Family Travel Journal

The Natoli-Jimenez travel stories and adventures

Andean Poem

Mar 30

Posted by gez in Peru, Travel | No Comments

Whilst in Cuzco we went to explore the fortress of Sacsayhuaman where we encounter this guide who not only offered his services and but at the end of the tour he recited to us a special Andean poem for visiting travellers. The one thing I am very sorry that I lost his name because he was excellent – he explain the history of the Sacsayhuaman fortress very well and demonstrated to us some of the techniques the Incas used to construct the fortress.

In this video our guide decided to recite the Andean poem in the native language of Quechua and then translated into Spanish. It was then my job to translated it to the rest of the group to English. I hope you enjoyed it as this does give you a good insight how the Incas thought. Below I transcribed the poem and I hope I did it justice.

My hearth is happy because you come from a great distance to see the Inca culture,
Let our God the Sun illuminate so that you receive the best,
Our hearth rejoices at the moment we see the country side, valleys and panoramas
And the Andean people open their arms so we can greet you.

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Coca Museum Interview – Part 2

Nov 16

Posted by gez in Bolivia | No Comments

Hopefully you enjoyed the first of our interview with Ms Silva of the Coca Museum in La Paz Bolivia.  We continue with the our interview with Ms Silva where she talks about how synthetic Coca was used to replace Coca leaves and difference between the US and Bolivia government point of view about the use of Coca leaves.  This then lead us to discus how President Evo Morales role in trying to change how Coca is viewed not only locally but globally.

We also look at how Coca is currently playing a symbolic role in changing the way Bolivians see themselves and the political plays which is dividing Bolivia.

We hope that you enjoy it and there more to come.

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Coca Museum Interview – Part 1

Oct 20

Posted by gez in Bolivia, Interviews | 2 Comments

Whilst in Bolivia we saw that the Coca leaf played significant role in the Bolivian culture and in the day to day life of the indigenous population. We learned that the Coca leaf had a number of health properties which enabled it to be used both as a health tonic and in the treatments of various ailments such as altitude sickness.  But more importantly, we wanted to understand why the coca leaf played such integral role in the life of the indigenous such as in ceremonies, in barter exchanges, religious offerings, social gatherings, magical practices and so on.  The use of the coca leaf was so weaved into the culture of the indigenous population that most just took it for granted but when queried all regarded as a vital part of their culture.

However, even today the Coca leaf is not without controversy as the current Bolivian President Evo Morales has been at odd with the various US administration about the farming of Coca leaf and the fight against drugs (ie Cocaine).  Obviously the people of Bolivia do not want to encourage the use of cocaine but the coca leaf play such fundamental role in Bolivia in its culture that this cannot be ignore either.

For these reasons we wanted our kids to get some first hand information about the coca leaf – which why we headed to the Coca Museum.  We were so fascinated by the story that we asked the staff to allow us to interview them so they can tell us the Coca Story.

In part 1 we introduce the curator and one of the founding members of the Coca Museum Ms Silva.  Ms Silva starts to give us an insight as to the role coca plays in Bolivian/Andean culture.

Enjoy

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Just another day in Bolivia

Feb 21

Posted by gez in Bolivia, Travel | No Comments

Dancing, live band music – some in tune, some out time – but who cares!

Yes, one of the nicest things about living in Bolivia is that, in general, most people are happy. Of couse , there are problems and if you scratch the surface, people will tell you about their worries and woes.

However, it all seems to disappear when they celebrate whatever it is they are celebrating and you often see some sort of celebration somewhere. Whether it’s a public holiday, state/city celebration or even a street party – there is always music and dancing. And when they celebrate every one participates, no matter how fit or how old you are – it is truly a community event, which is something that most of us in the western world have forgotten.

This particular day we were in La Cancha – the main market of Cochabamba. Staurday is always CRAZY  packed with folks. In the midst of the normal ‘chaos’ we heard music that seemed to be moving around the market. We struggled to get past the crush of people and saw this march/dancing event below. We asked the people around us if today was significant but none one could tell if the day was ‘special’. We asked why they were dancing and all we got was they are ‘practising’ or they shruged their shoulders and said ‘it’s Bolivia’ -subtext – you don’t need a reason.

Well they certainly made the day special for us and even though now it is way post the event – we hope it can brighten your day too. Wait for the women dancers – they come later in this short video. Note how this happens in the midst of ‘normal life’.  I cannot imagine the busses in Sydney waiting for an unplanned parade to move on; we close streets and have police etc. And they do that too in Bolivia – but they also have apparent (non) events like this. You cannot tell from this video- but it was a hot day. So take a moment to think about the costunes of the dancers and the uniforms of the band. Finally if you are wondering why many dances in Bolivia are based around walking steps – think altutide. Even Cochabamba is 2.5 00 metres (approx) above sea level.

Whatever the reason we were delighted they danced – sorry for the quality – it really was completely unexpected. Anyway, we hope you enjoy it and remember to celebrate – sometimes even for no good reason!

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Ah Puno, How Can We Forget You?

Dec 22

Posted by GandN in Family, Peru, Travel | No Comments

tortora-puno Following from article on Copacabana our next stop was Puno, Peru a logical stop for most tourist going on to Cuzco. Puno is the largest City in the region and Province in Southeastern Peru.   It has population of approx 100,100 and sits at 3,860 m above sea level.

