Saving the Inca Trail in La Paz Bolivia Miners in La Paz, are destroying part of this cultural heritage Preserving the Inca Road: My Experience The Inca Road, an engineering marvel of its time, it allowed the Inca empire to expand, consolidate, and sadly, even led to its dimise. Such an important historical wonder now left to slowly deteriorate and be forgotten, unless…
One of the great things about being a local guide is to be able to share our knowled of places and experiences with the world. By making knowledge about how to visit and navigate this ancient road, we can increase awareness, improve eco tourism, and encourage people to partake in a journey of a life time.
Follow me on one of the journeys I shared with the world, and perhaps, you too can be submerged in the experience that is:
A Journey in the clouds, Choro trail in the Yungas jungle.
We start our adventure just twenty-five KM(15.5Miles) from the highest city in the world. It’s near Villa Fatima, a place that local call the summit of the Andes, here we start another 65 km(40.3MILES) of trekking through rough terrain and lost roads once traveled by the Tiahuanaco culture (ancient even by Inca standards!) and later improved upon by the inca.
Now a days there are only a few vestiges of what that marvelous civilization built, an engineering wonder that united the largest pre-Columbian empire of the Americas.
It starts high above the clouds, in the Apacheta de la Cumbre (a Stone Shrine at the summit) and for the next three to four days we’ll descend all the way to the base of the mountains.
Few Kilometers further down we find the first settlement, where travelers have to register to continue their journey. This registration comes in handy to have a count of visitors, but most importantly to keep a record in case traveler gets lost or injured.
We take the opportunity to enjoy a delightful coffee, taking into account that temperatures at 10am linger between 5-8° C (40-46°F). The sun is no ally for warmth, but rather a hazzard for insulation or a dangerous sunburn. Continuing our journey into the Inca Road, where one can still see that the stones first used to forge an empire are still the same ones we traverse though today.
The humidity increases as we descend, the oxygen is easier to breath,vegetation is also becoming more plentiful along the road The bags we carry are starting to take their toll, but the jungle landscape we see in front of us , gives us the strength we need to move forward.
We pass our first makeshift bridge that offers almost no security measures, you have to have your head in the right place for this trip, any error could be fatal! We continue our adventure with hopes of reaching the next stop, Challa Pampa, with its better and sturdier bridge.
The locals have a specialty prepared for all hungry mouths traversing trough the area. Rice and eggs, the ideal carbs and protein needed to replenish our energy. The always available soda , its amazing Coca Cola makes it all the way here; Though at a premium, resisting getting one is futile.
Though we toiled with heavy bags, it was necessary to further nourish ourselves, we unpack some preserves for dinner; some sardines with bread to calm down our growling bellies and our heavy bodies. While we eat, another spectacle begins; the dancing stars shine in the heavens, nowhere else but high upon in the southern skies is the mily way so bright and clear. Here, we share histories and laughter with locals and travel companions. That’s how the first night in our jouney concludes. The next day, a good breakfast is necessary to complete the circuit. I’m lucky, I’ve been guarding some eggs carefully, and none have broken. A cup of Sultana or Cascara coffee is a great treat with the eggs.
The Sultana is an infussion made with dried and toasted coffee shells. Where we are headed, the La Paz Yungas Mountains, are know as Bolivia’s best coffee growing region, and slowly being discovered for its quality worlwide.
The second day of our jouney begins with blisters on our feet, can’t imagine how the first settlers felt as they moved forwards in this area. Surprise! we stumbled upon a tomb, according to the stories we heard last night, it belongs to a priest that was guiding some youths in this area.
Our eyes open and we start walking with a lot more care, any accident could be fatal, as help couldn’t be able to get to us. Along the trail, you start to run into more waterfalls, water so clear we have to taste it. Sadly the next day our stomachs felt the consequences of such decision.
Though delicious and refreshing, the recommendationt o future travelers is to not drink it. Continuing the trek, the worse part falls upon us, the uphill climb, El Diablo, the devils hill. Three hours of climbing a steep slope; slippery stones further increase the difficulty, experimented trekkers say its best to go up when well rested, for us, running out of breath becomes the norm. Nature keeps delighting us.
After getting to the top of the hill, a breathtaking view awaited for us, here we set camp for the second night of our journey. In the town of San Francisco. Here, the inhabitants made huts with leaves, sticks, and local woods at the most rustic style. BBut alas, the first bathroom in two days is here, a sceptic pool separated by some blinds; seems like a good business for the townspeople.
Water through a hose provides water for the town and us, the visitors. We use it to to clean our utensils and other neccessities, but you have to do it with care, as its close to the cliff of the mountain. The rain makes of San Francisco a magical stop, the humiddity and the climate are starting to make this journey worth it. Here the locals serve us rice with meat, some boiled water is perfect for the instant soup we brought with us. The rest here is wonderful, sleep a necessity, and already some in the group give up on the rest of the journey, already to tired from the toil their bodies took in the last few days.
We redistribute tthe weight in our backs between those who can continue, and those whose knees can’t continue with the weight. The second group will continue slowly behind us with less of a load. Mules can be rented in some parts of the trail, the only help you can find with the taxing load of the journey.
The third day of the journey starts with some annoyances, mosquito bites are innevitable, we see plenty of small snakes in the distance. At the same time, butterflies adorn the scenery, making the muddy roads more bearable. At least at this stage of the journey, breathing is easier as there is more oxygen at the lower altitude.
Around noon, we reach Sandillani, here, you find the hut of a japanese inhabitant that fell in love with the place and decided to stay.He was the first of the few inhabitants of the area. This place also has a wooden refuge for wary travelers.
This japanes inhabitant sadly passed out recently, his house and his gardens are now a tourist attraction and other inhabitants of the area mantain his former house, and all the memorabilia left to him by worlwide travelers that visited him.
We are almost there, in this last leg of our journey, we reach the last town near the trail, here we board buses to the town of Coroico, and yet, one last surprise, delicious and fresh fruit for under a dollar. In Coroico we enjoy local foods and drinks, a nice bed, and a comfy hotel. Here we end our journey in the Inca road. We make a promise to keep on trekking through more precolumbian travelways in the future.
Bye for now Road of the Incas! .
