The Archaeology and Culture of BoliviaWith ProfessorJohn Wayne Janusek
June 5 - 20, 2012
Join Far Horizons on an extraordinary 16-day journey through Bolivia that includes magnificent archaeological sites, indigenous peoples still wearing colorful dress, striking colonial cities created by the Spanish conquerers, and all five of Bolivia’s stunning UNESCO World Heritage Sites – Potosi and its mountain of silver; Sucre, filled with beautiful colonial buildings; Samaipata’s temple andextraordinary rock art; Tiwanaku, one of the most spectacular 
sites in the Andes; and the Jesuit Mission Churches of Chiquitos.
The itinerary also includes Inkallajta, a stunning example of Inka architectural ingenuity, and the remote site of Chiripa, an early village. And on Lake Titicaca, explore the sacred Island of the Sun where the Inka believed the Sun, gods, and civilization were born, and experience spectacular sunsets over these crystal waters two miles above sea level. A highlight of the trip will be a visit to Khonkho Wakane, where our study leader has spent the last ten years excavating.
(B) breakfast, (L) lunch, (D) dinner
Day 1: Depart Miami on the overnight flight to La Paz.
Day 2: Our early morning arrival brings us to La Paz where, in order to move to a lower altitude, we board a flight to Cochabamba. Upon arrival, transfer to our hotel with time to freshen up after the journey. In the afternoon, visit the city’s archaeology museum. Gather this evening for a welcome dinner party. Overnight two nights in Cochabamba at the four star Hotel Aranjuez. (D)
Day 3: Today’s all day journey takes us to the little known and seldom visited ruins of Inkallajta, the most important Inka site in Bolivia. Surrounded by steep hills with flowing mountain streams and bordered by a lovely waterfall, the location of the city is stunning. Emperor Tupa Inka Yupanqui, the son of Pachacuti, founded this frontier outpost on the easternmost of the Inka Empire most likely between 1463 and 1472. It is an enormous complex made of stone with close to forty buildings and a defensive wall. (B/L/D)
Day 4: Board a morning flight to Sucre and drive to Potosi, famed for its Cerro Rico, or ‘rich hill’. Besides plundering the gold of the Inkas in Peru and the Aztecs in Mexico, in 1544 the conquistadors discovered this mountain of ore and quickly turned it into the major supply of silver for Spain during the period of the New World Spanish Empire. It is estimated that 70,000 metric tons of silver were produced over a 400 year period. The population reached almost 200,000 in the silver boom times of the 17th century, when the city was larger than London or Paris. At that time more than eighty six churches were built, opulent homes were created to house the prosperous, water reservoirs were built to fulfill the growing population's needs, and, in 1672, a mint was established to coin the silver. The city has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in recognition of its rich history and the wealth of colonial mansions and religious buildings sitting picturesquely along its narrow streets. Overnight in Potosi at the Hotel Colonial. (B/L/D)
Day 5: Our leisurely tour of Potosi takes us to several important buildings. Begin with La Casa de la Moneda, the 18th century mint constructed on the site where silver was extracted, to view its exhibits on gold and silver coins, modern artworks and religious paintings. Dominated by two huge towers, the 16th century cathedral is supported by massive columns and vaults. Among the many churches, San Benito Church is topped by spectacular Byzantine domes, and San Lorenzo Church contains elaborate Baroque carvings by 16th century artisans. In the afternoon, return to Sucre and overnight for two nights in the Parador de Santa Maria. (B/L/D)
Day 6: Drive to Tarabuco, a village well known for finely-made hand-woven textiles and the unique Tarabuqueno style of dress. Men wear short pants, sandals, elaborately woven ponchos, and decorative monteras, leather hats shaped after Spanish Conquistador helmets. These cultural curiosities are magnificently displayed every Sunday at the local market where Native people gather to display, sell, and purchase goods produced in the town and surrounding communities. In the afternoon return to Sucre, Bolivia’s constitutional capital and home of the Supreme Court. Home to a large indigenous population who maintain their traditional clothing and customs, Sucre is a charming city highlighted by beautiful white colonial buildings topped by red-tiled roofs and distinctive balconies hanging over the narrow streets. Sucre has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its varied history and wealth of historical architecture. (B/L/D)
