In La Paz, we visited the Museo de Coca, which, in Lonely Planet's words "gives an educational, provocative and evenhanded look at the sacred leaf and its uses". In a nutshell, the problem is coca leaves, which have been an integral part of Andean culture for centuries, is the primary ingredient in the production of cocaine.
The scientific community broadly agrees that the raw coca leaf is a mild stimulant that provides the following benefits, all of which are important for high-altitude living (such as in the Andes):
- Stimulates the respiratory system;
- Increases tolerance for work;
- Inhibits the development of platelets;
- Regulates the metabolism of glucose; and
- Does not inhibit the consumption of nutrients.
Today, Bolivians export coca leaves for major corporations, such as Coca-Cola (hence the name), and pharmas (for pain killers). But, its the primary ingredient for cocaine and crack, which is a pretty big deal. Bolivians counter that cocaine and crack isn't a problem in their country -- over 50% of the world's consumption is in the US.
The UN, US and Bolivian governments all agree the production of cocaine and crack needs to stop, but they have very different approaches to stopping it. As part of the "War on Drugs", the UN and US believes in stopping it at the source; and provides South American countries with millions of dollars in "development aid" (read: cash) and "trade agreements" (read: allows them to sell goods in the US) to facilitate the eradication of coca farms. In its place, the US Gov't teaches the farmers how to grow fruits and vegetables for export.
What is often not mentioned are the provisions that allow Coca-Cola and the pharmas to continue receiving their supply of Bolivian coca leaves -- just not the Bolivians!!! As you could imagine, the locals are none too pleased about this. Hence why the current Bolivian government is proposing to address cocaine use at the consumer level (a common slogan is "Coca Si, Cocaina No"). Their take is (my paraphrase) "coca leaves have been helping our culture for centuries -- don't eradicate the leaves just because a few bad people make cocaine out of it". The US counters "If Bolivian police didn't accept bribes to allow coca leaves to be used for cocaine production, we wouldn't need to eradicate them".
Showing posts with label Bolivia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bolivia. Show all posts
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Sunday, September 9, 2007
La Paz and finals thoughts on Bolivia
La Paz:
Its a 3.5 hour bus ride from Copacabana to La Paz. Other than having to hop off and on the bus while a ferry takes the bus across the lake, its a reasonably uneventful trip.
Impressions:
- Walking around is tiring. The city is built in a bowl-shaped valley at an altitude between 9,951 and 11,930 feet and there are very few flat areas.
- Anyone who has lived in or visited India will feel right at home in La Paz. Between the noises, the buses, the traffic and the street vendors, there is so much controlled chaos.
- Like Copacabana, its cheap. We ate at the nicest restaurant in town; 3 course meal with wine was $9/person. A haircut was a $1.40, and spanish lessons are $3/hour. One could fly/stay here as a tourist and take lessons for 6 weeks, and it'd still be cheaper than taking lessons at Berlitz in New York.
- Saltanos - La Paz's answer to the donut: Take the pastry crust of an Indian Samosa, the filling of an Argentinian empanada and a little green chili. Sooo good, and it only costs about 40 cents.
- Crime is increasing: Check out what the US State Department and French Government websites say about Bolivia. While Marie felt reasonably safe, I was, at times, rather uncomfortable.
- Like many South American cities, shoe shine boys in the street are plentiful; however, La Paz's purveyors have an interesting twist: they all wear ski masks.
About Bolivia:
- Political Instability: Since its independence in 1825, Bolivia has nearly 200 different presidents. The latest, Evo Morales, is the first indigenous leader and a former coca leaf grower. Like Hugo Chavez and many other South American leaders, he is moving the country strongly towards the left, taking control of the petrol fields and other businesses.
- Modern, low-cost housing in Bolivia is often times constructed of bare brick and cement. Most westerners will think the buildings are unfinished (needs plaster, paint, etc.). But, the locals seem to like it this way.
