Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
In their haunting
saya
music (a hybrid of African, Aymará and Spanish styles) and distinct funerary rites, you
will see distinct African overtones. See a documentary on how Afro-Bolivian's are using
saya
music as a form of
social protest at
www.solidarityinsaya.com
.
One of the traditional Bolivian dances, the
morenada,
has its roots in a portrayal of an African slave train arriv-
ing at the mines. More information about Afro-Bolivians can be found on the websites for Fundación Activos
Culturales Afro (
www.programaacua.org
, in Spanish) and Fundación Praia (
www.fundapraia.org
, in Spanish).
Sights & Activities
Chulumani sees few visitors, but it is a good base for several worthwhile excursions.
There are some lovely walks in the Chulumani area. A five-hour (one-way) downhill
hike through clouds of butterflies will take you from Chulumani to the Río Solacama; you
can easily get a bus or
micro
back. In three to four hours you can also walk to Ocabaya.
Other walks take you from the higher village of Villa Remedios to the lower one, or from
Chicaloma down to Ocabaya. Another beautiful hike is the four-hour walk from Chulu-
mani to Chirca, where there's the church of a revered local virgin.
Apa-Apa Reserva Ecológica
(
7254-7770;
apapayungas@hotmail.com
)
An interesting day trip is to the Apa-Apa
Reserva Ecológica, 8km from Chulumani. The private 500-hectare property has dry forest
and one of the last remnants of primary cloud forest in the Yungas, and is rich in trees,
orchids, butterflies and birds. The reserve runs four-hour
guided forest walks
(per person
B$50 with a B$200 minimum)
and has a cafe serving meals and homemade ice cream. A
taxi from Chulumani to the reserve costs B$15.
WILDLIFE RESERVE
Sleeping
Country House $
(Tolopata 13; r per person incl breakfast B$70;
) Probably your best bet in town, this
welcoming country home is 10 minutes west of the plaza by the basketball court and the
lookout Mirador La Ladera. The rooms, decorated in an attractively rustic style, are spot-
less, and have hot-water bathrooms and fresh flowers. Great breakfasts, abundant birdlife,
a pool table and an extensive movie collection are other highlights, as are the delicious
home-cooked dinners and relaxing mineral pool. Owner Javier can organize all sorts of
local excursions including inner-tubing on local rivers.
HOTEL