Day 7: Transfer to the Sucre airport for the return flight to La Paz. This afternoon, explore several interesting and curious sites. Located inside the tourist handicraft market, the Witches Market displays a variety of fascinating ingredients used to influence the many spirits that populate the Aymara world - herbs, folk remedies, soapstone figurines as well as aphrodisiac formulas. But probably the most disconcerting are the llama fetuses, purchased to be buried in the foundations of new constructions or businesses as a cha'lla (offering) to the goddess Pachamama. This sacrifice encourages the goddess to protect the workers from accidents and to bring good luck. The Museum of Precious Metals contains Pre-Columbian treasures that include ornaments and offerings made of gold, silver and bronze. The Coca Museum is devoted to this controversial plant which plays a huge part in the culture and history of the Andean people. And the Bolivian-Andean Textile Museum exhibits a broad variety of textiles, weavings, 
male and female clothing from all around the Andes. Overnight for three nights in La Paz in the Rey Palace, a four-star superior hotel. (B/L/D)
Day 8: Travel to Tiwanaku, the ritual and administrative capital of a mighty pre-Hispanic empire that dominated a large area of the southern Andes and was one of the great centers of native Andean cultures. From around AD 100 to AD 1000, this was the seat of power for a vast empire and the architecture bears striking witness to its power. Located on the southern shores of Lake Titicaca, the city is filled with megalithic monuments, temples, and plazas. The impressive stone Puerta del Sol, or Sun Gate, is covered with incised figures and has become a symbol of Bolivia. Return to La Paz with dinner on our own to discover one of the city’s fine restaurants. (B/L)
Day 9: Today the Aymara, descendants of the builders of Tiwanaku, are reviving the ancient agricultural methods used by their ancestors to support vast populations and this morning we have the opportunity to see raised fields in use. Explore Chiripa, a pre-Tiwanaku village, before moving on to Khonkho Wankane where Professor Janusek has spent several years unfolding the layers of history during archaeological excavations. Our drive takes us to the very edge of Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world where we will visit Kala Huta, or House of Stone, one of the most fascinating places on the Lake with its multitude of Inka and pre-Inka stone buildings. Return to La Paz with dinner on our own. (B/L)
Day 10: Drive to Copacabana, built in Spanish Colonial times on the foundations of an earlier Inka shrine. The Basilica of Our Lady of Copacabana dominates the town with its gleaming white exterior, Moorish-style domes and colorful azulejos, or Portuguese-style blue ceramic tiles. Kotakawana was the god of the fertility in ancient Andean mythology and the basilica was erected where the main temple of the god once was located. It now houses a black wooden statue of the Virgin Mary and is a pilgrimage site for the entire region, famous for miracles attributed to the Black Madonna. In the afternoon, motor across Lake Titicaca, the world’s highest navigable lake, and overnight for two nights in La Estancia on the Island of the Sun. (B/L/D)
Day 11: Travel by boat to the Isla de la Luna, or Island of the Moon, known in earlier times by its Quechua name of Koat. This was the place where Viracocha, the white-bearded god of the Inka commanded the moon to rise into the sky. Then explore the Isla del Sol, Island of the Sun, at the location known as the sacred rock that past people of the former empire believed the sun and the gods were born. Many present day Aymara and Quechua peoples still hold these beliefs. The Isla del Sol shows extensive evidence of prehistoric settlement and the sacred nature of the place. (B/L/D)
Day 12: As we journey back to La Paz, stop at a museum to see how the reed boats used on Lake Titicaca are made. After lunch, board our flight to Santa Cruz in the eastern Amazon basin area. The city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra was founded in the 15th century in honor of a city in Extremadura, Spain. It is perhaps the liveliest city in Bolivia and completely different from the highlands both in population and climate. Today Santa Cruz is a bustling modern city but it still retains a bit of a frontier feeling. Here, find people from all occupations and areas of the world. Dinner is on our own. Overnight at the charming Hotel Buganvillas. (B/L)
