Valle de la Luna - Valley Of The Moons
A few miles outside of La Paz is the Valley Of The Moons, a landscape riddled with large sandstone formations, shaped over thousands of years by different forces, mainly the wind. If I said that La Paz was like living in the Bryce Canyon, then the Valley Of The Moons is its centerpiece. It is a wonderful walk and good for hikers, not to mention a great opportunity for a picnic.
The drive up there is unique in itself. You leave Calacotto and follow the river along the red mountains. From there it is a steady climb up to the Valle De La Luna, and there will be plenty of the Andes’ peaks on the way to admire. I watch a group of High Schoolers run down the mountain, which makes me smile. They better save their breath, I am thinking, unless they want to take a taxi back up there. Meanwhile, the mountains on the other side of the river multiply the further we climb. The mountains are red with green tufts of trees and a blue background, courtesy of the clear sky today. Every look outside of the window is a photo opportunity, every picture I mentally snap a postcard.
We park the car between rows of stones that are masquerading as parking lots. The entrance to the Valley Of The Moons is a whopping three Bolivianos per person, less than fifty cents. Well worth it, I’d say. Inside, the first (and last, as it turns out) merchant solicits us with handcrafted flutes that he plays for us. Since our kids already have an entire orchestra worth of instruments, we pass. Time to literally take a hike.
Almost every stone monolith with distinct features has a name. One rock formation might look like a cholita’s hat, for example, and will be named accordingly. Another looks like a cloud, another like a particular instrument. There are no railings along the paths which means one misstep will land you in deep crevices twenty or thirty feet deep. This is not the place to walk too hastily. Better to enjoy the views and watch your step than have somebody pull you out of a hole with a rope.
Alain, our French friend, must have snapped a few rolls worth of film by the time we’ve completed the hike. Not hard to do. From one point you can snap pictures of La Paz in the distance, from another a dried out canyon where a river used to be. Add the various rock formations that almost assume human forms, and you might have yourself a complete album by the time you’re done.
We stop at the shop, where Alain buys a handcrafted woolen hat to protect himself from the sun. On the counter of the shop I can still see miniature wooden models of houses, suitcases of money, and chickens, all remnants from the Alasita festival.
A wonderful day, for certain, and another reminder of how La Paz is half city, half national park. Hard to imagine that we’ve only scratched the surface of the various possibilities La Paz and Bolivia have to offer. Next week is carnival and a four day weekend, meaning our next chance won’t be too far away.
The drive up there is unique in itself. You leave Calacotto and follow the river along the red mountains. From there it is a steady climb up to the Valle De La Luna, and there will be plenty of the Andes’ peaks on the way to admire. I watch a group of High Schoolers run down the mountain, which makes me smile. They better save their breath, I am thinking, unless they want to take a taxi back up there. Meanwhile, the mountains on the other side of the river multiply the further we climb. The mountains are red with green tufts of trees and a blue background, courtesy of the clear sky today. Every look outside of the window is a photo opportunity, every picture I mentally snap a postcard.
We park the car between rows of stones that are masquerading as parking lots. The entrance to the Valley Of The Moons is a whopping three Bolivianos per person, less than fifty cents. Well worth it, I’d say. Inside, the first (and last, as it turns out) merchant solicits us with handcrafted flutes that he plays for us. Since our kids already have an entire orchestra worth of instruments, we pass. Time to literally take a hike.
Almost every stone monolith with distinct features has a name. One rock formation might look like a cholita’s hat, for example, and will be named accordingly. Another looks like a cloud, another like a particular instrument. There are no railings along the paths which means one misstep will land you in deep crevices twenty or thirty feet deep. This is not the place to walk too hastily. Better to enjoy the views and watch your step than have somebody pull you out of a hole with a rope.
Alain, our French friend, must have snapped a few rolls worth of film by the time we’ve completed the hike. Not hard to do. From one point you can snap pictures of La Paz in the distance, from another a dried out canyon where a river used to be. Add the various rock formations that almost assume human forms, and you might have yourself a complete album by the time you’re done.
We stop at the shop, where Alain buys a handcrafted woolen hat to protect himself from the sun. On the counter of the shop I can still see miniature wooden models of houses, suitcases of money, and chickens, all remnants from the Alasita festival.
A wonderful day, for certain, and another reminder of how La Paz is half city, half national park. Hard to imagine that we’ve only scratched the surface of the various possibilities La Paz and Bolivia have to offer. Next week is carnival and a four day weekend, meaning our next chance won’t be too far away.
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