Guía turismo 2013 ingles by Albert Chavez

touristic guidebook

Our people

Rural tourism Community gets into the communities an economic alternative for the families of the area, who lately had begun to move looking for jobs, to other places. As Tourism is an activity that benefits the community, it had become an important economy activity for the people of the region. From 2009, the COMPASUR-FAUTAPO program has promoted tourism development with a sustainable, profitable and respect for nature vision. Over the last years, human resources have strengthened and now they are able to compete with similar services, at the same time services have improved and strengthened at institutional level. Nowadays it offers one to three tour days programs, where the main activities are involve the community members, who share their culture, way of living, ancestral knowledge, nature and landscape. Dear visitors, this time a guidebook is presented for helping to understand our region, for those who love nature and culture. COMPASUR FAUTAPO Program Sharing our people

Salt road Welcome After lots of information searching, have you finally decided to visit the majestic Uyuni Salt? Welcome then the magic region in which sky joins landâ&#x20AC;ŚNow it is time to start on an unforgettable adventure, where you may be part of the still pristine nature expressing on volcanic mountains, wetlands, colorful lagoons, wildlife, the Huge and Majestic White Salt of course Archeology, culture, you will also be able to share with the people who lives there, to taste the typical dishes like the real quinoa grain an llama meat, to enjoy typical dances and music. Be part of the Bolivian traditions in agriculture, myths, rituals, Pachamama offerings (Mother Earth), all this found in our communities surrounding the Uyuni Salt waiting for you to share unforgettable moments. Now more about the region

The salt that is never ending Science and legend about salt formation According to the history and legend The story says there are the next characters: about Thunupa: the beautiful woman Cusco, Kosuña, Coracora and Chillima: (Mountains and hills near the salt blocks) the beau men. The Thunupa hill is on the Tahua region, Coqueza community on the way to Salinas de Garci Mendoza, showing its majestic and beauty. They say that in ancient times, the characters used to travel to the valleys, to stock up on products as corn, fruits and others for their families support, bartering products from their own carried on the journeys on the llamas´ back as it is still done now. In the beau men annual trips, they met the beauty Thunupa, and it is said that Kosuña was the first one to fall in love with the beautiful woman, living with her until the first baby was born, it was a boy. After some time, both lovers were victims of the man jealously about their neighbor Cusco. They fought a lot trying to solve the situation, but instead Thunupa left her son to Kosuña’s dad and went away. She started to have problems with the other beau men, because the trouble between Kosuña and Cusco, Coracora takes the opportunity to conquer the beauty Thunupa, seducing her and sharing lives together in a long journey. They arrive to a place called Santura, where, it is said, they have lived and left a Taquiraña (stone pot used for the quinoa cleaning) and a Khona (white plain stone instrument for grinding). As the woman was full of milk that the baby could not drink, she had to leave it dripping in a place called Jayo Qota. Nowadays, over there it can be seen a trace of a white salt they continue walking to the Salinas and Tahua region, where they stayed happily for a not long time, at this place they bought some clothes for Thunupa, again jealously felt by Coracora ended this happiness. Thunupa gets in love with a new beau man from the same region: Chilima. When they decide to live together, Coracora and Chilima face off a death duel. Chilima is very well armed; even he had a knife that can be seen into the salt as an island called Cuchilla. Removing salt using traditional

Chillima kicks angrily to Coracora and he bursts his womb leaving him mortally wounded. On that place water buzzing can be listened. Coracora gets to strike Chilima, who can be seen without a tooth. They said this was their conversation: -

Chilima, I took off your teeth

And I burst your womb

Coracora felt beaten by Chilima, and asks Thunupa for the sandals he had given her as a present. She throws them to Coracora. Two little hills with the appearance of sandals can be seen at both sides of the Country Salinas de Garci Mendoza After the fight, Chillima feeling the winner stays by the beauty woman, just separated by a small opening but in a close cohabitation. Thunupa, full of milk that could not breastfeed her son made it go out in abundance constituting the great salt, which is a wonderful gift for the entire region. Thus ends the legend of the mountains of the region. People greet the mountain by saying:

25 million years ago, the compression of the western part of the South American plate by the Pacific plate caused the formation of the Andes. The effect of this compression, made a salt rising along faults and, finally went up to the surface because the relatively low density. That is why now there are found in the high plateau several salt outcroppings. Once exposed on the surface, the salt was solved by the drainage water and conveyed by waterways. As the high plateau is a closed basin to the east and west by two mountain chains, rivers could not drain into the Atlantic or the Pacific oceans and water was accumulated in the lower parts of the area. As northern of the high plateau (3850 m) is higher than southern (3650 m), water which was loaded with salt, slowly moved to the Uyuni or Thunupa Salt, the lowest point of the High Plateau (picture N°1).

