Sorata, Bolivia

Ready for some rest , relaxation and warmth, we decided to head to the little oasis in the mountains, another hillside town in the Yungas region called Sorata  with the almost tropical elevation of 8,700 ft. The transportation system is quite straightforward- find a minibus (like a van with one more bench seat) with a big sign naming its destination and a young boy screaming that destination at the top of his lungs.

Our minibus to Sorata would have comfortably seated 8 adults. Instead, we had 17 people, a dog and a cat. It was cozy, to say the least. The drive was an event in and of itself. After going over a pass outside La Paz, we careened down a winding road at the rate of roughly 100 to 200 feet every minute (courtesy of Michael´s altimeter on his watch). The little boy next to me made all the responsive exclamations I suppressed. We were happy to arrive safely, with our luggage still secure on the top of the minibus.

We made our way to an Ecolodge about 15 minutes from the town´s center built by a man-wife team who have lived in Europe and America for several years previously. It was full of character – tons of colorful flowers, vines, fruit trees, little sculptures in the organic garden, and hammocks swinging by the swimming pool. There´s a pack of friendly dogs, a loud Macaw parrot, a cow, some chickens, and a mischievous cat. The rushing river below this hillside oasis creates a beautiful background noise, punctuated by beautiful bird songs. There´s a restaurant there too, so there´s really no reason at all to leave…

Unfortunately, the rainy season persists and the views of the Andes that Sorata is known for have so far eluded us. But we´ve slept more than we could possibly need to, and we´re ready to move on to Lake Titicaca.