| The bike parts that we were
waiting for would not clear Bolivian customs until at least the 24th of
April. After we returned from Coroico, Karen was not feeling well for 4
days, so we wouldn't have been able to travel anyway. We had made loose
plans to meet with British anthropologist Denise Arnold before we
left the States. When we spoke with her in December she was leaving for
England and expected to be back in La Paz in mid-March. We arrived in Bolivia
to find that she had been delayed until April 28th. After several emails
she was able to help us arrange a meeting with Godofredo Sandoval, who
has written perhaps the classic paper on migration in El Alto. That meeting
led to a very fruitful interview. Since we were already waiting in La
Paz for 2 weeks longer than we planned, it would be a shame to miss the
chance to meet Dr. Arnold and her husband. She is married to Juan de Dios
Yapita, a well known Aymaran linguist who is a native of the area near
Lake Titicaca. Dr. Yapita is also the author of several books as well as
a dictionary on the Aymaran language. Our interview with them turned out
to be well worth the wait. They are a charming couple and we owe them both
a huge debt of gratitude. |
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The markets here continue
to amaze us. In addition to a lively market in tourist items, street markets carry everything. Aymaran women sell such mundane items as shoes and
pumpkins, as well as engage in a lively trade in foreign currencies.
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While hanging around
La Paz we took a tour of nearby Tiwanaku near the south end of Lake Titicaca.
The Tiwanaku culture pre-dates the Inca culture and was the one of the
Andes most powerful cultures controlling vast agricultural projects and
far flung caravanserai. Unfortunately, much of their greatest pyramids
were looted and destroyed. Much of what remains is reconstruction. The
Sun gate (top) is the most famous piece that remains. Originally carved
from a single stone, there are several versions of how it was cracked.
Experts agree, however that it is not in situ. Just how far it was
moved remains open to debate. Also shown is a detail of the central panel,
as well as some of the tenon heads in the reconstructed sunken court. The
stelae at left sits in the center of that court, and the one at right bears
a remarkable resemblance to columns found in northern Mexico.
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