Central Highlands - Bolivia - page 453

HACIENDA CAYARA
For a peaceful retreat or some comfortable hill walking, visit Hacienda Cayara ( 622-6380;
www.hotelmuseocayara.com.bo ; lunch & dinner B$50, tea B$20; r per person B$180) , which lies 25km down the
valley northwest of Potosí. Set amid lovely hills at 3550m, this beautiful working farm produces vegetables and
milk for the city and as a place to stay is streets ahead of anywhere in town. It dates back to colonial times and these
days it's owned by the English Aitken family, who converted it into a hostel in 1992. The hacienda is part hotel and
part museum: an opulent colonial mansion furnished with original paintings and period furniture. Guests have use of
the fireplace and extensive library, which includes works dating from the 17th century.
Around Potosí
The Lagunas de Kari Kari are artificial lakes constructed in the late 16th and early 17th
centuries by 20,000 indigenous slaves to provide water for the city and for hydropower to
run the city's 82 ingenios . Of the 32 original lakes only 25 remain and all have been aban-
doned - except by waterfowl, which appreciate the incongruous surface water in this oth-
erwise stark region.
The easiest way to visit Lagunas de Kari Kari is with a Potosí tour agency, which
charge about B$180 per person per day based on a group of three. If you prefer to strike
out on your own, carry food, water and warm clothing. In a long day, you can have a good
look around the lagunas and the fringes of the Cordillera de Kari Kari, but it may also be
rewarding to camp overnight in the mountains. Access is fairly easy, with public transport
from Potosí. Inquire with one of the agencies in town and make sure you get a good map
of the area. The Cordillera de Kari Kari is included on the IGM topo sheet Potosí (East) -
sheet 6435.
Belief in the curative powers of Tarapaya (3600m), the most frequently visited hot-
springs area around Potosí, dates back to Inca times. It even served as the holiday destina-
tion for Inca Huayna Capac, who would come all the way from Cuzco (now in Peru) to
bathe. The most interesting sight is the 30°C Ojo del Inca , a perfectly round, green lake
in a low volcanic crater, 100m in diameter. Along the river below the crater are several
balnearios (resorts) with medicinal thermal pools utilizing water from the lake, but be
aware that remolinos (whirlpools) make bathing here a hazardous affair. Camiones leave
for Tarapaya (B$4, 30 minutes) from Plaza Chuquimia near the old bus terminal in Potosí
roughly every half-hour from 7am to 7pm. Taxis cost about B$50 one way. The last micro
from Tarapaya back to Potosi leaves between 5pm and 6pm.