Sorata

Women preparing a field for planting

Sorata is situated in the Cordillera Real about four hours north east of  La Paz. Its like Scotland in many respects, steep hills and  lots of rain. 

It started off badly as I asked a police man for directions to a campsite but the bastard sent me the wrong way, thankfully some kids on their way home from school were going in the same direction, these children have some walk to school as it was like climbing a Munroe as we left the town and took fairly brutal 20 minutes .

I was beginning to think I was crazy camping here as the weather was like midsummer Argyll on the first day, sporadic driving rain followed by a short dry spell then more rain. The surrounding hills shrouded in mist, I did wonder why I had come here. The next day however I awoke, with the sun beating down on my tent and it was such a beautiful place, towering over the town was the mountain of Illampu, glistening in the sun.

I walked down a dirt road for several miles through several small hamlets, until in the midst of all this spectacular scenery I came upon the local binmen "unloading" the towns rubbish over a cliff face which was directly above the river! I was quite disgusted, but given their circumstances and that it is the poorest country in South America I think that they have few other options. 

Coca and houses.

Sorata with the Cordillera Real as an impressive backdrop!

View from the road across the valley, there are little hamlets scattered throughout the area, which would make for some interesting visits.

Taliban style taxi on a road with crazily steep drops from the side, and innumerable bits where landslides had taken the road down the hill

The local bin men emptying the rubbish at the local landfill

Illampu towering over the town

Chickens getting out of the torrential down pour

Typical Sorata street, steep, unpaved with a stream running down the middle.