Sorata: the Upper Amazonian Basin

Just north of La Paz, the Andean High Plateau breaks down into the Upper Amazonian Basin that offers awesome views to the visitor.

Highlights

Sorata

The Bolivian Shangri-La, Sorata is considered to be a top tourism destination in Bolivia. A small village of two thousand inhabitants, Sorata would be remembered by its visitors mainly due to its main square. Densely packed with tropical palms and altitude pines, which provide a magical foreground to the snowed Illampu Mountain, it provides a convincing proof of being halfway between the Andean High Plateau and the Amazonian Basin.

Illampu

The isolationist pretensions of the Sorata people have resulted in the recent ruin of one of their main attractions. As I am writing these lines, all the climbing expeditions to the Illampu Mountain must be arranged through the local agencies; all other options are being blockaded. The result is a price of above per person in an expedition of two, for a climb of just 3500m from Sorata. That has transformed this mountain into one of the most expensive in the world (in its class). Sadly, in the last years the glaciers covering the summit are quickly receding and have left ugly scars on the mountain flanks.

Trekking

The Sorata County provides plenty of trekking opportunities that can be divided into open- and close-circuit treks. Close-circuit treks begin and end at a given location while open-circuit treks begin and end at different locations. Some fifteen close-circuit treks are offered from Sorata. All of them include mountain views, splashing in lakes and visiting Aymara communities. They can take anything from a few hours to two weeks. The most appealing open-circuit is the Cordillera Real one which begins at Sorata and ends in Coroico - at the eastern side of the Cordillera Real. It can take up to twenty days of walking along the northern side of the range.

Millipaya

Millipaya is one of the highest communities in the Sorata County and it is substantially higher than the town of Sorata, sitting practically at the Illampu Mountain summit's base. Thus, it is the perfect departure point for an independent trek at the mountain. Moreover, Millipaya offers a fascinating look into Bolivian rural life.

Quick Tips:

Despite technically being on the Valleys part of the country, Sorata is close to the High Plateau and very high. The capital village is at 2700m above the sea level and some of the communities surrounding it are substantially higher than that. Despite the lush tropical palms at its central plaza, Sorata can get very cold at night. Bringing warm clothes is a necessity.

During the dry, cold winter, the Altiplano is amazingly dry. Metallic surfaces would usually carry a static charge and should be approached with care. Sorata is on the wet side of the Andean Range, but still far away from the humid parts of the Amazonian Basin.

In the cold winter, the sun looks inoffensive, but due to the altitude it burns quickly; a wide hat and good sunglasses are imperative and lip balm is essential.

Fried local food should be avoided, since the oil is re-heated; sometimes it seems to be so for years. The salteñas are the safest snack and can be found easily everywhere; they are sold for around a dime each. The ubiquitous "sopa de fideo" (a plate of noodles with cheese) is dangerous and can cause a severe diarrhea. "Pesje" is a dish of quinua with milk and cheese; it makes an excellent breakfast; despite being a bit hard to find, the effort is worthy.

Driving at night in the area is not recommended. The narrow roads, the lack of proper lights, the dangerous curves in the way down to Sorata and the dangerous local drivers create an unsafe environment.

Most people in the area are bilingual and speak Aymara and Spanish as a second language. However, their control of Spanish varies a lot; more often than not they construct Spanish sentences as if they were Aymara ones. To avoid misunderstandings, the Aymara practice of repeating any agreement reached three times should be adopted. Take note that their unusual use of the verb "know" as an auxiliary verb means they have been direct witnesses of the event described in the second part of the sentence.

Best Way To Get Around:

If traveling by car, be prepared to identify yourself to the uniformed police at every toll gate; if there is an unexplained delay there, then the policeman is waiting for a "regalito" (little gift), giving him 5BOBs (seventy-five American cents) is usually enough.

Traveling in buses is quite uncomfortable since in Bolivia they are sporadically stopped and searched for illegal substances by the local police. Moreover, unexplained identity checks are performed on them regularly; holding your documents handy at all times is imperative.

Roughly circular, at first sight Bolivia looks as an easy country to plan a trip on it. The second sight reveals difficulties. A big part of the country is occupied by the Andean Plateau which rises up to four kilometers above the sea level. The oriental part of the country is within the Amazonian Basin and is partly flooded during January and February. The third important zone is what the locals call the Valleys - the steep slopes connecting the Altiplano with the Amazonian Basin. Sorata is in the valleys connecting the Andean Plateau with the Amazonian Basin and can be reached exclusively overland.

