Cochabamba

From the 26th of April to the 6th of May the XXIV International Fair of Cochabamba will take place. The fair will have approximately 650 companies from 28 countries. An estimated 255 thousand visits will visit the fair this year. The most relevant event will be the Business Table event, but other events like seminaries, product launches, courses and other activities will take place at the same time. The schedule of the event willl be from around noon to around midnight and the event will take place at the Recinto Ferial by the Alalay Lake.For more information you can visit the Fair website at:

There are more festivities than the ones I post here, and there are also food fairs, drinks fairs and others which make different tours of the valley.In this case I am posting the schedule of the Religious tour of the Cochabambine valleys.FESTIVIDAD DE LA VIRGEN DE LA CANDELARIA (Festivity of the Virgen of la Candelaria)Aiquile and Colomi 1st and 2nd of februaryCARNAVAL DE LA CONCORDIA (Concordia Carnival)CercadoCH´ALLA DEL CARNAVAL (Carnival Ch'alla)CercadoFIESTA DE SAN JOSÉ (San Jose Festivity)Quillacollo, 19th of marchSANTA VERA CRUZ TATALAValle Hermoso, 3rd of MayFESTIVITY DE SAN ISIDRO LABRADOR (Festivity of San Isidro Farmer)Tiraque, 14 y 15 de MayoFESTIVIDAD DE SAN JUAN (Festivity of Saint John)All Bolivia, 23 and 24 of juneFESTIVIDAD DE SAN PEDRO Y SAN PABLO (Festivity of Saint

It is said about Cochabamba that it has one of the mildest climates in South America, with average temperatures around 15 to 25 celsius all year round. A climate which is a bit humid in summer and a bit dry in winter, a year round blue sky with some rains during summer (except this year because of the Niña we have had week of clouds) and no more than a week of clouds in a row, sun always shows up.Land is good so vegetation is very green in summer and mostly brown in winter. Temperature does vary during the day, sometimes changing as much as 15 celsius from the morning to midday, but nothing a sweater or a hat can't fix.Many bolivians or non-bolivians which retire choose Cochabamba to live because of it's mild climate and of it's extremely cheap cost of living. Others have an apartment lo

Land of wind and stone mills.Created by Decree on the 24th of November of 1914 under the government of Ismael Montes, Arani is a town which has an image which is associated with winds, the beautiful women of Pocoata and the bread produced with the flour which is grinded by stone mills from the time of the colony. The geographic and climatic variety of this province, stimulated the well known Cochabambine researcher Guillermo Urquidi to elaborate a long monography, which until now is the most complete study of Arani.Describing the sights which surround the town, Urquidi says: "On the north,far away in the blue horizon, we can see the tall summits of the Oriental Chain of the Andes all covered by snow. Climbing the chain 5 leagues to the east of Arani, you arrive to the plateau of Vacas, of

The Cochabamba Fair was born in the year 1974, with the objective of expanding the markets and exchange of commercial and industrial experiences; managed and developed by the local Mayor Hall, with the support of private businessmen. It is in janauary of 1992 that according to the beginning of decentralization of local government activities and because of management issues, ut with the intention of achieving a higher efficancy, that management is granted to the Federation of Private Business Entities of Cochabamba (FEPC), which organizes the Foundation for the International Fair of Cochabamba Bolivia (FEICOBOL). This company is non profitable, and seeks to broaden the markets and permanent exchange in the commercial and industrial areas in the department, country and world. Nowadays on a

These two maps provide information on facilities and touristic places in downtown Cochabamba.This is a general map of all the downtown area: (for details click on it)A smaller map of only the blocks around the main square "14 de Septiembre":

I am travelling from Cochabamba to Santa Cruz and hope to keep up the blogging. If you want to know what the status of the roads is in Bolivia, specially if you travel during the rainy season you can go to this website:http://www.abc.gov.bo/It is the National Road Administrator website, there you will find a map like the one below:This map provides with a daily status of the roads in Bolivia.

