Destination : BOLIVIA

The surface of Bolivia is 1.098.581 km², a country the size of France and Spain together. It borders Peru to the northwest, Brazil to the north and east, Paraguay to the southeast, Argentina to the south, and Chile to the west. La Paz, the seat of government, is the world's highest capital city. It contains many museums and provides visitors with modern and comfortable hotels. 

The country can be divided in four main regions : the Andes, the eastern Bolivian mountain area where many high and low valleys form the transition between the dry highlands and the wet lowlands, the Amazon area in the North-East and the dry Chaco area in the South-East. Western Bolivia is made up of two high Andes mountain ranges : the Cordillera Occidental alongside the border with Chile with the highest mountain of Bolivia, the Sajama (6.780 m) and the Cordillera Real in the north-east with its many glaciers. Cochabamba, the garden city, boasts a long tradition of local culture and folklore and Tarija City's excellent climate, combined with beautiful flowers and fine wines, makes it ideal for finding peace and quiet. The states of Beni and Pando, in the heart of the jungle, occupy a region offering visitors dramatic and colorful landscapes. The 'Golden' Pantiti's many rivers provide popular land and water excursions. National dishes include empanada salteña (a mixture of diced meats, chives, raisins, diced potatoes, hot sauce and pepper baked in dough) and lomo montado (fried tenderloin steak with two fried eggs, rice and fried banana). Cruzena, is considered to be one of the best beers on the continent. 

Lake Titicaca is the picturesque Bolivia. It is the highest situated navigable lake in the world ( at 3810 m). The lake is surrounded by the snowcapped mountains of the Cordillera and plays an important part in the Inca mythology. The Indians who live on its borders consider it a holy lake.

The holy city of Copacabana (5000 inhabitants) lies on a magnificent bay between two hills, the Cerro Calvario with a stone staircase and a terrace  and the Cerro Sancollani of Seroka. Legend has it that the Incas founded the city in honor of the Sun and its children Manco Kapac and Mama Huac.After the Spanish conquest, the natives were converted to Christianity by the Dominicans, and later, by the Augustans. This resulted in a mixture of catholic and traditional native rituals. This process was accelerated by the statue of the black Madonna, the Virgen de Cadelaria. According to the writings of father Ramos Gavilan, miracles started to happen here as from 1583. To welcome the many pilgrims an enormous basilica was built here between 1610 and 1619.

The official capital of Bolivia is the city of Sucre, but in fact it is the city of  La Paz that has the real function of capital. La Paz lies on an altitude of 3636 m which makes it the highest situated capital in the world. The cityscape of La Paz is determined by the snow covered tops of the pyramid-shaped Huayna Potosi and the tops of the Illimani which light up very colorfully at sunset. 
From afar, it looks as if the miniature houses of La Paz are glued to the slope of the mountain.
La Paz was founded in 1548 by Alonso de Mendoza after gold had been discovered in the Choqueyapu. The city grew fast because of its ideal location at the crossroads of trade routes. In the 20th century an immigration of farmers caused a further expansion of the city. The capital now has an estimated population of about 1.000.000 people. 

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