Larry Memmott's Blog

Diplomats are crazy about maps, and I am no exception.  So if this post seems over the top, please chalk it up to my profession and just use what you find useful. My own preferences in maps, though I love them all, are topo maps and my GPS.  When I’m at home, Google Earth and […]

The small, but interesting, archaeological site at Cala Cala, less than 15 miles from Oruro, together with the colonial-era chapel in Sepulturas, along the way, make for a very pleasant half-day trip from Oruro.  If you have a full day for an excursion, you could certainly pack a picnic and spend a few hours hiking around the […]

  Caquiaviri is a small town on the road to Charaña, which is on the border with Chile and Peru, north of Tambo Quemado.  It’s a great destination for a day trip from La Paz, and it will soon be an even better destination. According to German Ambassador Philipp Schauer, in his book, “Tour Guide […]

This is one of the places I used to travel to at least monthly to hike, fish, camp, and just relax.  It’s quite changed, now.  All the “lagunas” have been dammed, and in several cases, they are fundamentally different from what they used to be, with their surrounding bofedales now almost entirely underwater.  That said, […]

This is a great little trip, especially if you hike it.  And since there is also a road, you might be able to get someone to drive and that way you only need to hike in one direction. Laguna Serkhe Kkota (Q’uta is Aymara for lake, and gets masacred in place names throughout this part […]

  Some people don’t get very excited about the Chullpas (or Chullpares, as they are also called).  Personally, I think they are cool.  These tombs, built during the period between the end of the Tihuanaco empire and the Spanish conquest (including during Inca times) by the Aymara people, still stand all across the Altiplano.  Although […]

This is probably my favorite place close to La Paz.  It’s the most inaccessible set of lakes up the Khallapa River Valley, is the most challenging hike, and the payback is also the highest.  Laguna Jachcha Khasiri is quite large and a spectacular blue color.  The small lake another mile beyond is unnamed on the […]

There are other ways to make a trip to the Sajama National Park into an interesting, and much longer, loop trip.  Probably the best is via the Ciudad de Piedra, which is to the north west of the park.  However, even if you take a different route, you should make time to drive the old […]

To my mind, there are two places you can stay in the Parque Nacional Sajama.  The best is your own tent.  A close second best is the Albergue Tomarapi.  The difference between the two is not as great as you might initially think. Albergue Tomarapi The Albergue is a lovely little guesthouse, with small rooms […]

Queñua Tree I’m sure it is very satisfying to reach the peak of a mountain after a long and arduous climb.  To me, though, it seems like the few minutes of satisfaction would be poor compensation for the long, arduous, climb.  For that reason, my “peaking” has been limited to some pretty easy and low […]