Picture N° 1

Thunupa, MikaTayka, LlatunkaTunkápanicenroni...

ACCORDING TO SCIENCE The High Plateau is a vast territory situated between two mountain chains. Many lakes of long extension were situated in the southern part of the area. The big last lake, 12000 years ago, was situated 70 meters over the salt level and had a surface twice or three times bigger than its actual one. Water from these lakes contains salt from sea because the drainage water which rose to the surface due to the Andes Chain formation. Tunupa salt is the result of the drying of these lakes. Hundred million years ago, the Andes did not exist. The region that is now known as the high plateau was at the sea level and salt thick layers were laid there. After sea water has been removed, these salt layers were laid deep under more than 3,000 meters of more recent sediments.

Picture N° 2

Nowadays, water still flows to the Poopò Lake, but it does not get to the salt, which floods just with rainwater. However, 15000 years ago all southern part of the High Plateau was flooded by a huge lake (Tauca) that covered Poopó Lake, Uyuni and Coipasa salt. Tauka lake surface was on an altitude of 3720 meters, that means 70 meters over the actual salt blocks level. This lake, probably formed by the mountain chain glaciers melting and a rise on the rainfall, stayed for 3000 years before it dried up around 10000 years ago, leading the now salt (Picture N° 2). There had been other flood-drying cycles before the Lauca Lake was formed: Minchin Lake for example, which surface was 100 meters over the salt, flooded the southern area of the High Plateau along 15000 years before getting dry. These cycles resulted on the successive deposition of salt layers which are now found in the salt. There might be future floods from big lakes at the southern of the High plateau, in this way amounts of salt can be provided by them. Curiosities! When the first astronauts reached the moon showed interest about knowing more about what was that beautiful shine on earth that could be seen from the satellite and that caused a remarkable intermittency and that was seen from space: it was the amazing Uyuni salt. Neil Armstrong, first man who had stepped onto the moon, could not ignore the magnificence of this shinny that was seen from the space. During the Apolo XI exploration the Uyuni salt was its reference, not only because it can be seen clearly from the space, caused by its unique brightness, but because it is the last visible point from the planetary geography.

Unique landscapes Uyuni Salt Nowadays the Uyuni Salt has 12000 km² of extent ion, is the biggest “white salt Desert” of the world. It is located over 3650 meters in the Bolivian High Plateau on the Andes mountain chain. In the middle of this white desert polyhedric figures built by nature, are seen as they were rose from the ground. The salt depth is 120 meters, there are near 11 layers with different thickness in a range of 2 to 10 meters, Surface crust is 10 meters thick and it is composed by superimposed layers of brine and lake mud. Uyuni Salt preserves the biggest salt source in the world, approximately 64,000 million tons, amount that is constant because the rains. It is natural and renewable resource. Salt is a renewable resource, sun, rain and wind are essential for a good production. These benefits were early understood by the Lipez people, who developed a whole culture of sustainable use of salt as part of economy and subsistence. Average precipitation in Uyuni Salt region is between 150 and 250mm rain per year, enough to make a good salt crop. Every year the salt renews itself with the arrival of the rain season that is from January to March, forming a lake in the Salt. Water does not drain to the sea or ocean because the by the hydrologically closed characteristic of the lake (endorheic), so waters evaporate in weeks and become into new salt, sun and wind are so helpful in the water evaporation for the healthy, daily consumption and natural salt production process. Curiosities! World Tourism has a special interest in the Uyuni Salt because the amazing huge unique and magic landscape, a white salt desert. It is a place to experiment a deep “freedom sensation”. It was declared as the first Natural Wonder world by the Rough Rides magazine. In 2004 Bolivian Government declared it as the “Emblematic touristic Bolivian image to the world”