Cochabamba is the ecological center of the country, and because of this much importance has been given to the preservation of species of different characteristics and seasons. The implementation of green public areas includes 89 urban and suburban parks with a forestation of 4 million plants of diverse shrub and tree species.The public gardens and parks have as a goal the conservation of the environment, children's recreation and keeping the balance with the specific characteristics of the land in our region. ¨MARTIN CARDENAS´´ BOTANICAL GARDEN Found in the intersection of Ramón Rivero Av. and Gral. Galindo Av. It depends of the Mayor's Office, counts with a variety of 200 exotic species of "cactus" and a collection of Bromelias from different continents.TRAFFIC EDUCATIONAL PARK Found on the Ramón Rivero Av. it has a creative design which makes reference to the regulations, norms and signs for vehicle and pedestrian traffic. It is here that children find an interactive dynamic w

The Arqueological Museum of Cochabamba has one of the most complete collections in the country. It is part of the University of San Simon (local state university) and was established in 1953, it is found on the Nataniel Aguirre street. There are pieces showcased from the year 15000 BC up to the colonial period. There are approximately 1300 pieces from the precolonial period.The museum has three areas:Paleontology: has fossils and other objects.Arqueology: has more than 1500 objects incluidng; ceramics, textile, mummies, rock statues (pachamamas), bones and others.Ethnography: materials from everyday life of diverse ethnic grups from all over the country.

The building where I work just moved from side to side for some 5 seconds, I checked out from where this could have come and it seems they had an earthquake in Antofagasta, Chile.http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsww/Quakes/us2007jsat.php

Maybe a little late, but here you have the general profile of the department of Cochabamba in Bolivia.Official Name: Cochabamba Location: 17°25'South - 66°10' West Height: 2.558 m.o.s.l. Foundation: 1st of January of 1574 Surface: 55.631 km2 Total Population: 1.750.000 (est. 2007) inhabitants Capital City: Cochabamba Per Capita GNP: 954 us dollars The main products are: Agriculture: As example the growth of potatoes, corn, wheat, banana, pinapple, etc. Mining: Which includes tin, lead, antimonium, gold. Energy Natural Resources: Gas and oil. Livestock : Milk, meat, leatherThe department of Cochabamba has a strategic geographical situation which places it in the center of Bolivia. It is the articulation center of the country since it permits national connection through roads and highways . It has a wide diversity of agricultural products.Industry found in this department has permited the export of non-traditional products like flowers, handicrafts, poultry, woodworks, ceramics and

Cochabamba has been suffering a steady drought for several years, and the things are not improving. I took these photographs on a trip to the Angostura lake, as you can see the water level is well below the stone walls that you can see on the right of the photographs. Five years ago the water level was at the brim of the stone walls, frequently leaking into the gardens of the houses by the lake. Now, there is a long beach from the stone walls to the lake.Since the worsening of the "el niño/la niña" phenomenon the drought in Cochabamba has accelerated and this only seems to get worse with the global warming. It is difficult to know how this will develop in the future, but at the current rate if nothing changes I think this lake will disappear by the end of this decade.

The 14th of September Cochabamba celebrates its civic festivity. The main square of the city is named after this civic date.Our main square was remade in 1838, it has four different levels and columns of doric and jonic styles. It is a mixture between barroque and neoclasi styles.In the center of the square there is a large column called the Column of Heroes or Column of Liberty which has a condor with its wings extended on top. There is also a water fountain surrounded by palm trees, the main square is a point of interest you should visit if you are in Cochabamba.You will also find that in the main square of Cochabamba there is always someone preaching about the end of the world or carrying on a show to sell something, there are also presentations or exhibitions and other cultural activities.En el centro se observa un enorme enfilado de cemento ,estilo Corintio, conocido como “Columna de los Héroes” o “Columna de la Libertad” en cuya cúspide se yergue un cóndor con las alas

Situated on the "14 de Septiembre" Square, it is in the center of the city and main attraction. It has recently been given the rank of "metropolitan”. It was built in 1735. Its portal is made of three bodies with solomonic columns which guard the gate, to the sides we find wallboards and ornaments of “mestizo” style on the crowning. The portal rises between two strongholds that seem to be ready to receive an arc.An arc gallery, from the beginning of the century, covers the lateral part of the 14 de Septiembre Square revealing only the header which rises between two strongholds that seem to be ready to receive an arc. A gallery of arcs which come from the beginning of the century cover the lateral part of the 14 de Septiembre Square and reveal only the portal of the header, which rises twords the Esteban Arze street.Around the square we find several buildings from the republican period.