Sadly, there are no good roads in the country. This reality transform any travel by car or bus into an almost Herculean task, even before taking into account the endless police control posts every few kilometers. Moreover, usually round-shaped countries offer several paths to reach a given location, but the roads and political situation in Bolivia do not allow doing so. For example, it makes sense for a tourist to begin the trip by visiting La Paz, then continuing to the Titicaca Lake and Copacabana and then reaching the southern Altiplano through Oruro... oops! There is no connection between Copacabana and Oruro since they belong to different political subdivisions of the country. The visitor needs to return to La Paz before continuing south.

Taking inland flights is only a partial solution. The flights are relatively cheap but they are also unreliable, schedules are problematic and recently problems with ticket payments have been widely reported. The "no-direct-connection" problem exists also here.

Driving in Bolivia

Special considerations should be kept in mind while driving in Bolivia. The roads are generally narrow and of a very low quality, and that means that the frequent encounters with drunken drivers, speeding buses or badly trained drivers are extremely dangerous. The best is to assume the driver in front of you won't be able to keep a steady route within his lane and that he may perform surprising and dangerous maneuvers. Another point of importance is the frequent tollgates. They are always present at the city's entrances, and exist also at random points between the cities - mostly at departments' borderlines. They are always manned by uniformed policemen and they perform identity checks. Keep your documents handy. If an unexplained delay occurs there, it means the policeman is waiting for a "regalito" ("a little gift" - a bribe); 5BOB (seventy-five American cents) should be enough to cross the gate.

Public Transport

Public transport within Bolivia is limited and quite dangerous. To Sorata there are buses and minivans leaving from the General Cemetery at downtown La Paz. From Sorata to La Paz they leave from Sorata's main plaza. They are dangerously crowded and provide thus the perfect environment for the abundant thieves. It is not recommended at all.

The New Road Achacachi - Sorata

A new road is being paved between Achacachi and Sorata. As these lines are being written, less than half of it has been completed. By the end of 2007 the road should be finished, except for a geologically unstable part which will not be paved at all. Meanwhile, several parts are quite narrow and dangerous; follow the instructions of the workers there and beware of the deep cliffs.

Traveling Within the Sorata County

Within the county there are few roads and only one is paved. Public transport between the county's capital - the village of Sorata - and the other villages is scarce and sporadic. The best approach is to follow the locals: they walk between the riverbeds connecting the villages. See the Trekking and Millipaya entries for additional - and important - information for this option.

The Route

Traveling from La Paz to Sorata is easy. Pick the ten miles long highway - the only highway in Bolivia - connecting La Paz with El Alto. From El Alto take the road going to Copacabana, a town by the Titicaca Lake. The road is the one splitting north from the Rio Seco Junction in western El Alto. From there a splendid way awaits the visitor. The road follows the southern side of the Cordillera Real's central part (the Real Andean Range) and four peaks can be seen clearly. The first has no snow and can be recognized by a tiny - and quickly melting - glacier. It is called the Chacaltaya and is practically part of the El Alto City. Following it, the Huayna Potosi appears. Completely snowed and isolated from the other mountains in the range, it offers a majestic sight. Afterwards, the range gets crowded. The most distinctive mountain is the Condoriri, which reminds of a condor forming a circle with its wings and is one of the most beautiful and distinctive mountains in Bolivia. At the end of the range is a mastodon of irregular shape: the Illiampu Mountain. At its feet is the village of Achacachi - a central junction in the Northern Altiplano. At its entrance is a military base, from where the right (northern) side should be chosen. It looks as if the road goes directly to the Illiampu's Summit and it is nearly so. The road travels around the peak and then performs a quick descent into Sorata. Once the new road would be finished, the whole trip should take around two hours.

The Dream

Invariably, Bolivians mention Sorata as one of the most beautiful places in their country. They compare it to a mythical Shangri-La, placed in a narrow, faraway - almost lost - valley in the mountains. They will describe a difficult trip to a remote, magical place at the feet of the Illiampu Mountain, the Eden waiting to the visitors, and then will lament their inability to travel there. However, these arguments seem to be a fine example of South American imagination. The fifteen congregations of our (Lutheran) church in the county provided me with fifteen reasons to visit the area; the sixteenth and last one was the view from the central plaza.

The Nature

Sitting at 2700m above the sea level, just north and down of the Andean High Plateau, Sorata is within the Upper Amazonian Basin and provides fascinating views, where the harsh environment of the plateau begins to mix up with the lush basin. At 6368 meters (almost 21000 feet) above the sea level, the Illiampu is one of the highest mountains in South America and the northern limit of the Cordillera Real. The nearby Ancohuma (6427m) is higher but has a less distinctive shape and is thus less known.

Approaching the Town

If arriving from La Paz, Sorata would be reached from the Illiampu Mountain and would be appreciated from above before reaching it. In a car, the 150 kilometres trip from La Paz takes around two hours. The central plaza is next to the village entrance. To the north, the road continues to the Alto Beni and the Amazonian Basin.