Flower in the side, Incahuasi Island

Unique experience Uyuni Salt Culture The salt collection from Uyuni has become an ancestral practice, it was the most important economy resource for the nearly counties; Llamas were used as transport, the “Trueque” (Bartering goods) was the activity to change salt for other products, with surrounded communities located at a height of 4500 a.s.l, valleys and others from the Pacific coast. Llamas’ caravans covered 20 to 50 km daily, 30 to 40 kilos of salt were carried by them and last journeys from 2 to 6 months, 100 to 600 llamas were taken. Traditional salt extraction in Uyuni Salt consisted in removing a layer of salt as a brick, which dimensions were 25 x 40 cm long, 10-12 cm thick. Axes, augers and leather gloves were basically used. Salt was extracted by hitting it with an axe to break it into small blocks. Ground salt and water are used as mortar. Llamas were again used to carry the salt bricks. Llamas are South American camelidaes, easily found in the Andean region. At present, salt is removed, processed, packaged and cleaned by hand using simple stainless steel equipment, free of chemical additions or of mechanization. It is done applying inherited techniques and tools used for centuries by elderly inhabitants from Lipez. This technique allows the extraction in a small scale for both quality salt extracting and keeping exceptional site for tourists’ enjoyment and delighting. The use of salt in the Uyuni salt holds the traditional way of harnessing the sal and remains strong balance between man and nature. Uyuni salt has a high content in minerals and trace elements such as potassium, calcium and magnesium, which are healthy. The traditional use of Uyuni salt keeps a balance between man and nature. Curiosities! Salt extraction process is complete natural, rain, sun and wind is essential for a good efficiency on the salt crystal formation. It is extracted, processed and packed by hand using simple stainless steel equipment. 14

Uyuni Salt

Salt and real quinoa Salt and Real Quinoa Salt and Real Quinoa The growing of quinoa in this territory is traditional and ancient practice, tamed by ancient and preserved for current ones as daily sustenance and economic most important activity. It was and it is the food security basis and the survival livelihoods of the communities of Lipez. The Incas had already grown Quinoa 7000 years ago, it was their main food. Traditional growing technology developed has been, transmitted by generations and it still used today. Quinoa has become a high nutritional value food to the world market. Real Quinoa is a -cereal that grows only near the Uyuni Salt it is ranked as one of the few plant foods with the most nutritionally complete for human life needs. It has is a grain of 2 to 2.5 mm diameter. Physical and meteorological conditions of the site as its topography, altitude, temperature, saline soils, low rainfall, crop technology but mainly the high solar radiation, make the production of quinoa just in this region of the world. Solar radiation reaches an average of 6.95 Kwh./ m2/day in February, which favors quinoa real blooming mainly. Concordance between salt and quinoa in the region has traditionally remained because economy and survival. The exchange between the salt bricks and quinoa has been practiced for centuries as an economic activity. The caravan of the llamas transporting salt reached the quinoaproducing communities to exchange the product. Curiosities! Quinoa Real is a cereal with an excellent balance of proteins, carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins, especially phosphorus, iron, calcium, riboflavin and vitamin C. Real Quinoa has no cholesterol, it does not produce fat into the organism, it is not fattening, it is easy to digest and it is a natural ecological product. Quinoa Real is selected by NASA for the astronautsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; food on long space voyages. 16

Real quinoa panicles, Aguaquiza Community

Salt and camelids Salt and Llama breeding For these particular environmental characteristics, this region becomes the main genetic wealth llamas reservoir. Llamas taming and breeding in the Lípez is ancient. Llama breeding is the basis of the economy and food security of the Lípez people. During the booming time of the silver and tin, the llamas from Lípez have become minerals transportation to the Pacific coast. For centuries llamas have been used as transport for driving from Lipez highlands to the valleys of Tupiza; to Tarija for bartering salt with corn, to northern Argentina for bartering llama fiber with wheat flour, to the valley Pica, Guatacondo, Kjawisa and San Pedro de Atacama for bartering quinoa real and crafts made of llama and sheep fiber yarn with fruits, preserved food, ch’añara, carob and many others; to the mining communities with yareta and queñua Curiosities! Uyuni communities have trained their Llamas to offer escort services to visitors for delighting with the company for tours through trails in journeys of half day, a complete day and more.

