Bolivia Expedition Dispatch
June 21, 2010 – Driving to Sajama
This is Leila Silveira reporting from the village of Sajama. The team was ready early this morning for our next adventure, Sajama, the highest peak in Bolivia at an altitude of 6,549m/21,490ft. We left La Paz around 11am and at 1:30 in the afternoon we stopped in a small village where Simon had our lunch ready for us.
The church in Altiplano
Our next stop was in another village that had an absolutely beautiful church that was built in the 1500's. Over the past couple of years, lots of renovations have happened and now it's an active church with lights, chairs and even a priest who resides on location and gives a weekly mass to the locals. Today was the summer solstice, which the Ayamra people celebrate as the New Year so when we got to the church there was a parade going on that we stopped to watch.
We kept driving towards the village of Sajama and not long after that we started seeing views of Sajama on the horizon. Sajama lies just 25 km away from the Chilean border. This place is really magical, and unlike any other landscape that I've ever seen. A flat plateau surrounded by volcanoes.
Our hotel is away from the village and near a hot spring which we are all planning to jump in after the climb. Looking forward to it!
Another view of the steeple
The view from on top of the church tower
The walls of the church
A depiction of baptism by blood
View of Sajama from the village
Sajama at sunset
The hot spring at the village of Sajama