Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Slow Travel through the Hinterlands - Bolivia









































The journey from the Cochabamba Valley at 2548 m (8360 ft) to La Paz, Bolivia at 4061.5 m (13325 ft) is a trek of a mere 240 Km (149 miles). Doesn´t sound like a great distance but when you consider the less than optimal single lane roads, rest stops and the climb to altitude, the passage requires approximately 8 hours to complete. But fortunately there´s a couple of Bollywood or Jackie Chan films to enjoy on the overheads and my favorite part being the long siesta en route to my destination. Oh, there´s the odd entertainment of babies crawling up the aisle as mothers snooze or the
forever on-going unsolved conundrum of fellow passengers gathering their bundles to make good their escape into the expanse of the Altiplano, no pueblo or gathering of souls to be seen anywhere on the horizon. None, not one, nothing. They get out and move on...

The panoramic vistas are nothing less than stunning all along the way. My trip began with the scruffily overgrown Cochabamba and onto the village of Capinota where two rivers entice amazing amounts of verdant green from the countryside. There the climb begins to wend upward to the Altiplano where scrub vegetation grows sparse and gives way to barren rocks and tufts of scraggy grasses that feed alpacas and llamas. Eventually, you arrive at El Alto, a tenuous huddle of a million people (cum city) sprawling on the edge of La Paz situated in the canyons below. This is one of the few places in the world where the wealthy live at elevations lower than the poor. Why? At these heights the lower the altitude the more oxygen, higher temperatures and the better the gardens grow.

It makes for a long trip but it is more lesson in culture and topography and an opportunity to chat with people I´d never meet otherwise. I don't often travel by bus in Bolivia but when I do I enjoy the experience of slow travel and all it has to offer, including the luxury of not having to drive in an untamed land.

Copyright © Mick Huerta 2011. All Rights Reserved.
mickhuerta@gmail.com
Travel, Culture, Food & Wines

Dancing with Pacha Mama - La Paz, Bolivia

Every region has its own little twist on dance and song and within each region there are village variables that speak to the unique experience of the locale. If on the Altiplano (high plains), the dazzling sun will speed the rhythm. If on a mountain slope and the morning sun arrives late and leaves early, the cold will leave a chilled mark on the tone of a village’s declaration of self. These differences tell a tale of life lived on a personal level in relation to earth and sky and embody folk expression in a land of contrasts. ¡Jallalla Bolivia!

Copyright © Mick Huerta 2011. All Rights Reserved.
mickhuerta@gmail.com
Travel, Culture, Food & Wines

Monday, August 29, 2011

Big Hats Reckoned by Spinning Planets - Bolivia


If you were to see them, there would surely be a blur of motion. These big hats belong to the countryside and to women who are infamously shy and not bound to smile for anyone or any camera. Enigmatic? Perhaps but as speakers of languages that are older than most civilizations they certainly are not inclined to explain the way they feel or address the differences in life or lifestyle. Assured by thousands of years of history, they live as they always have done, away from the crowd and as a primal part of a natural rhythm that is reckoned by spinning planets and the movement of the sun. And when and if I have the opportunity to see them, I simply love the hats!

Copyright © Mick Huerta 2011. All Rights Reserved.
mickhuerta@gmail.com
Travel, Culture, Food & Wines

Amazon Catfish at La Estancia Restaurant - Cochabamba, Bolivia



La Estancia in Cochabamba, Bolivia is widely acclaimed as a steakhouse. But if you desire a truly pinnacle culinary experience, the reason to seek out this spot just off Plaza Recoleta is the Surubí (South American river fish). Recently I dined with a Bolivian friend who remarked she´d eaten Surubí all her life and never had better! Succulent off the grill, crisp at the edges and when combined with chimichurri sauce, fried yucca, ample salad bar and Canepa Novisimo Sauvignon Blanc 2009 the experience was world class... looking forward to a repeat performance!
 
Copyright © Mick Huerta 2011. All Rights Reserved.
mickhuerta@gmail.com
Travel, Culture, Food & Wines

PIPOCA: Onomatopoeia Never Tasted So Good - CBBA, Bolivia


Throughout South America popcorn is called Pipoca (even in Brazil)! Walking Sunday early afternoon, I came across Doña Ofelia, a true master at popping corn. Done in a jiffy and fortunately she had a little powdered aji (chile) because some do like it HOT! I ordered two big bags, one with and the other without. And ate them sharing with other afternoon strollers along the way. No better ice-breaker and if only asking directions the resulting conversation has a bright, crispy edge to it... You know, onomatopoeia never tasted so good!
Copyright © Mick Huerta 2011. All Rights Reserved.
mickhuerta@gmail.com
Travel, Culture, Food & Wines


Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Blue Pine Farm Tienda - Coroico, Bolivia


If after trekking the Andes there´s nothing better than oxygen and warmth, make your way out of the heady heights down into the Yungas for a breather of tropical proportions. And if you can´t bear to look another banana or plate of fried food in the eye, there´s the “Blue Pine Farm Tienda” (provisioners) to the rescue. A full complement of lovely foods and gourmet coffees are to be had. Cheeses and meats are maintained at safe temperature in a refrigerated case which is plugged in (many in the tropics are not). They leave it to you to warm cheese to your liking. Thank you. Many homemade items are featured with a representative offering of the very best food items put up for sale by local producers. And fortunately for residents and visitors alike, the owners have a little farm where they raise the happy chickens that provide the organic eggs consumed throughout the North Yungas cloud forest. A full variety of organic and natural foods are on the shelves, as well. The Blue Pine Farm Tienda is truly an oasis of sensibility in a slap dash world... for confirmation of this you have only to look to the chocolate selection.

Copyright © Mick Huerta 2011. All Rights Reserved.
mickhuerta@gmail.com
Travel, Culture, Food & Wines