Bolivia 2020

Greetings from Bolivia from the height of 3800 from La Paz from the group "Cochabamba"! We came down from the mountains and relax culturally!

Today we learned that Coca-Cola was invented in Bolivia. And we even saw the ruined house of the chemist. However, in this house in the center of La Paz, he invented not a drink, but a Coca ointment that relieved muscle pain. Then on the basis of this ointment, another chemist from France created a wine. Pemberton (the official father of Coca-Cola) created Coca-Cola based on this Coca-Cola wine. At least this is the version of events we heard today, walking around La Paz.

 We visited the Central square - Plaza Murillo, where revolutionaries and presidents were executed. We also visited the gallery of the most famous Bolivian artist Mamani Mamani, whose grandfather was a leader of the Aymara, which probably influenced the presence of national motifs in his paintings. It is possible that he did not refuse Coca - too bright colors and strange animals in his paintings and sculptures. Of course, we couldn't get past the witch market. We went to visit one of them in her stall, looked at the dried babies and embryos of llamas and other wonders and medicines. Finally, we took a ride with the wind over the city on the local cable car - teleferico. Gorgeous views of the city from the height of flight teleferico!

Lyudmila Korobeshko, Director of the 7 Summits Club, a guide of the group from Bolivia:

Greetings from the Cochabamba group in Bolivia!

We spent several days on the slopes of Huayna Potosi. There are two refuges on the mountain, at 4800m and 5260m. There were no other climbers in the refuges, only a few vacationers.

We've all been trying to know what the state of the route is. But over the past 8 months, few people have climbed to the top... They said there was a big crevasse and a ladder.

On November 30, we launched the climb from a height of 5250. We conjured up a great weather for ourselves. But the state of the route! This is the first time I've seen such bad condition. Even local guides who have worked on the mountain for many years said that they had not seen such a thing. There were lots of solid calgaspors, that greatly hindering movement. Somehow we reached the key point. Usually it was not a very difficult wall of 30-40 meters. Now we had to climb through the bergschrund and then make a steep exit to the slope and another 40 meters up. After this place started calgaspors again, and in addition opened a lot of crevasses.

In short, we reached the height of 5900m. We thought about time and safety, and decided to turn around. Of course, we are all upset. But we're alive, and mountains could wait. We may come back again.

We are currently resting in La Paz.

Lyudmila Korobeshko, Director of the 7 Summits Club, a guide of the group from Bolivia:

 Greetings to all from Bolivia from the assault camp at an altitude of 5250, from the Cochabamba group! We got here today on November 29 at 15.00 in Bolivia. The weather is changeable, it was snowing in the morning, but now it has stopped. Tomorrow, November 30, at one o'clock in the morning, we will attack Huayna Potosi. Wish us luck!

Lyudmila Korobeshko, Director of the 7 Summits Club, a guide of the group from Bolivia:

 Greetings from Lake Titicaca from the Cochabamba group! Today we had a very beautiful and eventful day: we visited the Museum of RA II and its valiant builders - local Indians who built this and other boats for Thor Heyerdahl. Then we crossed to the Island of the Sun and wandered around it in search of titi (wild cats, thanks to which the lake got its name, pleasing to Russian ears). We didn't find titi, but we saw a stunningly beautiful sunset on the highest point of the Island of the Sun. We tasted local dishes and were most impressed by the huge local corn. We even asked the locals for seeds so that we could try to grow something similar in our homeland.

In our cozy hotel, we were the first foreigners since the beginning of the quarantine. While walking around the island, we met a group of girls (local tourists - not considered) and a single American. So we almost managed to feel like a pioneer.

Tomorrow we will move to the Island of the Moon, where young virgins were sacrificed and where in later times the Bolivian Alcatraz was located.

Lyudmila Korobeshko, Director of the 7 Summits Club, guide of the group from Bolivia:

November 25. Greetings from La Paz from Lyudmila Korobeshko and the group "Hasla la vista, Cochabamba"!

Early this morning, the entire group flew to the highest mountain capital of the world. This is Sucre, which few people know about. We arrived from Cochabamba, where we spent two unforgettable hours on the transfer, and this city left a lasting impression in the hearts of the group members. Despite the long flight and a day of rest according to the program, all members expressed a desire to go for a walk. We took a walk along the legendary Condor path ("Mamani" in the ayamara language) and visited the Moon Valley, which got its name from Neil Armstrong.

 The place is really very unusual and beautiful. We almost felt like astronauts. Probably also because there is almost no one else in tourist places besides us - the country opened only a month ago. Not everyone has found out about it yet.

Now we are taking a break from walking on the Lunar terrain, steaming in the bath. Tomorrow we leave for Lake Titicaca. Maybe we will be cosmonauts and discoverers there this season!

Lyudmila Korobeshko from Panama:

Greetings from Panama! This is how our programs in Bolivia start now! From visiting one of the neighboring countries! Here is lots of sun, lots of sea (or rather two, two oceans), a lot of fish (that's how the local Indian language translates the word PANAMA), many birds (including the amazing Quetzal), many butterflies and so much more interesting. Of course, the most famous attraction is the Panama canal, which was conceived by the Spanish king in the 16th century, the French began to build in the 19th, and the Americans finished in the 20th. The canal is currently closed to tourists, but it is open to ships (each of which pays a lot of money for passage, sometimes up to half a million dollars), and you can look at it from the bridge of The two Americas, standing with your left foot on one continent and your right on the other, which is what I did first.

Tomorrow I will continue my journey to Bolivia, where I will meet with a group to climb the beautiful peak - Huayna Potosi!

Greetings to everyone from Bolivia from Que Pasa group! Yesterday morning we climbed to the top of Mount Huayna Potosi - the most beautiful peak above six thousand meters (6088). We reached the peak almost all, only one member did not reach it stopped about 100 m vertically. Yesterday, we went down and arrived in La Paz. We are great. Everyone is happy. Today is the last day of the program. Rest and then we fly away ...

 Hello from Bolivia! This is the group “Que pasa” and Luda Korobeshko. Today we woke up in a wonderful eco-hotel in the religious center of the Incan empire - on the island of the Sun. After drinking rejuvenating water from the magical source of the Incas and rejuvenated, we sailed to the island of the Moon. There we examined the ruins of the ancient temple. Here, beautiful young girls were brought up to 16 years old, then they were sacrificed to the gods or married to noble Incas. To whom it was lucky.

 Then we got to a floating island (Uros tribes still live on similar islands made of their reeds), where we caught fish and had lunch.

Further in the program there was a visit to the Temple of Copacabana, where locals  priests consecrate newly purchased cars. And in the evening, we moved to the Casa Blanca shelter at 4700, already on the slopes of Huayna Potosi.

 Ludmila Korobeshko, the 7 Summits Club Director and group guide:

January 8. Hello from Bolivia from "Que pasa" team! Today there was an incredibly busy day. On the morning we left La Paz and headed towards Lake Titicaca. First of all we visited the museum Ra 2, which is hold by a family, participated in the construction of boats for the expedition of Thor Heyerdahl. By lunchtime, we arrived on the main island of the lakes – Isla del Sol (Island of the Sun), which at one time was the religious center of the Inca Empire. We visited the ruins of the Inca castles, ate great Andean lunch of vegetables grown on the fertile banks of Titicaca.

In the evening we went to a heavenly place - Hotel La Estancia. Along the way we met local lamas and alpacas. At the end, we admired sunset on the highest point of the Sun Island.