Lamas trained, Coqueza Community

Original fauna Wild life in the Salt The area to be met is Andean, very low winter temperatures, windy with it has imitated in getting fresh water. However it has wildlife which has been able to adjust to this reality, so during the tour through this magic area you will be able to see flamingos, hares (vizcachas), ostriches (suri), or Andean ducks (choca), partridges, eagles, huallata, condors, vicuna, llamas, Andean foxes, Andean pumas, Quirquinchos and a variety of birds. Curiosities! Three of the six species of flamingos inhabit Bolivia: the Andean flamingo, (parina Grande) (Phoenicopterus andinus) 110 cm high, black beak and yellow legs, James flamingo (Parina China) (Phoenicoparrus jamesi) 90 centimeters high, short peak, short neck and short legs with slight stretch marks on the chest and the Chilean Flamingo (phoenicopterus chilensis)100 inches high, red salmon feathers. Unlike the Chilean flamingo living in several ecological levels, Andean and James flamingos live in a restricted area, both species, according to the Red Book of Vertebrates in Bolivia in 2009 are vulnerable. They are very near to be considered as endangered specie.

Pariguana or Andean Flamingo, Lake Salt in Coqueza Community

Unique beauty Flora around salt Region has characteristic flora from the Highlands and even in this region the vegetation manages to thrive. Soils are as well, sandy loam and clay loam, as result of magmatic sedimentation and tectonics processes. Plateaus, wetlands and soils from this region are suitable for the growing of the thola, añahuaya, yareta, ichu, keñua, Tara, koa thola, sacha thola, ayrampu, straws and a variety of cactus. Uyuni Salt adjacent soils, are suitable for growing of quinoa and various Andean tubers Curiosities! The most impressive living being in the region’s is the giant cactus, called jach’a q’iru ‘huge stick, “and also the wanq’ara the biggest attraction when you just arrive to Inkahuasi island maybe because it is the highest of the columnar cactu. It grows from 1 cm to 5 cm for year, cactus of 12 meters high, and 2 meters of diameter can be found. Thinking about the ratio of the cactus 1cm/year 12 meters it would be 1,200 years. They are “witnesses of past worlds” deserve our respect.

The people and culture in communities around the salt block

Culture and tradition

There are approximately 20 communities whose ancestors have lived for thousands of years along the Uyuni Salt. The volcanic and mountainous part of this huge region has several archaeological remains, stone tools and shells with corn remnants from valleys as a sign of the traveling and exchanges of goods between high and low regions. It is very possible that 10’000 years ago, there were people watching the reflection of the stars in the waters of Tauca Lake, at that time lined by queñua large forests. People safeguard much of the culture expressing it in their dressing, their language, their dances, music and many communities respect the natural environment, safeguarding ancient architecture style where their houses have wide courtyards with rooms around them, walls built with bricks made of mud and straw ceilings, doors and windows of made of cactus. Pachamama,”Mother Earth” is venerated by everyone in the Highlands. They considered it has been kind in giving people: the quinoa and potatoes as food, salt for bartering, getting in this way seafood or valleys products, and llamas to carry their loads, to get dressed from and to have some meat to eat. Today, people lead a life chaste as their ancestors. Times change some things do not? People keep growing quinoa and potatoes, look after their Llamas’ flocks, pray for rain, and if it does not, they go to Chile looking for jobs, . Here, tradition is the foundation of the community. Pachamama is the one that gives them water and makes plants grow. When sowing, they ask her to be generous and during harvest it is never forgotten. Curiosities! In many communities the AYNI is still practiced ( ayni is Quechua word that means cooperation and solidarity). More than a speech is a way of living originated in pre-Hispanic times which manifests social relationships based on mutual aid and reciprocity, AYNI means shaking hands in difficult times, aid to be returned to in the same measure at a later time “today for you, tomorrow for me”. The AYNI as a form of collective solidarity work has an important value in the Andean indigenous communities, where it is used as a survival strategy and cultural cohesion between indigenous families. 24

Alive Culture in our communities

Immense freedom How to arrive to Uyuni Salt There are two Touristic Centers to arrive to the Majestic Uyuni Salt, first one located in Salinas de Garci Mendoza in Oruro, which has all the basic services such as hotels and food, but there is a lack of tourist services for tours in and around the Salt. The second and most known Center is located in ¬Uyuni which requires to travel 21 km to arrive to the Uyuni Salt border, this locality offers visitors who are lovers of adventures, hotels, food, transport entertainment and private touristic services as travel agencies and others; these services are presented in categories. Nowadays, there are different alternatives to arrive to the Uyuni salt, taking any of the entrances, either by the locality of Salinas, Uyuni or from different places of Bolivia and the close frontier of Chile and Argentina. One of the most used routes is the road from La Paz, Potosí or Villazón, also there is the train possibility, from Oruro and Villazón, and finally there is the plane possibility from La Paz and Sucre. Different routes are selected, according to the tourist convenience and comforts are presented in the following chart:

