THE ARCHAEOLOGY OF BOLIVIA

Dates to be announced for 2007
Itinerary may change

Bolivia has been inhabited for thousands of years, and many cultures have crossed back and forth over the mountains and the rich, cultivable land. However, the Pre-Columbian history of Bolivia has been shaped by two imperial empires – the Tiwanaku and the Inkas. Join Far Horizons on an extraordinary 16-day journey through Bolivia that includes stunning archaeological sites. Visit Tiwanaku, one of the most spectacular sites in the Andes, and Inkallajta, a stunning example of Inka architectural ingenuity. Examine several remote sites including Chiripa, an early village, and Lukurmata. And on Lake Titicaca, explore the sacred Island of the Sun where the Inka believed the Sun, gods, and civilization were born, and experience spectacular sunsets over these crystal waters two miles above sea level.

But more than high altitude archaeology is featured in this trip. From is trickling origin 17,000 feet high in the Andes to its 150-mile wide mouth 4,000 miles away the Amazon River is the world’s greatest waterway. We will explore the “headwaters” region of the Amazon in northeastern Bolivia, 2,000 miles from both the river’s source high in the Andes and its mouth in Brazil. The Mamoré River is the biggest tributary of the Amazon in Bolivia, and offers optimal conditions for our remote ecological cruise and for wildlife observation. The forests, savannas, and wetlands are the richest and most diverse ecosystems on earth, and we will have the opportunity to swim with pink dolphins, view flocks of colorful parrots, visit some of the largest pre-Columbian sites in Amazonia, and explore native villages. While in the lowlands, we will travel by a comfortable riverboat through this natural wonder - a humbling and invigorating experience.

ITINERARY:
(B) breakfast, (L) lunch, (D) dinner

DAY 1: Depart the United States on the overnight flight to La Paz.

DAY 2: Our early morning arrival brings us to La Paz where we board a flight to Cochabamba. Upon arrival, transfer to your hotel with time to freshen up after the journey. In the afternoon, visit the city’s archaeology museum. Gather this evening for a welcome dinner party. (D)

DAY 3: Today’s all day journey takes us to the little known and seldom visited ruins of Inkallajta, the most important Inka site in Bolivia. Surrounded by steep hills with flowing mountain streams and bordered by a lovely waterfall, the location of the city is stunning. Emperor Tupa Inka Yupanqui, the son of Pachacuti, founded this frontier outpost on the easternmost of the Inka Empire. (B/L/D)

DAY 4: Several large buildings still stand in the city of Inkaracay. The large plaza area presents spectacular views over the Cochabamba Valley. The Inka resettled thousands of workers here to grow maize (corn) for state rituals, and the area is filled with thousands of fascinating colcas, or storage silos. In the afternoon, fly from Cochabamba to La Paz and transfer to the Hotel Plaza, our comfortable home for the next two nights. (B/L/D)

DAY 5: Our explorations today take us to Tiwanaku, one of the great monumental centers of native Andean cultures. From around AD 100 to AD 1000, this was the seat of power for a vast empire. The stone Puerta del Sol, or Sun Gate, has become a symbol of Bolivia and the Aymara, descendants of the ancient builders who constructed an imposing empire on the cold, dry altiplano, or highland plateaus. Dinner is on our own to discover one of La Paz’ fine restaurants. (B/L)

DAY 6: Today the Aymara, descendants of the builders of Tiwanaku, are reviving the ancient agricultural methods used by their ancestors to support vast populations and this morning we have the opportunity to see raised fields in use. We will explore the sites of Chiripa, a pre-Tiwanaku village, and Lukurmata, a Tiwanaku related complex. Our drive takes us to the very edge of Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world where we will visit Kala Huta, or House of Stone, one of the most fascinating places on the Lake. Here, we will view a multitude of Inka and pre-Inka stone buildings. Overnight at the Hotel Las Balsas. (B/L/D)

DAY 7: Drive to Copacabana, built in Spanish Colonial times on the foundations of an earlier Inka shrine. The 16th-century cathedral is a pilgrimage site for the entire region, famous for miracles attributed to the black wooden statue of the Virgin Mary. In the afternoon, we will motor across Lake Titicaca, the world’s highest navigable lake, and overnight for two nights at the Hotel La Estancia, located on the Island of the Sun. (B/L/D)

DAY 8: We will travel to the Isla de la Luna, or Island of the Moon, known in earlier times by its Quechua name of Koat. This was the place where Viracocha, the white-bearded god of the Inka, commanded the moon to rise into the sky. We will explore the Isla del Sol, Island of the Sun. It was at the location known as the sacred rock that past Aymara and Quechua people of the former empire believed the sun and the gods were born, and many present day Aymara and Quechua peoples still hold these beliefs. The Isla del Sol shows extensive evidence of prehistoric settlement and the sacred nature of the place. (B/L/D)

DAY 9: On our drive back to La Paz today, we will stop at a museum to see how the reed boats used on Lake Titicaca are made. This afternoon, tour La Paz, Bolivia’s largest city and the highest capital city in the world at 11,500 feet. Founded in 1548, the city retains much of its colonial flavor and ethnic diversity. Visit the Cathedral, the San Francisco Church and Plaza, and other central attractions. Dinner is free. (B/L)

DAY 10: Board our flight to Trinidad, in the middle of the Bolivian Amazon, a community linked to the outside world by air and the river. Founded in the late 1600´s as a Jesuit mission, Trinidad has a storied and colorful history. After arriving in Trinidad, we will visit the Sirionó Indigenous Community at Eviato, and explore the large prehistoric earthen mound that they occupy. Board Amazon River cruiser. Overnight onboard the Reina de Enín Riverboat. (B/L/D)

The Reina de Enín Flotel has 10 triple cabins with private bath and 4 double cabins with private bath. The triple cabin is a double bed with upper bunk; it can be used as double, twin or triple. The flotel is air-conditioned using an onboard generator that is turned off at night.