- Global Warming: No country is more a victim of global warming than Bolivia. Much of the Andean glaciers, which supply the country's drinking water, and 80% of its electricity, have melted away. By 2009, scientists predict the demand will exceed supply. Doesn't help that its a landlocked country. While the rest of the world debates the effects of global warming, and the percentage of human contribution, this place is living it.
Its a 3.5 hour bus ride from Copacabana to La Paz. Other than having to hop off and on the bus while a ferry takes the bus across the lake, its a reasonably uneventful trip.
Impressions:
- Walking around is tiring. The city is built in a bowl-shaped valley at an altitude between 9,951 and 11,930 feet and there are very few flat areas.
- Anyone who has lived in or visited India will feel right at home in La Paz. Between the noises, the buses, the traffic and the street vendors, there is so much controlled chaos.
- Like Copacabana, its cheap. We ate at the nicest restaurant in town; 3 course meal with wine was $9/person. A haircut was a $1.40, and spanish lessons are $3/hour. One could fly/stay here as a tourist and take lessons for 6 weeks, and it'd still be cheaper than taking lessons at Berlitz in New York.
- Saltanos - La Paz's answer to the donut: Take the pastry crust of an Indian Samosa, the filling of an Argentinian empanada and a little green chili. Sooo good, and it only costs about 40 cents.
- Crime is increasing: Check out what the US State Department and French Government websites say about Bolivia. While Marie felt reasonably safe, I was, at times, rather uncomfortable.
- Like many South American cities, shoe shine boys in the street are plentiful; however, La Paz's purveyors have an interesting twist: they all wear ski masks.
About Bolivia:
- Political Instability: Since its independence in 1825, Bolivia has nearly 200 different presidents. The latest, Evo Morales, is the first indigenous leader and a former coca leaf grower. Like Hugo Chavez and many other South American leaders, he is moving the country strongly towards the left, taking control of the petrol fields and other businesses.
- Modern, low-cost housing in Bolivia is often times constructed of bare brick and cement. Most westerners will think the buildings are unfinished (needs plaster, paint, etc.). But, the locals seem to like it this way.
- Global Warming: No country is more a victim of global warming than Bolivia. Much of the Andean glaciers, which supply the country's drinking water, and 80% of its electricity, have melted away. By 2009, scientists predict the demand will exceed supply. Doesn't help that its a landlocked country. While the rest of the world debates the effects of global warming, and the percentage of human contribution, this place is living it.
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Our photos from Bolivia
Ca y est, nous sommes enfin a jour (ou presque). Nous venons de poster 2 albums photos de Bolivie:
- Lake Titicaca
- La Paz
- Lake Titicaca
- La Paz
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Hello Bolivia: Copacabana and Lake Titicaca
After visiting Machu Picchu, we headed off to Lake Titicaca. The Lake shares a border with both Peru and Bolivia; however, we heard that Bolivian side was more interesting from a tourism perspective. So, we took a 10 hour "backpacker" train from Cusco to Puno, Peru (passing some of the most amazing landscape we've seen on the trip so far), spent a night in Puno and hopped on a bus to Copacabana, Bolivia.
Copacabana:
Copacabana serves as both the main border town between Bolivia and Peru, as well as the main tourist town for visiting Lake Titicaca. To be perfectly honest, the town isn't terribly exciting: all the restaurants are on one street and most have identical menus (lake trout, pizza, basic chicken and beef dishes). Lodging includes hippies on the street, backpacker dorms and one simple, but cozy hotel. But, it is the best place to go if you want to check out the lake. And its cheap!!! A 3-course meal with a glass of wine at the 2nd nicest restaurant is $8 per person with tip included!!! 2 pairs of wool gloves and hats will set you back a whopping $5.
One note about hippies: Both Cusco and Machu Picchu have a good number of hippies, but Copacabana takes the cake. Sooo many of these folks think they are the 2nd coming of Che Guevera (whom I commonly refer to as the guy on the t-shirt that rode the motorcycle). There was a young couple that sat next to us on the bus, whom we are convinced didn't shower or wash their clothes for least 2 weeks (ugh, the stench!). We also firmly believe we were the only visitors in city that has earned a paycheck.