Mountains with Real quinoa

ROUTE 1 La Paz - Oruro - Salinas Salar de Uyuni. Cities La Paz Oruro Challapata Salinas Jirira Salar de Uyuni Jirira Salar de Uyuni

Km 230 353 495 528 600 528 600

Road Type Asphalt Asphalt Ground Ground Ground Ground Ground

Buses Everyday Everyday Day for half There are not There are not None

Observations: 10 hours all travel. Taking this route there is the option to catch public buses from La Paz to Oruro and from Oruro to Salinas, but from Salinas to the Uyuni Salt there are not public buses, it is necessary to hire a 4 x 4 car.

ROUTE 2 La Paz - Oruro - Rio Mulato Uyuni - Salar de Uyuni Cities La Paz Oruro Challapata Rio Mulato Localidad de Uyuni Colchani Salar de Uyuni

Road Type

Buses

230 121 39 40 99 20

Asphalt Asphalt Gravel Gravel Gravel Gravel

Everyday Everyday There are not There are not There are not There are not

Observations: All traveling 10 hrs. Taking this route there is the option to catch public buses from La Paz to the locality of Uyuni or from La Paz to Oruro, where you will have the option to catch the bus or train to Uyuni travelling around 7 hrs. 28

ROUTE 3 La Paz - Oruro - Potosi Localidad de Uyuni Cities

Road Type

Buses

La Paz Oruro

230

Asphalt

Everyday

Potosí

322

Asphalt

Everyday

Localidad de Uyuni

211

Asphalt

Everyday

Salar de Uyuni

Gravel

There are not

Observations: All travel is 13 hrs. Taking this route there is the option to catch public buses from La Paz to Potosí (nights) or Oruro to Potosí, and from Potosí to Uyuni. This route gives the option to visit different touristic places of Oruro and Potosí, where you will have all the touristic services.

ROUTE 4 La Quiaca (frontier, with Argentina) Villazón - Tupiza - Uyuni Cities

Road Type

Buses

Tupiza

Asphalt

Everyday

Atocha

Ground

Everyday

Localidad de Uyuni

Ground

There are not

Salar de Uyuni

Ground

There are not

Villazón

Observations: All travel is 8 hrs. You can catch the buses or the train from Villazón to Uyuni or Tupiza, where you can take the tour to Uyuni or go straight from Villazón to Uyuni. 29

Interesting places in Uyuni. If you decide to get to the Uyuni salt From the same locality, you would visit the following places:

Cemetery of Trains

Archeological and anthropological Museum in the Southern Andes The archeological and anthropological of the Southern Andes Museum was created in November, 1994 and shows the prehispanic occupation in the South of Bolivia, the Museum exhibition is the result of a research, which started ten years before the creation of the museum and being prominent in three big projects.

It is located at the South West of Uyuni 3 kilometers of city. There are different types and models of locomotives that have been used to transport cargo from Uyuni to different places.

In the museum are exposed examples of lithic tools from the preceramic period, mommies, ceramic, textiles, ornaments and basketry in laminas of gold, which are chronologically ordered under the studies and agreements made by the French institute of Andean studies and the National Institute of archaeology (IFEA – INAR), San Simon University and Tomas Frias University (UMSS - UATF).

Locomotives had a capacity to drag 2000 tons.

Open hours.- 08:30 – 12:30 y 14:30 – 16:30

These locomotives are coupled; they have a tank of water in the middle and a deposit of coal, which is used to generate the energy by steam power.

Admission cost. - Primary school students High school students Adults and Tourists

: : :

0,50 bs. 1,00 Bs. 2,50 Bs.

The coal consumed by the train to travel from Uyuni to Oruro was near 20 tons and the water consumed for a designed track was between 2000 to 3000 liters. The combustion of the locomotives was replaced to heavy oil. Today, locomotives use diesel.

Ceramic

utensils

Open hours. - No schedule Admission cost .- No cost

Tissues

tery

Train ceme

Uyuni clock Architectural work, simple and elegant strokes were carried out by Engineer Lucien Dupont. Tower construction was executed in a solid a graceful thin concrete building, deserving praise for technical builder. Assemble imported clock, were presented several proposal from Antofagasta, Potosí, Oruro y La Paz, but its financial demands were too high for the budget of the community, so it had to decide on a appropriate contract.

