Southern Altiplano - Bolivia - page 279

Museo Casa Arte Taller Cardozo Velasquez
( 527-5245; [e-mail] ; Junín 738; admission B$8; no specific
hours, call ahead) A family of seven artists - Gonzalo (sculptor), his wife María (potter)
and their five daughters - open their whimsical little house and art studio to visitors. The
tour includes a peek into their workshop, the many nooks and crannies with artsy bric-a-
brac and a leafy patio with Gonzalo's fascinating sculptures - check out the one in the
middle, devoted to Pachamama (Mother Earth). If you're lucky, you may even get a tea
made with medicinal herbs from their courtyard garden. On Sunday mornings, the family
goes out to the streets to paint with children. Every first Friday of the month, they hold a
k'oa ceremony, an Andean ritual that pays respect to Pachamama, which you are welcome
to join if you announce yourself.

MUSEUM

Faro de Conchupata
Offline map Google map
(Montechinos s/n) On November 17, 1851 Bolivia's red, gold and green flag was first
raised at Faro de Conchupata: red for the courage of the Bolivian army, gold for the coun-
try's mineral wealth and green for its agricultural wealth. The spot is now marked by a
platform and column topped by an enormous glass globe, illuminated at night. It provides
a fine vista over the town.

MONUMENT

MINE

Mina San José
There are numerous mines in the Oruro area, many operated by cooperativos (small
groups of miners who purchase temporary rights). One of the most important is Mina San
José, which has been in operation for over 450 years. Now run by six cooperativos , they
have opened a part of the mine to tourists. The tour, which is available in Spanish only,
lasts about three hours and costs B$50. English tours are available through Charlie Tours (
Click here ) for B$250, with transport and guide. To get there, you can take a yellow mi-
cro (marked 'D' or 'San José') or the light-blue mini (B$5) from the northwest corner of
Plaza 10 de Febrero.

A DEVIL OF A GOOD TIME

Oruro's Carnaval has become Bolivia's largest and most renowned annual celebration. There are two sides to this
party of all parties. For the angels in all of us, there are processions, dances and religious pageantry; for our inner
devil, there's plenty of drinking and debauchery in what is one of the biggest water fights the world has ever seen.