The Town

The village resembles a skewed starfish sitting on one of the mountain slopes. Around the central plaza there is a small grid of streets - three or four blocks deep - and then several arms spread out to the mountain surrounding the town. Around Sorata are several communities that are worth a visit, see the Millipaya entry in this journal for more details.

The Population

The population in Sorata and its surroundings is mainly of Aymara origin. Most people are bilingual and can speak Spanish. However, in the small communities - and especially among women - the knowledge of Spanish can be just basic. The village has a bit above two thousand inhabitants; the surrounding communities - like Millipaya - are even smaller.

The History

In 1781 the village was under siege by the nephew of Tupac Amaru. He constructed dikes above the town and then washed it away.

The Plaza

Sorata's central plaza is the focal point of the village and supplies the main view, the one every visitor cherishes and remembers, the single postcard provided by the place: the Illiampu Mountain on the plaza's background. What makes the view special is the mixture of tropical palms and altitude pines occupying the plaza's gardens and which create a strange foreground to the snowed peak of the Illiampu.

The Hotels

The town has several basic hotels placed around the central plaza or within a block or two from it. All of them are just basic and provide a bearable environment just for a day or two; they are especially handy if trekking or climbing in the area, but are not suitable for a luxurious vacation in a mountainous resort.

The Restaurants

The central plaza is surrounded by several restaurants specializing in Italian food. The "Pizzeria Italia Restaurant" (143 Enrique Peñaranda Street - Main Square) is a branch of a well-known establishment in La Paz. However, the lack of suitable cheeses in Bolivia creates Italian dishes that are not worth the upmarket prices. Other option is the local restaurants, which serve mainly the "rice-potatoes and noodles" dishes typical of modern Bolivia; they are rich in carbohydrates and lean in taste. Other alternative is eating the traditional food (see the Millipaya entry in this journal) or stopping at the many stalls serving snacks. Chicharron is a good option to taste a more traditional dish. Deep fried meat is served with mote (a huge kind of corn), chuño (a dehydrated potato) and platano. Peeling of the skin of the meat would reduce the excessive oil and fat from the dish. Nonetheless, Sorata is famous for its fruits, especially the local custard apple which is said to be the sweetest in Bolivia.

Trekking and Climbing

Sorata offers many opportunities for trekking. See the "Trekking in Sorata and Bolivia" entry in this journal for further details. An exciting activity available is the climbing of the Illiampu; see that entry for more details.

Background

In the past I trekked extensively in Nepal, including the long version of the Everest Base Camp Trek. When I first arrived to the Andean High Plateau, the resemblance I found between Bolivia and Nepal was striking. The Andean Mountains seemed to be a replica of the Himalayas minus 2000m (~6700 feet). The Andean High Plateau had several similarities to the Tibetan Plateau, just north of Nepal. People in both countries looked similar and both built their homes with uncovered red bricks. I imagined long treks.

Infrastructure

Soon I found that the similarities were just that. Nepal is superbly organized for trekking. Guesthouses are available in most villages and teahouses split the distances among them; a bed in a guesthouse usually costs around a dime, with the condition that the guest eats at the same house. Superb maps and guidebooks are readily available. It is possible to trek while carrying very little equipment on the back and enjoy complete freedom among the highest mountains on earth. In Bolivia the situation was completely different. Usually, guesthouses are available only in the county's capitals; all other villages do not offer any accommodations. The xenophobic Bolivian culture does not encourage the villagers to be kind to paying visitors. Moreover, food is not available in those villages, except for basic grocery shops selling mainly bread; since Bolivian bread is bromated, it is not a good idea to rely on it. Hence, the only real option for trekking in Bolivia is through one of the travel agencies.

Free Trekking

Trekking with a guide is opposed to the spirit of the sport. It implies a carefully planned trajectory, coordination with endless official bodies, choosing paths suitable for the accompanying mules. Moreover, it does not allow spontaneous changes in the route and it brings the constant presence of a sometimes unwelcomed guide. Bolivian treks take the fun out of trekking.

Close-Circuit Treks

Close-circuit treks begin and end at a given location. Some fifteen of those are offered from Sorata. All of them include mountain views, splashing in lakes and visiting Aymara communities. They can take anything from a few hours to two weeks. For example the Three Lakes trek takes four days, while the Illampu Circuit takes a whole week in which that mighty mountain is surrounded. Many treks are named the "Camino del Inca" (Inca Trail), but the name has a very weak relationship with reality. The cost is calculated per day. The guide/cook plus a mule cost a bit above fifteen American dollars per day; a tent will add $2.5/d, a sleeping bag $2/d and a mattress $0.6/d. The most expensive trekking areas in Nepal - the high ones surrounding the Everest - would provide luxury conditions for half that amount and better views.