In Cochabamba, the agricultural production of the valley and commerce have a special dynamic which combines social, family and “compadrazgo” (godfather) relations and which is expressed in the so called “FERIAS” (fairs) (regional or by zones). There -by the end of the XVIII century- participate the natives, farmers and people from the town (Cercado) giving place to informal economical interrelations.The true way of thinking of valley people is shown in their capability of bargaining and thus achieving a good “yapa” (something more). The CanchaIt is the main marketplace of Cochabamba, found in the south part of the city. There specially of wednesdays and saturdays, we can find the biggest variety of products: agricultural, foods, clothes, luxury, handicrafts, etc. Calatayud MarketFound near the Cancha. It offers a variety of products agricultural and foods, being the main ones the commerce of grains and flowers. La PampaMarket found in the south part of the city. It is a

Among the drinks which are very typical in Cochabamba are the following:CHICHA The traditional Cochabambine drink is the CHICHA . Historians have determined its origin to the Inca period, much before the arrival of the Spanish. The chicha through its history - especially in the XIXth century and beginning of the XXth century- has been one of the prime factors of the regional economy. A great quantity of corn is produced in the valley, whose elaboration ends up as the chicha. The consume of which is generalized in the rural sectors and, in the city -even though it has decreased notoriously- many places sill have the habit to sell it in jars, pail and/or "tutumas" (an object with a half-a-coconut-shell form).GARAPIÑA Elaborated using chicha, you add cinammon ice cream to make it sweet and tasty.GUARAPO Grape juice ferment which is buried in jugs for some months. Once unearthed, the drink has a high alchoholic level. Two glasses of guarapo are enough to get anyone drunk.BEERThe Cochabamb

The Chapare is closely related to the coca leaves production, and not only due to the international voice of mouth which exist with respect to it. In real terms, the coca (or let's better say the growing of coca leaves) represents 85 per cent of monetary agricultural income generated by the region, for which it is no posible to think about the Chapare without thinking about the coca leaf.But the coca doesn't limit itself to just the growth of the same, but brings with it many legal and illegal activities which happen within the same area and which have recently shown a very important growth of the importance of the coca, with respect to the established and introduced crops. The region which is commonly known as “Chapare”, is in reality made up by the lower amazonic regions of three departments of Cochabamba (Chapare, Carrasco and Tropical Tiraque).For the last years the name of Cochabamba Tropics has been used more frequently to name this region since it doesn't only refer to te

I will try to make a summary as complete as possible of all the main religious festivities in the department of Cochabamba. This will help more than one to understand the extremely religious way of being of the people of Cochabamba. Most of these festivities combine Catholic celebrations with the andean animist religion, producing a ver interesting sincretism of both.FESTIVIDAD DE LA VIRGEN DE LA CANDELARIA Place: Aiquile amd ColomiDate: 1st and 2nd of february CARNAVAL DE LA CONCORDIA Place: CercadoCH´ALLA DEL CARNAVAL Place: Cercado FIESTA DE SAN JOSÉ Place: QuillacolloDate: March 19th SANTA VERA CRUZ TATALA Place: Valle HermosoDate: May 3rd FESTIVIDAD DE SAN ISIDRO LABRADOR Place: TiraqueDate: May 14th and 15th FESTIVIDAD DE SAN JUAN Place: All of BoliviaDate: June 23rd and 24th FESTIVIDAD DE SAN PEDRO Y SAN PABLO Place: Aiquile, Sacaba and San BenitoDate: June 29th FESTIVIDAD DEL SEÑOR DE TOCO Place: TocoDate: July 4,5 and 6 FESTIVIDAD DE LA VIRGEN DEL CARMEN Place: Cliza, I

Next week in Cochabamba we have a very well know festivity that brings together bolivians from all over the country and even from other countries.In the nearby town of Quillacollo the festivity of Urkupiña is a celebration of in honor of the Virgin Mary, but also in honor of the "pachamama" or mother earth. Like many religious festivities in Bolivia, it has sincretist characteristics where catholicism mixes with the ancient andean religions and other modern elements, producing a quite unique reality. This festivity goes on for three days, in which there is a folklore entrance which is a parade with many typical dances and a day called "the calvary" where people extract stones from a hill called "cerro de Qota", these symbolize wishes for money and other material goods, but only if these rocks are returned the following year.I will give more details with some photographs and videos on the following days.

