Journey to the Navel of the World / Viaje al ombligo del Mundo

Copacabana, Lake Titicaca, Bolivia

‘El Calvario’, Copacabana, Lake Titicaca, Bolivia

Isla del Sol, Lake Titicaca, Bolivia

Pisac, Cusco, Peru

Ollantaytambo, Cusco, Peru

Ollantaytambo, Cusco, Peru

Town of Maras, Cusco, Peru

Terraces of Moray, Cusco, Peru

Salt mines of Maras, Cusco, Peru

Inca windows at Machu Picchu, Cusco, Peru

Vizcachas, Machu Picchu, Cusco, Peru

View of Machu Picchu, Cusco, Peru

Entrada Universitaria

La Paz, 26 July 2008. Students and teachers from the Faculty of Arts at the Universidad Mayor de San Andres (UMSA) dance the Challwa at the 21st Entrada Universitaria, an annual celebration of Bolivia’s folk dance traditions.

Originating from student protest marches mocking the university authorities, the Entrada Universitaria procession is now one of the most important events in the La Paz cultural calendar, with over 9,000 dancers in more than 70 dance groups participating in this year’s parade. The festival is notable for the variety of dances performed. This year featured 31 different dances from all over Bolivia, including several little known dances such as the Challwa (pictured), a pre-hispanic dance from the shores of Lake Titicaca, in which dancers wear fish masks made out of totora reeds.

La Paz, 26 de julio de 2008. Estudiantes y profesores de la Facultad de Artes de la Universidad Mayor de San Andrés (UMSA) bailan la Challwa en la 21a Entrada Universitaria, celebración anual de bailes folclóricos de Bolivia.

Comenzó como una marcha protesta para burlarse de las autoridades universitarias, ahora el desfile de la Entrada Universitaria es uno de los eventos más importantes del calendario cultural de La Paz, con más de 9.000 bailarines en más de los 70 grupos que han participado este año. El festival es reconocido por la variedad de danzas que presenta. Este año se han presentado 31 danzas diferentes de todas partes de Bolivia, incluyendo algunas muy poco conocidas como la Challwa (fotografía), una danza prehispánica de las orillas del Lago Titicaca, donde los bailarines llevan mascaras de peces hechas de Totora.

Rock, Sand, Salt and Ice / Roca, Arena, Sal y Hielo

With our 90 day permitted stay in Bolivia coming to an end, we decided take some time out from working to travel through some of the world’s most extreme environments – first to Arica in the far north Chile, on the edge of the Atacama desert, and then through the frozen deserts of Bolivia’s southern altiplano and the vast expanse of the Salar de Uyuni, the world’s biggest salt flats. Away from the Chilean coast, the region is almost uninhabited. However, we were not alone; the stunning landscapes are one of South America’s biggest tourism attractions and dozens of four-wheel drive tours pass through this wilderness every day.

Cuando nuestro permiso de 90 días de estancia en Bolivia se acababa, decidimos tomar unos días de descanso y viajar a algunas de las zonas ecológicas más inhospitas del mundo – primero a Arica al norte de Chile, en el borde del desierto de Atacama, para continuar por los desiertos helados del altiplano del sur de Bolivia, y llegar a la vasta explanada del Salar de Uyuni, el desierto de sal más grande del mundo. Lejos de la costa chilena, la región está casi inhabitada. Aún así, no estamos solos; estos increíbles paisajes se han convertido en la mayor atracción turística de América del Sur y docenas de tours en 4×4 pasan por estos paramos a diario.

El Morro, Arica, Chile

Seafood Soup, Arica, Chile / Sopa de Mariscos, Arica, Chile

Geogliphs, Azapa Valley, Chile / Geoglifos, Valle de Apaza, Chile

San Pedro de Atacama, Chile

View of Licanbur, Pukara de Quitor, Chile / Vista de Licanbur, Pukara de Quitor, Chile

Geysers, Eduardo Abaroa National Reserve, Potosi, Bolivia

Laguna Colorada, Eduardo Avaroa National Reserve, Potosi, Bolivia

Stone Tree, Siloli Desert, Potosi, Bolivia / árbol de Piedra, Desierto de Siloli, Potosí, Bolivia

Andean Fox, Siloli Desert, Potosi, Bolivia / El Zorro Andino, Desierto de Siloli, Potosí, Bolivia

Salar de Uyuni, Potosi, Bolivia.

Cacti, Isla Incahuasi, Salar de Uyuni, Potosi, Bolivia

Uyuni, Potosi, Bolivia

Radio Yungas reaches 30 / Radio Yungas llega a los 30

Pinche aquí para escuchar: Radio Yungas Audio

For English text, please see below.

En muchas partes del mundo, la radio es un medio vital de comunicación. En Las Yungas de Bolivia, una región de pobres carreteras y valles inaccesibles donde las montañas de Los Andes descienden a la selva, Radio Yungas provee un servicio esencial para la comunidad.