Puno is approx 3.5 hours drive from Copacabana including the crossing at the border which can take up to 30 minutes depending on the number of tourist at the time.  The trip is quite smooth as the roads are a lot better that those in Bolivia.  Buses leave Copacabana around 9 am and you arrive just before midday due to time difference between Peru & Bolivia.  So don’t forget that once you cross the border you will need to adjust you clock/watch as the Peru is an hour behind.  The cost of the bus from Copacabana to Puno will set you back $30Bs ($7.25USd), however, you can choose to buy a ticket to Cuzco with the option to stay over in Puno for $70Bs ($10USd).  Take note that you can also catch the new Tourist buses that leave Puno for Cuzco,  stopping at various tourist attractions along the way, they provide lunch and a guide all for $30 USD.

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Kallawaya from Bolivia

Sep 10

Posted by netty in Bolivia, health, Travel | No Comments

OK – no secrets I am a homeopath and I have always had a strong interest in health and natural health in particular. I have idly wondered from time to time if the phrase ‘natural health’ implies that health maintained by orthodox means is unnatural… Anyway as you know I am interested in natural health, homeopathy etc and so of course my interest extends to ‘natural health‘ practices in other cultures.

In Bolivia the traditional healer is called a Kallawaya. According to Wikipedia Kallawaya’s are “doctors (médicos Kallawaya), are known as the naturopathic healers of Inca kings, and as keepers of science knowledge, principally the pharmaceutical properties of vegetables, animals and minerals.” These guy’s start training at a very early age and their knowledge of local herb medicine is phenomenal. We met a Kallawaya at one of the many festivals in Cochabamba and decided to interview him. We will post this interview on our Bolivia Vista pages just as soon as we have done the Spanish English translation.

Read the rest of this entry »

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Happy 6th August – Independence Day

Aug 6

Posted by gez in Bolivia, Travel | No Comments

bolivia-flag We would like to wish all our friends in Bolivia a Happy Independence Day as you celebrate the 6th of August. As you might expect there will be celebration, marches and festivities right across the nation on this day.   Last year in Cochabamaba we had 2 full days of festivities which included marches that went on for hours, parties everywhere and a lot of celebrating on the streets.  It was very uplifting day for all.

For those not aware on the 6th August 1825 the nation know as Upper Peru was declared freed from Spanish colonisation andt was later renamed to Bolivia.  Bolivia was the last country in South America and to some extend, although it has been free for 184 years, the scars of colonisation are still very much present in today’s society.  We shall talk about the colonisation scars another day but today is about celebrating the day Bolivia optained its freedom.

To our friends in Bolivia and other Bolivians around the globe

Happy 6th of August

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16th of July – Day of La Paz

Jul 12

Posted by GandN in Bolivia, health, Interviews, Travel | No Comments

When traveling, most of us are conscious of the sites or places we would like to see/visit and if you are a history buff then you might know something about the history of the place.  However, most of us are not history buffs and we may be lucky enough to arrive somewhere at a time when the locals are celebrating a significant event.  So if you find yourself in La Paz, Bolivia on the 16th of July (in any given year) then you are one of the lucky ones to witness a day of significance to paceños (ie those born in La Paz) and in a strange way to the rest of the folk in South America.

You see at 7pm on the 16 July 1809, a well-prepared revolutionary insurrection broke out in La Paz.  The revolutionaries led by Pedro Murillo took advantage of the procession of the Carmen Virgin and overthrew the Spanish Governor Tadeó Dávila and Bishop Remigio de la Sánta y Ortega.  On 27th July, the proclamation of the independence of the colony, said to have been written by Priest Medina and the first proclamation of that kind, was released and sent to the other main cities of the colony, hoping they would support the uprising.  This rebellion was the start of many other revolutions that followed and that led to the independence of South America in general.

On this day, in La Paz and in all other states around Bolivia you will see the local paceños celebrating this event.  There are speeches, marches, bands and all events start at 7pm as a symbolic re-enactment of the rebellion.  The people will march carrying old fashioned torches, or tea’s as they are called in Bolivia, to symbolize the light of hope and freedom the revolutionaries had on that day.

July 16th 2008, we were in Cochabamba and so were able to participate in the march with local paceños living in Cochabamba.  I must admit it was nice to have a relatively short ceremony as it was cold that night and did not want to keep out for very long.  The speeches concluded with a march like all the other states around Bolivia.  Below is a video snippet of the start of the march where you can see the traditional torches.

I was born in La Paz and so in Bolivia I am still considered a paceño – even though I have not lived there for a LONG time. So on the 16th July 2008, Maddie, Galen and I felt quite honored to march with the other paceños.  Now this march is not ‘exclusive’ – it is as much a show of solidarity as anything else, a restatement of that pledge to  freedom. So if you happen to be in Bolivia on this day and you are able – attend the ceremony. You may not understand the language but you will know the speakers are claiming their collective right to freedom with all the pain and ecstasy that required. Follow the marchers and reflect for a moment on what most of us believe we all should be entitled to.. It will be an experience you will never forget – except you might want to stand down wind of those blasted bands…

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