Central Highlands - Bolivia - page 423

anthropomorphic, zoomorphic and geometric motifs painted in red and white. Guides at
the entrance charge B$10. You will need one to find the paintings.
From Incamachay, you can continue downhill for a couple of hours until you hit the
road at the Toma de Agua aqueduct, where there's drinking water and a good campsite.
From there take the road 6km to the Chataquila-Chaunaca road, where you can either as-
cend to Chataquila or descend to Chaunaca from where you can find transportation back
to Sucre.
CRÁTER DE MARAGUA
This unearthly natural formation, sometimes called the Ombligo de Chuquisaca
(Chuquisaca's Belly Button), features surreal settlements scattered across an 8km-wide
red-and-violet crater floor, and bizarre slopes that culminate in the gracefully symmetrical
pale green arches of the Serranías de Maragua. These scallop-shaped cliff faces make it
one of the most visually striking places in Bolivia. There's plenty to see: waterfalls, caves
and a picturesque cemetery in the middle of the crater that dates from pre-Hispanic times.
The village of Maragua is an active weaving center. The weavers have set up a store
and will take visitors into their homes to show them the creation of the textiles. Maragua
has three cabañas and a campsite. A kilometer from the village, in Irupampa , the villa-
gers started up a lovely little hostel ( 693-8088; r per person B$25) , with running wa-
ter, a cold shower next door and an appealing little garden. You can also camp here.
Maragua is an easy three-hour walk along the road from Chaunaca. If you'd prefer a
lift, ask about shared 4WD taxis at one of the Sucre tourist agencies.
MARAGUA TO POTOLO
From Maragua, it's a spectacular walk to Potolo. You can get there in five hours, but
there's plenty to see on the way to slow you down. In the area around Humaca you will
find chullpa and a paleontological deposit where embedded fossils are clearly visible in
the rocks. Additionally, dinosaur footprints at Niñu Mayu can be visited if you are pre-
pared to add an extra hour or so to your hike. All of these can be found most easily with a
local guide. Ask around in the villages and negotiate a price that is fair to the community.
Another side trip from Humaca could take you to the Termas de Talula , 5km away.
You'll need to ford the Río Pilcomayo twice. The Talula hot springs issue into rock pools
that have temperatures up to 46°C. Camping is possible anywhere in the vicinity.
From Talula it's 500m to the constricted passage that conducts the Río Pilcomayo
between the steep walls of the Punkurani gorge. When the river is low, you can cross over
to the Potosí shore and see the many rock-painting sites above the opposite bank.