your diet. Frequent, small, light meals are best. Mate de coca (tea obtainable just about anywhere) is of benefit, especially with sugar added. Avoid alcohol and limit carbonated drinks or let them get a little flat.

Try to limit activity your first few days. You should avoid over-exertion, but the frequently given advice to lie down during the initial hours in high altitudes can actually increase your headache if overdone. Children and young, athletic adults are more likely to develop serious complications, so guard them against overactivity until well-adapted.

Aspirin- two tablets every four hours, with a full glass of water- is the best medicine for a headache. Two tablets, taken preventatively on arrival, might bebeneficial.

It is very unlikely that you will need oxygen. It can even delay tha adaptive processes, and using it in the towns you'll be visiting is about as logical as using it while jogging.

Relax and enjoy the Andes. Extremelyfew major complications occur in halthy peopleat 12,000 feet.

By: Peter McFarren

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Uyuni Salt Flat, Bolivia -- Travel 365 -- National Geographic

Uyuni Salt Flat, Bolivia -- Travel 365 -- National Geographic

When is it appropriate to travel to Uyuni Salt Flats?

The impressive geographic diversity offered by the Uyuni Salt Flats and the national reserve Eduardo Abaroa allow tourists to visit at any time of year, however it is advisable to take into account the different seasons of the year.

The best time is between the months of May to November, depending on the rains, may also be until December. In the rainy season, the flat surface of the salt accumulates water coming, sometimes up to 20 cm. high.

The effect is generated on site is a mirror of the sky, resulting in contrasts and breathtaking illusions blue sky.

At this time the flat surface of the salt accumulates lots of water, so it is not advisable to reach the Fish Island for security reasons.

In rainy season, the Laguna Colorada becomes the most important meeting center where flamingos can be seen up to 25,000 specimens.

 The months of June to September (winter) are the lowest temperatures and find the clear and bright skies ideal for excellent photographic and video footage. 

One advantage of visiting the salar in this season, is that you can observe the octagonal gestorias formed in place, while appreciating the curvature of the earth accurately.

The most convenient hours to appreciate the red color of the Laguna Colorada are from 11:00 to 14:00 when temperatures and solar radiation are more intense.

At year's end temperatures rise and may the heavens are not so clear

Certainly in winter are the lowest temperatures. The region is usually cold, dry and windy, can easily reach -15 ° C. or more nights at day temperatures can reach 5 ° and 10 ° C. and even increase a little more when the sun is at the zenith.

In this way, and with the information provided, you can evaluate and choose when it wishes to visit this wonderful place.

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¿CUANDO VIAJAR AL SALAR DE UYUNI?

La impresionante diversidad geográfica que ofrece el salar de Uyuni y la reserva nacional Eduardo Avaroa permiten a los turistas poder visitar en cualquier época del año, sin embargo es recomendable tomar en cuenta las diferentes estaciones y temporadas del año.

La mejor época es entre los meses de Mayo a Noviembre, dependiendo de las lluvias, puede ser también hasta Diciembre. En épocas de lluvias, la superficie plana del salar acumula agua llegando, en algunas ocasiones hasta 20 cm. de altura. 

El efecto que se genera en el lugar es la de un espejo del cielo, dando lugar a contrastes y espejismos impresionantes del azul cielo.

En ésta época la superficie plana del salar acumula mucha agua, por lo que no es recomendable llegar hasta la Isla Pescado por razones de seguridad.

En época de lluvias la Laguna Colorada se convierte  en el centro mas importante de encuentro de flamencos donde se puede observar hasta 25,000 ejemplares.

 Los meses de Junio a Septiembre (Invierno) se encuentran las temperaturas mas bajas y encontraremos los cielos despejados y brillantes ideal para excelentes tomas fotográficas y vídeo. 

Una de las ventajas de visitar el salar en ésta época, es la de poder observar las gestorias octagonales que se forman en el lugar, además de apreciar la curvatura de la tierra en forma precisa.

Los horarios mas convenientes para apreciar el color rojo de la Laguna Colorada son de 11:00 a 14:00 cuando las temperaturas y radiación solar son mas intensas.

A finales de año las temperaturas suben y es posible que los cielos no sean tan despejados.

Sin duda, en invierno están las temperaturas más bajas. La región normalmente es fría, seca y ventosa, pueden llegar fácilmente a los -15°C. o más por las noches, en el día las temperaturas pueden llegar a los 5° y 10°C. y aún aumentar un poco mas cuando el sol está en el zenit.

De ésta manera, y con la información brindada, usted puede evaluar y elegir cuándo es que desea visitar este maravilloso lugar.

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