Open-Circuit Treks

Open-circuit treks begin and end at different locations. The Cordillera Real trek begins at Sorata and ends in Coroico - at the eastern side of the Cordillera Real. It can take up to twenty days of walking along the northern side of the range. A different kind of trek would be the one from Sorata to Mapiri, a village next to a river deep within the Amazonian Basin; this trek takes about a week. The costs are calculated similarly to the close-circuit treks.

My Own Trek

In my last visit to the area I checked out the possibility to do an independent trek. I enjoyed the advantage of having where to stay in the villages; wherever there was a Lutheran Church, I had a place to sleep. I chose a short itinerary composed of two kinds of terrain. The first day I went from Sorata - the county's capital - to Millipaya, a village at the Illampu Mountain's base. Walking among the villages was an easy task performed along the riverbeds. Unpaved roads with gentle slopes connected them and provide awesome views of the area.

Millipaya is one of the highest villages in the county and is located very close to the rocky summit of the Illampu. After a well-earned sleep, I walked up the mountain almost until the glaciers area of the rocky summit. I refused to use the zigzagging trucks-and-mules road and walked straight up, letting the omnipresent summit guide my way.

I was rewarded with close encounters with llamas. I managed to surprise an eagle-looking predator. I found a few wild waterfalls. Villagers planting one of the myriad types of potatoes native to the area stopped their work to gossip about the "choco" (a gringo with brownish hair), which had appeared from nowhere.

The walk was done in luxury conditions. All my belongings were left in Millipaya; I was treating the event as a feasibility study. Soon it became clear that water wouldn't be a problem - at least on the northern slopes of the range - and that bringing iodine pills or fine filters to purify it would be enough. However, the food and sleeping issues remained open. There were no easy solutions, especially since the population in Bolivia is so thinly scattered and basically uncooperative on such matters. Back in Millipaya, I began planning my next trip to Nepal.

Rural Bolivia

Rural Bolivia is divided in counties, which are very loosely administered from a central village called the county's capital. Surrounding it are the "communities," tiny villages that are essentially autonomous in their affairs. The influence of the central government on those is minimal and de facto, the inhabitants are usually isolationists with very little interest to cooperate with the external world. Millipaya is an example to such a community within the Sorata County.

Location

Millipaya is one of the highest communities in the county and it is substantially higher than the town of Sorata, sitting practically at the Illampu Mountain summit's base.

Reaching Millipaya

Millipaya can be reached by foot from Sorata by walking along the San Cristobal River; the walk takes three hours. If arriving by car, then take the dirt road splitting of the Achacachi-Sorata Road at the Cruce Millipaya.

History

Until the reforms of 1952, Millipaya was a "Patron-Town." That means the inhabitants were basically slaves of a patron that managed the village. They were paid for their work with food and the so-called right to live in the village. The scars of that period had not healed yet. In the Amazonian "estancias" the patrons systems still exist.

The Design

Unlike most Bolivian villages, Millipaya is split in two by the San Cristobal River, breaking thus the central plaza design. That is a welcomed change that creates a suddenly attractive design.

Agriculture

In La Paz, most Bolivians claim Bolivian agricultural products are organic, free of pesticides and chemical fertilizers. Seeing the bags of those products at sell in the markets I doubted these statements very much. In Millipaya I had the opportunity to ask the producers directly and was told that pesticides and chemical fertilizers are used regularly even in such remote areas.

Food

The people living in Millipaya and similar communities survive mainly by eating what they produce. A big part of their diet is based on corn (especially a big type called mote) and potatoes. Above two hundred types of potatoes are indigenous to the Andean Plateau and provide an incredible variety of dishes; sweet ocas and bitter chuños, white potatoes and yellow-and-red papalisas. Small amounts of foods imported from outside the county, like noodles and rice, are used as well.

Cooking

Incredibly for a country with such vast reserves of natural gas, all the cooking in the communities is done with the help of wood in mud-ovens. An extremely colorful event, it is worth making an effort to participate in it.

Houses

Most houses in Millipaya are built of adobe. I spotted a few constructed of huge adobe-and-stones bricks which are highly untypical of Bolivia. The central and communal structures are built of red bricks.

Churches

A visit to the area would allow witnessing a striking characteristic of rural Bolivia. In the capital town - Sorata in this case - the only churches to be seen are Roman Catholic. However, in the communities, most churches are Evangelical or Pentecostal ones.

The Songs

Visiting one of these churches would provide a golden opportunity of listening to the high-pitched Aymara voices. Even if unable to understand the words, the experience is highly touching.

The Rationale

Millipaya allows independent trekking to the nearby Illampu Mountain.