En los distintos viajes que hice por tierra a Santa Cruz, siempre me llamó la atención una peculiar construcción que se encuentra frente a la represa Corani en el valle cochabambino (camino Cochabamba – Villa Tunari 17°10'S, 65°54'W) y si bien la curiosidad por visitarla estaba presente, era más fuerte mi deseo de llegar lo antes posible a mi destino (tanto a la ida al oriente, como a la vuelta a La Paz). Fue hasta el último viaje que hice por tierra, que decidí finalmente bajarme del auto y curiosear un poco la abandonada y extraña casa. El lugar habitualmente presenta mucha neblina y ese día además llovía ligeramente. No hacía frío, pero si sentía una helada emoción invadirme producto de ingresar a un espacio ajeno muy parecido a una casa de espanto. La vista desde el lugar parecería haber sido extraída de un capítulo de la serie televisiva de los 90’s “Twin Peaks”, con la niebla, los pinos, la carretera y de fondo el lago (que en este caso es la represa

It is one in the morning, and I fear for what might happen during the day here in Cochabamba, the government or MAS (it's the same thing) have been bringing in truckloads of cocaleros, campesinos and other people. On thursday las week there was maybe 10000 people, mainly from the countryside even though some were local. On Friday after trucks of people and all local allies were called there was a gathering of maybe 20000 people, now after a weekend of what the government called a "truce" I have heard that maybe 150000 people have been truckloaded into the city. The government has a double talk, on one side it says there will be a solidare truce, but it is only because they need reinforcements. On the other side first it asked Manfred (local governor) to take back what he had said about having a local referendum. Now, it wants Manfred to resign. I really hope he will. The government is taking care that his opposition disappears. Of course, in this case, Manfred did help at being so stu

I will call this day and this month Black January, since the horrible situation is only comparable to Black October in La Paz, deaths, street fights, buildings destroyed and burned, this is all horrible and the fact that it keeps on going is responsability of the government since they are doing nothing (except blame others) to stop this. Initial information on the radios say that there are two people dead, 80+ people badly hurt. On the photograph above people from the MAS were throwing rocks and breaking windows in one of the cities streets. Local TV is showing how people are fighting on the streets. This is horrible, horrible bolivians vs bolivians.

This is a bit out of my usual subject of blogging, but tonight there was a hailstorm as I have never seen in Cochabamba, thank God it was actually quite short, not lasting more than twenty minutes, but the whole city is a mess and the white hail actually accumulated in several places. This is the nearest many people have seen to having our city with snow. The hail also produced damage in several places as I have heard, anyhow we will probably know more about this in the news tomorrow.I wonder if this will affect the South American Summit that had to start tomorrow, a pity.I attached some photographs of the hail, for Cochabamba where it doesn´t rain very much, this is the closest many people have been to snow in the city.

Today in the afternoon supporters of MAS were in the main square in Cochabamba. I wasn't there but I got to know about this on the radio in the taxi and the taxi driver also told me that the taxi company was broadcasting to their cabs to not get near the main square.A battle between MAS supporters, who are against the meeting of the opposition governors, and policeman was going on. A store in the main square had been vandalised, windows were broken and cell phones were stolen.Fortunelly the mob (force of the people) were not well informed and the meeting place for the governors had been changed and they were not able to stop it from happening.Seems that the "people" do not want a free oposition to even gather, are not we in a "free" country anymore? The government is making sure that no opposition is able to stop their plans, doesn't matter if they have to use techniques which limit the basic rights of people. I do not agree with this and think the government's arguments about doing