Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Totora
Totora, 142km east of Cochabamba, huddles in a valley at the foot of Cerro Sutuchira. It
is on the main route between Cochabamba and Sucre, but few travelers ever see it because
most buses pass through at night. Nevertheless it is a lovely colonial village, built around
a postcard-pretty plaza with colorful buildings and arcades. In May 1998 the town was
struck by an earthquake measuring 6.7 on the Richter scale. While there's still plenty of
damage visible, much of the town has since been lovingly restored.
The annual
town festival
on February 2 features bullfights. There's a
piano festival
at
the end of September, but Totora's most charming and famous festival is that of
San
Andrés
. On November 2, giant swings are erected on the streets and throughout the
month young women who are hoping for marriage are swung high on them. The women
on the swings are also believed to be helping the wandering souls, who descended to earth
on All Souls' Day, return to heaven.
The
Hotel Municipal
(Plaza Ladislao Cabrera s/n; r per person B$50)
is an attractive
reconstruction of what was once the town's hospital and is one of two good hotels in
town. It's got spacious, comfortable rooms in an old-fashioned style. There's also a couple
of simple
alojamientos
(cheap guesthouses).
Micros
(B$20, three hours) destined for Aiquile leave daily for Totora at 6.30am,
11.30am and 5pm from the corner of Avs 6 de Agosto and República in Cochabamba.
Mizque
This pretty colonial village enjoys a lovely pastoral setting on the Río Mizque. Founded as
the
Villa de Salinas del Río Pisuerga
in 1549, it soon came to be known as the
Ciudad de
las 500 Quitasoles
(City of 500 Parasols), after the sun shields used by the locals. It
makes a great escape from the cities and main tourist sights and the few visitors who pass
through on trips between Sucre and Cochabamba are impressed by the beauty of the
Mizque and Tucuna Valleys, where flocks of macaws squawk in the early morning.
Sights & Activities
There's a small archaeological and historical
museum
.