DAY 11: As we leave Trinidad and travel west, we will be in one of the truly remote areas left in our world. Wildlife sightings increase, primary forest remains, and the native people still harbor a curiosity about us. Begin the day with a visit to the Chuchini Archaeological Site before beginning the float down the Mamoré River. We will have a full day of exploration in this lush, natural area teeming with birds and other wildlife. Launch trips will be taken using the Flotel Reina de Enín as a base for a close-up view of the rainforest and its inhabitants. The ability of the boat and its launches to access such an isolated area makes it a favorite among our flora and fauna-seeking naturalists. Ready those cameras and binoculars! Overnight onboard the Reina de Enín. (B/L/D)

DAY 12: Wake up this morning to the sound of parrots and monkeys. Look out of the window and see early morning dolphins. Hundreds of animals and plants await you in the forest. Return up the Mamoré River and the Ibare River. See the mighty Mamoré up close as we travel along in its changing currents. Take another unique venture into the jungle before a brief provision stop for fresh fruit at native villages along the way. A welcoming committee of small children will offer rare photo opportunities, and will allow us to experience the way of life of the local indigenous communities of the Mojeña and Yurakaré peoples to learn about their ways of life and their work. Dinner while the boat anchors for the night. Overnight onboard the Reina de Enín. (B/L/D)

DAY 13: We fly this morning to Santa Cruz in the eastern Amazon basin area and drive three hours west to Samaipata. Here we will explore fascinating lowland Inka ruins carved into solid stone. The huge site, covering 40 hectares, was recently declared a World Heritage Site. Dinner is on our own. Overnight in Samaipata. (B/L)

DAY 14: In the afternoon, drive to Santa Cruz and overnight. The city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra was founded in the 15th century in honor of a city in Extremadura, Spain. It is perhaps the liveliest city in Bolivia and completely different than the highlands both in population and climate. Today Santa Cruz is a bustling modern city but it still retains a bit of frontier feeling. Here, you will find people from all occupations and areas of the world. Dinner is on our own. (B/L)

DAY 15 Around Santa Cruz, lie the Bolivian tropical low lands, holding a unique and fascinating history and precious heritage. In the province of Chiquitos, the vast, sparsely populated tropical area northeast of Santa Cruz, we will encounter the finest examples of religious architecture in the country. Six delightful Jesuit Missions, all of them UNESCO World Heritage Sites, are true Colonial jewels, and a testimony of the Spaniards' obsession to convert the Native people to Catholicism. They are the finest example of colonial religious art in the country, magnificent and grand yet intimate and personal works of art. Today’s drive will take us to two of these missions – San Javier and Concepción. (B/L/D)

DAY 16: This morning we will visit the Jesuit Museum and Workshop before returning to Santa Cruz. Gather this evening for our final dinner party in a local restaurant. (B/L/D)

TRIP LEADER
Dr. Clark L. Erickson received his masters and doctoral degrees in Anthropology from the University of Illinois. He is Associate Curator of the University of Pennsylvania Museum’s American Section and Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology at Penn. This tour will include several sites that Dr. Erickson has excavated. Committed to applying the results of archaeological research to rural development in Latin America, he conducted a five-year project investigating pre-Columbian farming in the highlands around Lake Titicaca in Peru and Bolivia. He is currently conducting a long-term project on the cultural landscapes of the Bolivian Amazon. Dr. Erickson enjoys making archaeological research understandable and exciting to non-specialists, and will provide a lecture program covering a wide variety of topics on the prehistory and peoples of the Amazon basin and the Andes, as well as discussions on the ruins visited during the trip.

2007 TRIP COST: Call for details...
(per person, double occupancy)
Includes roundtrip air fare from Miami and all internal flights, all hotels, meals as listed in the itinerary, ground transportation, entry and service fees.

COST DOES NOT INCLUDE: laundry, personal tips, meals not listed in the itinerary, alcoholic beverages and other drinks not on the regular menu, or airport departure taxes.

2007 SINGLE SUPPLEMENT: Call for details...
Far Horizons will attempt to find a roommate for participants requesting that we do so. However, if one is not available, the single supplement will be charged.

RESERVATION: A deposit of $500.00 and a separate check for $100.00 made out to The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania will reserve your place on this trip. (Your $100.00 donation check is tax deductible. Please note at the base of your donation check or on an accompanying letter the following: To be used wholly and exclusively for Clark Erickson’s Agro-Archaeological Project in the Bolivian Amazon, and not to be used for administration.) Final payment is due 75 days before departure.

Upon receipt of your deposit and completed registration form, you will be sent a reading list and a clothing and equipment list. An information book designed for this trip, including maps of archaeological sites and articles of pertinent interest, will be sent upon receipt of final payment.

CANCELLATION AND REFUNDS: Cancellations received in writing at least 75 days before departure will result in an administrative fee of $250.00. Cancellations received less than 75 days before departure will not receive a refund. If for any reason you are unable to complete the trip, Far Horizons will not reimburse any fees. Registrants are strongly advised to buy travel insurance that includes trip cancellation.