Pulacayo village Located 22 kilometers outside Uyuni, was one of the most important mining centers during 19 th century. Open hours

Admission cost

Free schedule No cost

Then a brave Uyuni citizen emerged, who insisted on building that new machinery imported from Hamburg. He was Mr. Miguel Vargas Guarachi. Community was shocked by this proposal; they did not believe that who assembled and operated the public clock was an Uyuni citizen. Mr. Victor Vargas Solíz, who was Mr. Miguel Vargas Guarachi son, helped his father passing him the weights and told us that his father’s tenacity, experience and knowledge, allowed ending community’s doubts. Finally, he could leave the public clock, assembled and working. Mr. Vargas guaranteed his work and regular functioning clock, which began to work the 20 th of April, 1930, as it is printed inside the tower. The coldest winters, the strongest winds and lightning accuracy, are some witnesses of this monument. Open hours Admission cost

: :

Bicycle rides Renting a bike in Uyuni may be possible by leaving passport, ID or cash like a guarantee, 8 Bs is the approximate cost for one hour, 80 Bs for a day.

No schedule No cost

Visit the tourist information office You will be able to get all the tourist information about Bolivia, and also enjoy some tourist videos, books, etc.

Places of interest in Salinas de Garci Mendoza town If you decided to get into Uyuni salt across Salinas de Garci Mendoza town you can visit the following touristic places:

Open hours: From 08:30 until 12:30 and from 14:30 until 18:30

Thunupa volcan

Admission cost: No cost

Uyuni salt

The thunupa is conjunct articulates a endless of attractions tangible and intangible is the case of natural viewpoint, trekking to the height volcan, bikking the salar between other intangible aspects we can quote the legend about thunupa volcano the rituals by communities which are seated in their skirts and the observation of forest of queĂąua and observation of the biggest salt in the world. Open hours Admission cost

: :

From 08:00 to 16:00 60 Bs for car (Entrance for Coqueza)

Lookout Red, Thunupa Volcan - Coqueza Community

Sunset

in the Sa

lar, Look

out Wita

si - Port

Chuvica

Commun

ity

eza Commun

lcan - Coqu

Thunupa Vo

Alcaya ruins and Chullpas (mummies)

Alcaya museum

The imposing Alcaya Citadel is located approximately 10 kilometers away Salinas town, and is on the lower slope Panturrani mountain, it is possible to watch stone structures and a mummification sanctuaries before Pucaras cementery area, these remains are around 2500 before Christ old. People from this civilization settled in an area near Poopรณ Lake.

It was built by past Oruro department prefecture. Now the infrastructure is finished, equipment is ready to be assembled shelves counters, in which Alcaya mummies, some handicrafts, musical instruments, clothing, tools and everything concerned to the first inhabitants of these majestic sites will be kept, leaving you an impressive legacy to appreciate. All these once were known as Pucara culture. Photographs, postcards, miniature handicrafts villagers referred to the archaeological community Alcaya will be also exhibited.

At the mountain top the named ceremonial table can be found, place in where in ancient times, this culture carried out sacrifices. Some deformations craniums can be seen here, as something typical of high priests. On the region it is possible to see skeletal remains, clothing, pottery and other similar things, all these belonged to ancient inhabitants. Alcaya is considered the second Machu Pijchu because its magnificence. Open hours Admission cost

: :

Open hours Admission cost

: :

From 08:30 until 18:00 Included in the visit of the ruins cost.

From 08:30 until 18:00 National people : 10 bs. Foreign people : 10 bs.

Alcaya M

useum

Chullpas

- Alcaya

Commun

ity

el Lookout

Alcaya Citad

aeological Pa

Alcaya Arch

Jayu Qota crater This crater is located on the route between Quillacas – Salinas, has around 2000 meters of diameter and a depth of 100 meters, it was caused by the arrival of a meteor. The crater magnitude is very impressive, its size is almost equal than Maracana stadium, it has become one of the largest crater in South America. Open hours Admission cost

: :

From 08:00 until 18:00 10 bs.