The region of The Yungas, in the department of La Paz, is in festive mood. Its radio station, Radio Yungas, celebrates 30 years. Founded by Augustine Fathers as a means of envangelising, Radio Yungas has become part of the family for the residents of this land of deep valleys, as Sabino Gomez, station director, comments:

Sabino: “A few years ago, during the rule of the right-wing governments, there was repression, there were threats to eradicate the coca leaf, and other things like that. So there were marches, from Asunta (a town in The Yungas) to La Paz, and Radio Yungas was there with the marchers. During this period of struggle, there were also threats that the Radio would be taken, so they (the listeners) got organised… there were lots of people surrounding the radio station, acullicando, picchando (chewing coca), looking after the radio station. It was an emotional time… I sometimes felt like crying.”

Those of us who love the radio might feel we can’t live without the magic of the waves, but for Yungeños, the radio is a necessity. In this region of isolated rural villages, Radio Yungas is the way to receive and communicate news of one’s community, union or family. The station fulfills this social service through a network of more than 60 community correspondents.

Olga Maldonado, “people’s reporter” of the village of Irupana, tells us how she works:

Olga: “People come here to broadcast their news, such as appointments, meetings, messages. I note them down and then call to Chulumani (the town where Radio Yungas’ headquarters is based), and they record them and broadcast them. A lot of the time we broadcast directly from here, live. Community leaders come to give their news… mostly about their union meetings, and also events and things like that.”

Radio: “Chulumani, Chulumani … Freddy, isn’t it? There’s a leader here from the community of Matikuni. He wants to let people know about their events, through the radio….”

Radio Yungas features an informative, educational and entertaining schedule that caters for all ages. Huacho Comunicaciones is one of the most popular programmes. Maria Chambi Mamani, its feminine voice, tells us about her programme:

Maria: “I’m the one, let’s say, who wakes the people up. We do it from 4 to 7 in the morning… a programme in the Aymara language. We give information of all types, also music, orientation, education.”

When Radio Yungas started it was the only station in the area. The last 30 years have seen the arrival of the television, internet and mobile phone, and today it competes with various other local radio stations. However, there is still a big demand for Radio Yungas’ services, as Edgar Quispe, radio administrator, explains:

Edgar: We still have the same politics that we had when Radio Yungas was founded. Maybe our service will change, because the technology of the mobile phone has arrived, along with other things, but despite this, we are still cost effective; communication via telephone only reaches one person at a time. In a typical community here in the Yungas there are usually at least 20 members. Reaching this amount of people (by telephone), is very difficult. Someone who wants to communicate by mobile would have to spend three times as much at least, and then there’s also the time.”

Radio: “Tell young Silvero Nunia please that he has to come home… his father says he’s not going to be able to pick him up, it’s going to be impossible, so…”

Edgar: “We’ve won the trust of the people over the last 30 years. The audience is part of the radio… they feel that Radio Yungas is part of them.”

Interview with the Prefect of Oruro / Entrevista con el Prefecto de Oruro

Prefect Alberto Aguilar (L), during a visit to Huanuni Mine, Oruro

Durante nuestra visita a la mina de Huanuni en el Departamento de Oruro, DeCamino tuvo la oportunidad de charlar con el Prefecto Alberto Aguilar, perteneciente al Movimiento Al Socialismo (MAS) que nos comentó su opinión sobre el referéndum revocatorio de su mandato así como el de los Prefectos del resto de Departamentos y del propio Presidente, Evo Morales, que se llevará a cabo en agosto.

Escuchar entrevista: prefecto-oruro-rr1

The audio is only in Spanish; a summary in English can be read below:

During our visit to Huanuni Mine in the Department of Oruro, DeCamino had the opportunity to talk with the Prefect of Oruro, Alberto Aguilar of Movement Towards Socialism (MAS), who told us his opinion about the Referendum to revoke his mandate along with the prefects of the other departments and the President, Evo Morales, which will be held in August.

Prefect Alberto Aguilar: ‘Well, it will depend if they (the Prefects of the opposition) accept it (the Referendum) or not because now they are ‘wimping out’…They went to the UN asking for a referendum to revoke the President’s mandate. The President was brave and accepted [...] and now they have problems. They are blaming Tuto (Leader of opposition party PODEMOS) for not speaking with the prefects. Now they are getting cold feet because they don’t want the referendum. Probably they have noticed that part of the results of the polls about their (autonomous) statutes were fraudulent and they have realized that in the referendum they are going to lose their mandates [...] and they are trying everything possible to impose a judicial and economic boycott.’

DeCamino: I think you were at the launch of the referendum campaign with the President. How did he seem? Is he motivated?
Prefect Alberto Aguilar: ‘He is the president who travels most in the history of our country. He knows the people. He feels that he will receive more than the 54% of the vote (he achieved in the last election). He is really motivated and he has taken a brave decision to go to the referendum and let the people decide if we stay or go’

DeCamino: And the about people, what do you think?
Prefect Alberto Aguilar: ‘I think people consider him as the leader, the president of the poor, marginalized and humble people and that support is going to be constant and will help him to increase his legitimate lead.’

DeCamino: Your mandate as Prefect is also up for grabs, how do you feel?
Prefect Alberto Aguilar: ‘Well, Oruro has been the best prefecture Of 2007. Public investment has been 94.4%, which means that all the money we had available, we have spent on projects in rural communities, on roads, electricity, tourism. And I can see in two years and four months there are changes in Oruro, there is development. So it will be these communities who reciprocate by supporting their prefect.’

DeCamino: So are you confident?
Prefect Alberto Aguilar: Yes, I am really confident.