Lake Titicaca and Isla del Sol:
Let the record show that upon arriving at the lake, my Beavis and Butthead moment was much shorter than originally anticipated.
First thing that strikes you is the sheer size of the lake; at first glance you would think its an ocean!!! Second thing is the deep blue color of the water --- sooo clear and pure. The lake water is actually 1% salt -- which we learned is much less than oceans, but more than fresh water. Interestingly, while most have problems drinking it, the local fisherman boil it to make tea. Third thing is the elevation. The clouds appear to be quite low -- but that's because the lake and islands are at such a high elevation!!!
We chartered a boat to Isla del Sol (the spiritual home of the Incas) with Dougie and Louisa, a Scottish couple that took 2 months off to travel South America before starting their doctoral program. We hiked about 8km on the island, which doesn't sounds like much until you factor in the large elevation changes, and high altitude (4060m at the highest point). Turns out Dougie and Louisa actually hiked an alternate to the Inca Trail a couple of days earlier, and assured us the Isla del Sol hike and "Inca Stairs" from Aguas Calientes were as difficult as the Inca trek! Maybe we are in good enough shape to hike the trail? Eh, something to look forward to.
Marie thought the islands and lake reminded her of the Mediterranean Sea. So, if you enjoy that kind of thing, except a bit colder and a LOT cheaper, this place is for you.
Copacabana:
Copacabana serves as both the main border town between Bolivia and Peru, as well as the main tourist town for visiting Lake Titicaca. To be perfectly honest, the town isn't terribly exciting: all the restaurants are on one street and most have identical menus (lake trout, pizza, basic chicken and beef dishes). Lodging includes hippies on the street, backpacker dorms and one simple, but cozy hotel. But, it is the best place to go if you want to check out the lake. And its cheap!!! A 3-course meal with a glass of wine at the 2nd nicest restaurant is $8 per person with tip included!!! 2 pairs of wool gloves and hats will set you back a whopping $5.
One note about hippies: Both Cusco and Machu Picchu have a good number of hippies, but Copacabana takes the cake. Sooo many of these folks think they are the 2nd coming of Che Guevera (whom I commonly refer to as the guy on the t-shirt that rode the motorcycle). There was a young couple that sat next to us on the bus, whom we are convinced didn't shower or wash their clothes for least 2 weeks (ugh, the stench!). We also firmly believe we were the only visitors in city that has earned a paycheck.
Lake Titicaca and Isla del Sol:
Let the record show that upon arriving at the lake, my Beavis and Butthead moment was much shorter than originally anticipated.
First thing that strikes you is the sheer size of the lake; at first glance you would think its an ocean!!! Second thing is the deep blue color of the water --- sooo clear and pure. The lake water is actually 1% salt -- which we learned is much less than oceans, but more than fresh water. Interestingly, while most have problems drinking it, the local fisherman boil it to make tea. Third thing is the elevation. The clouds appear to be quite low -- but that's because the lake and islands are at such a high elevation!!!
We chartered a boat to Isla del Sol (the spiritual home of the Incas) with Dougie and Louisa, a Scottish couple that took 2 months off to travel South America before starting their doctoral program. We hiked about 8km on the island, which doesn't sounds like much until you factor in the large elevation changes, and high altitude (4060m at the highest point). Turns out Dougie and Louisa actually hiked an alternate to the Inca Trail a couple of days earlier, and assured us the Isla del Sol hike and "Inca Stairs" from Aguas Calientes were as difficult as the Inca trek! Maybe we are in good enough shape to hike the trail? Eh, something to look forward to.
Marie thought the islands and lake reminded her of the Mediterranean Sea. So, if you enjoy that kind of thing, except a bit colder and a LOT cheaper, this place is for you.
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