Responsible tourism in Uyuni Salt flat and surronded communities At the moment travelers of new trends have begun to appear in our country as visitants, with bigger demands, motivated by knowledge unique places, great landscapes, living cultures, people contact, nature contact, worried about balanced ecology and respect for environment; in response to these demands, the communities surrounding Uyuni salt flat have been organized to offer a lot of activities in which they enjoy living culture, typical food, walking around with trained llamas, music, dance, art, agricultural practices, rituals to Pachamama into our salt flat, the guardian and watchman of the region. It is a NEW TOURISTC ALTERNATIVE in UYUNI SALT FLAT: RURAL COMMUNITY TOURISM has principle of its development a RESPONSIBLE TOURISM which respect people and appraised their culture, respect nature and it is a cleaner tourism, which its gold is “create better places for living and visiting”. Involve the compromise to respect places which are visited for tourists and importance to prioritize community interests and natural and cultural environment.

ater

Jayu Qota Cr

Jayu Qot

a inside

Mirador

ered to the

d culture off

Tradition an

Pachamam

Knowing more about the communities Seven communities participate in the offered programs, five of them are beside Uyuni Salt Flat, the other two in the intersalar route. Each of them has different characteristics: Communities: Coqueza, Jirira, Mañica, Puerto Chuvica, Aguaquiza, Alcaya, Jayoqota. Language: Quechua – Aymara - Castellano Economy: Real Quinoa production and cameliade trade and tourism. Number of families: Around 12 to 15 families with an average of four members in each community. Education: Children until 12 years old, go to the little schools which offer primary education, after it they move to other places to continue studying. Community Organization: A “corregidor” (maximum community leader) who is administering the order and peace in the community as well as manages different social, economic, environmental activities to face several government agencies for the benefit of their community. Tourism: Each community has been properly trained and organized to publicize its tourist attractions and to offer services of lodging, meals, local guides, crafts, music, dance, and cultural exchange coexistence together to enjoy its beautiful nature and landscape. The following describes the type of tourist for who the program has been scheduled

Responsible tourist decalogue ONE

SEVEN

When planning your trip, choose a provider who offers guarantees of quality and respect to human rights and environment.

If you consume natural regional products, as well as enjoy local authentic food, you contribute to the familyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s economy and survival of authentic rural tourism, and with the responsible use of land according to the environment conservation. Pick up gifts among local crafts. You should not buy plants neither animals, alive nor dead.

TWO At destination enjoy knowing culture, customs, gastronomy, local population traditions. Respect them, approach them, they have much to tell.

THREE When arriving to another village, it is essential to respect local customs, way of dressing and behavior, as we would like to see in foreign tourism.

FOUR Ask permission for taking pictures of people. If you do not speak their language, a smile and the willing to understand each other could be enough.

FIVE Support local businesses. If you can choose, you should book into hotels owned by the community people although they were modest. Use guides or tourist operators and local transportation

SIX No pencils gifts, money or candy should be given to children. It encourages begging attitude. If you thought giving money, do it through a project or an NGO publicly recognized because activities at the zone. 42

EIGHT Generate as less waste as you can. Reject unnecessary products wrappers and packaging and suggest other tourists use recyclable packaging. Do not throw trash away, keep them with you until finding a container or trash can.

NINE Live in harmony with nature. Observe wildlife from a careful distance without disturbing their habitat. At natural space tries only to trace it with your shoes traces.

TEN Save natural resources, think they could be scarce in the country that hosts you. Be careful closing faucets, using electric energy and air conditioning each time that you are out the hostel. Use natural resource like water and energy sparingly. After knowing this Decalogue, our programs which are carried by our community members, of this SPECTACULAR REGION, who are open to show this extraordinary world wonder.

g modera d

Programme 1 Trekking in Thunapa trainer llamas accompaniment

in rack

Day two: 08:00

“Classic mountain hiking across the most beautiful volcanic crater route in Bolivia, a meeting with Andean magic people, its wildlife and its prehistoric past”.

At 3.700 meters over the sea. in the ancient country of Coqueza, the trekking will start. At 15-minute ride the wetlands with large concentration of breeding varieties of lamas in the salt lake will be met also several species of pink flamingos. Climbing for a few minutes the abandoned village that shows stone houses those were left because some disasters at the site by entering the Valley of the Chullpares rocky corners and pre-Inca tombs still containing remains of stones and skulls from Coqueaza ancestors will be seen.

Runtime: 3 days - 2 nights

After an hour and a half of trekking, the mysterious mummies in COQUEZA shows men, women and children who have been mummified and placed in sacred sites called “Huacas” will be visited.

Day one 8:00

Meeting at the office and living out to Colchani community to visit salt production.