4 DAYS TREKS
About 19 km of walking per day, a perfect trek between nature and culture! In my opinion this trek is very interesting as we live for 4 days in the Andes in isolated communities in the middle of the mountains where it is possible to share our different cultures with the locals and always with a smile! The Jalq’a culture is one of the indigenous cultures that predominate in the Sucre region.
Throughout the 4 days you will experience and share the customs of this incredible culture with the inhabitants of the village. You will discover mainly:
Day 1: Sucre-Maragua
Chataquilla
There you have a small chapell where you can find the Virgin of Guadeloupe. It is here that Bolivians come to meditate and make offerings to the Pachamama, the mother of earth. The Pachamama is a deity celebrated for years and with the arrival of Spanish colons on the American continent, we have seen the appearance of another religion, Christianity. We talk now about religious syncretism, Bolivians celebrate both, the Pachamama and the Virgin of Guadaloupe. Chataquilla is an important place because it is here that Tomas Katari, the leader of the rebellion against the Spaniard, was killed. I'll tell you more about him in another post.
Inca trail
You will start the trek by following this path for 5 km, all downhill. We know that it is an Inca path because there is one near Santa Cruz in Samaipata. The Incas used to live in Bolivia, Peru and Colombia and parts of Chile and Ecuador. It is one of the largest Inca roads. The path was used by the Incas but also by the various peoples living in the region, especially for trade to sell their products.
Maragua
After walking all day you will finally arrive in Maragua! You will find that the village is not very large but it is considered one of the largest in the territory. It is said that there was the Pacific Ocean in Maragua and with the tectonic plates movement it would have compressed the water of the ocean and formed a lake, Maragua is in the middle of two mountains, the water would have started to drain and it would be from there that birthed waterfalls, like the one called "Garganta del Diablo". Everyone talks about a crater, but it’s actually a synclinal, the synclinal of Maragua. You can sleep in Maragua, in the hostel of Juan Carlos in the heart of the village. You'll meet Dona Paulina, she is used to welcome trekkers passing by.
Day 2: Maragua-Potolo
Maragua school
On your way to Potolo, you can ask to visit the school if it is open. The children will be happy to introduce you to their classes and will probably ask you to play football with them! If the children are in music class, you can attend classes with Professor Ramiro and discover the Bolivian sounds.
The mouth of the devil waterfall
Near the cabins where you will sleep is a cave and waterfall called “La Garganta del Diablo" or the mouth of devil in english. This is where you’ll learn a lot of legends about Maragua.
Ninu Mayu: dinosaur footprints
History says that dinosaures were living in Maragua. Near, about some kilometers futher of Maragua, you'll find dinosaure footprints. These tracks at Niñu Mayu were discovered in 1994. Niñu Mayu means small river in Quechua. Today It’s a favourite place for trekkers. It is said that during the movement of the tectonic plates, the fingerprints would have emerged. They would have been conserved by vegetation growing over them and the site would have been cleaned up with rain.
Heading towards Niñu Mayu you can see stones made of metal that ring like bells thanks to the iron inside. When thunderstorms break out, lightning is attracted to these stones.
Day 3: Potolo - Arco Rumi - Potolo
Potolo
After a night’s sleep in Potolo, it is in this beautiful village that you can ask to see Dona Leona to teach you the different techniques of weaving typical of the Jalq’a culture. You will learn to make wool and to weave with it. Stay tune to my post I'll talk more Dona leona, she is wonderful person making sefl-made textil.
Arco Rumi
It is here at an altitude of 3800 meters that you will see a magnificent arch and a huge condor-shaped rock! After Potolo you will cross a river to reach the other side of the bank. The river has practically no water and is almost dry, it is very easy to cross. Otherwise it is possible to walk on the road, there are very few cars and the road is long. You will pass through different villages such as Sacopaya where you will have the opportunity to see the locals who work with their livestock and their families. If you are lost don't hesitate to ask them but few of them now what is this arch and where you can find it. There is no path indicated but you can always see the arch with you eyes. Don't loose it and walk in her direction you'll get there for sure!
Day 4: -Potolo - Sucre
Return to Sucre by minibus. Watch out for Potolo there are not many buses the last one being at 5pm and the timetables may change depending on the seasons and days. Impossible to make a mistake because there is only one bus leaving Potolo going all the way to Sucre.
Here is a glimpse of the 4 days walk.
If you happen to be there, do not hesitate to contact me to put you in touch with Dona Paulina, Dona Leona or a local guide.
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