Where's the music?

Do you know the sone with kids screaming "where's the music" to some jazzy tunes? No? You should. This is the soundtrack to this post and the main topic of my trip through Bolivia.

Everyone knows about the carnival in Rio, but this is not the only place where huge carnival celebrations happen. Something that's arguably even more interesting is what's happening in Bolivia roughly at the same time. Additionally, Bolivians don't seem to have problems finding a reason to celebrate - on my way to the big event in Oruro in Bolivia I'm going to see many more celebrations and hear a lot of music. 

Before I get to Bolivia though I have thousands of kilometers on night buses through northern Chile, with a number of interesting stops on my way up. 

Trip map created using Wanderlog, for making itineraries on iOS and Android

The North 

Chilean north is not what I usually think of in the context of north. No snow, no blizzards, I didn't notice too many polar bears. Chilean north is one of the driest parts of the world, and the further north you go the drier it gets.

My first stop is the Elqui valley, the place known for clear skies and pisco. The debate on where pisco comes from is long and difficult, better avoid starting the topic with people from Chile or Peru. Those on Chilean side of the fence claim it comes from here. In the valley there's even a place called Pisco Elqui. 

Full of distilleries, in and around the village it seems to be a fitting place for a place of birth of the national alcohol. The fact that it was renamed to Pisco Elqui less than a hundred years ago makes me a little bit suspicious though.  

Some distilleries got creative when it comes to the methods for protecting the alcohol from potential thieves. Who would ever want to steal from a crypt? 

I won't leave the place without having some pisco sour - the classic pisco-based drink (at least for those who don't really enjoy shots)

Chile still being Chile, is full of interesting murals. More of these in my previous posts. 

Second reason to come to the Elqui Valley is the astro-tourism. With barely any rain and clear sky for most of the nights of the year this is a perfect place for stargazing. 

Further north it only gets drier and more remote.

It's a cool place for a hike though. There are some good paths around the San Pedro de Atacama, on the Atacama desert. The village itself is bit disneylandish, but it's very easy to leave the crowds behind.
 

Kids go to school in llama company and I'm leaving Chile and going to cross the border to Bolivia.

Top of the world

Many hours later I arrive in La Paz, the highest altitude capital city. You can argue with "capital" because of shared responsibilities between La Paz and Surce, you can argue with "highest altitude", technically the highest parts of the city are not La Paz but El Alto - other city being the part of the agglomeration, but first time you need to climb a couple of stairs you can feel you're somewhere around four thousand meters above sea level. 

La Paz feel so much more exotic than what I've seen in Chile. This is a place where you don't wear traditional clothes on special occasions, it's just a standard outfit.

Traditional or not, an umbrella street has to be there. 

In the center of La Paz there's a number of colonial buildings, but it's tiny compared to the city as a whole.

Masks have an important meaning in the traditions on Andean cultures and here's I'm seeing just a tiny sample, more to come during my search for the music.

Here it is, the first specimen, already on my first day in La Paz! Black metal plus folk from the Andes in front of the cathedral.

Some problems in Bolivia are being solved in an unusual way. You worry about this years crops? You're starting a construction of new house? Lamb foetus as a sacrifice to Pachamama and you have the risks covered.

Worried about the rain? Plastic bag on your bombin is all you need.

And the ultimate solution to all the problems - Ekeko. Symbolising abundance and prosperity, it can give you money, happiness, success, talent.

Need a diploma? That's easy for Ekeko. Any university you want.

Ok, enough. I need to solve my problems now, and one of them is that I can barely breath on this altitude. Locals claim that coca leaves are a solution. Let's give it a go.

No heights are too high after the bag of coca leaves 

Ok, fine, I didn't go up there myself. La Paz has the coolest city transport system possible - instead of the subway, there's a cablecar that can be used to travel through the city and marvel at the views.
 

Copacabana

After leaving La Paz, my search for the music brings me to Copacabana, where as I'm being told, there's going to be a Feast of the Holy Virgin of Candelaria. I'm not going to miss this!

After couple of hours in a bus I'm by the lake Titicama. Before fiesta begins, I can relax a little and watch lamas behind the window.
 

Main street is covered in flowers, which makes it easy to find where the events are expected to happen. 

This is getting more serious now! Whole afternoon of processions of many groups coming from different parts of Bolivia but also surrounding countries. Everyone comes here to pay respects to the Holy Virgin.
 

Turns out that the celebrations take multiple days of music, colourful costumes, eating, drinking.

I won't be staying long though, two days of fiesta is enough, last sunset behind my window before I continue to completely different part of the country in the search for the music. 

Lowlands 

Not whole Bolivia is located thousands of meters above sea level. Its eastern part is close to the border with Brazil and this is how it feels. 

I'm in Santa Crus de la Sierra now, and what Santa Cruz de la Sierra can welcome be with on the first evening?.
 

Majority of groups represent folklore too, but very different type of folklore. It doesn't feel like Andes anymore, it feels more like a rainforest.
 

Overall Santa Cruz feels like more affluent place than other parts of Bolivia (which it is), and here's a number of beautiful gardens there. Here the largest leaves on Earth as confirmed by a plaque quoting the Guinness Record Book.

To this I keep wondering why tortoises kept following me. I have some hypotheses, but I'll keep them for myself.
 

In Santa Cruz de la Sierra I also fell in love with açaí, there's nothing better on a hot day than freezing cold bowl of açaí with fruits.

Even if bath can be close

It turned it that there's was more than one fiesta in Santa Cruz

Just before I left I had one more evening full of music and traditional dances. Next time I see something like this, I'll be attending THE event, more to come.
 

On my way back to the mountains I spent some time in and around Samaipata, pre-Inca site that has been included on the UNESCO list. 

The fortress, which actually never was a fortress, is a huge monument carved in the rock that served as a ceremonial center to the cultures living here. Not the first time when I'm encountering something related to very ancient South American civilizations of which I know very little.

Everything seems to be ancient here. I'm being told that some of these ferns are more than seven hundreds years old!

Hiking here is good, but time to continue the search for the music in the next post.