Day 13: Around Santa Cruz lie the Bolivian tropical low lands, holding a unique and fascinating history and precious heritage. In the province of Chiquitos, the vast, sparsely populated tropical area northeast of Santa Cruz, we encounter the finest examples of religious architecture in the country. Six delightful Jesuit Missions, all of them UNESCO World Heritage Sites, are true Colonial jewels and a testimony of the Spaniards' obsession to convert the Native people to Catholicism. They are the finest example of colonial religious art in the country, magnificent and grand yet intimate and personal works of art featuring massive hand-carved wooden altars often covered in gold, wall paintings, wooden pulpits, and impressive wooden columns. Today’s drive will take us to two of these missions – San Javier and Concepción. (B/L/D)
Day 14: The city of Concepción boasts a missionary museum which exhibits photos of the process of the restoration of the churches and features pieces of the church’s giant hand carved wooden columns, and fragments of murals and other ornamental pieces. We visit the Jesuit Museum and Workshop before returning to Santa Cruz. Overnight for two nights at the Hotel Buganvillas. Dinner is on our own. (B/L)
Day 15: Drive three hours west to Samaipata, Bolivia’s largest pre-Inka site and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Known to have been occupied and used as a ritual and residential center by people belonging to the Mojocoyas culture as early as AD 300, Samaipata bears extraordinary witness to the existence in this region of a political culture with highly developed religious traditions, illustrated dramatically in the form of the ceremonial temple and its immense rock sculptures. Gather this evening for our final dinner party in a local restaurant. (B/L/D)
Day 16: Depart Santa Cruz for the USA. (B)
John Wayne Janusek received is BA and MA in anthropology from the University of Illinois, Chicago, and his PhD in anthropology from the University of Chicago. Since 1998, he has been a professor at Vanderbilt University where he consistently is rated very high by his students. Dr. Janusek has worked in the Bolivian highlands since 1987, conducting archaeological research principally focused on the Tiwanaku civilization and its precursors. He is fluent in Spanish and has been a visiting scholar several times at the Universidad Mayor de San Andrés in La Paz. He has been a consultant on Bolivia for National Geographic and The Discovery Channel, and has been the invited lecturer within the United States and several foreign countries including Bolivia, Finland and Germany. Professor Janusek has published numerous publications and articles, and is the author of Identity and Power in the Ancient Andes: Tiwanaku Cities through Time and Ancient Tiwanaku. Professor Janusek is an exceptional teacher with a special talent for displaying the distant past in ways that make it seem vividly present.
June 5 - 20, 2012
$8,295.00 (per person, double occupancy) includes round trip international airfare from a Miami to La Paz and returning from Santa Cruz; four Bolivian internal flights, all hotels, most meals as listed in the itinerary, ground transportation, entry and service fees.
Cost Does Not Include: A separate $150 donation check made out to a designated donation project; passport or visa fees; airport or departure taxes; beverages or food not included on regular menus; laundry; excess baggage charges; personal tips; gratuities to guides and drivers; alcoholic drinks; email, telephone and fax charges; or other items of a personal nature.
Single Supplement: $775.00. Should a roommate be requested and one not be available, the single supplement will be charged.
Fuel Surcharges: Far Horizons must pass on price increases when additional fuel charges are levied.
Donation Checks: The cost of the trip does not include the separate donation check for $150.00. As a tour company that benefits from the historical, cultural and natural riches of our destinations, we have a policy of donating to scholars, archaeological and cultural projects, and museums in each of our destinations. This has created a bond with the academic community that allows you to gain an ‘insider’s view’ of work being done in each country. We ask that each participant write a check to the noteworthy project we designate. The donation amount is $150.00 per person and is made by check directly to the donation project. The donation is required as part of your registration and a donation project for this trip will be assigned shortly.
A deposit of $500.00 and the separate donation check for $150.00 (made out to the designated project) are required along with your registration form. Final payment is due 75 days before departure. Upon receipt of your deposit and completed registration form, you will be sent a reading list and a tour bulletin containing travel information. Prior to the trip, we will send links to various websites of pertinent interest to the trip. Click here to download our Registration Form.
Cancellations received in writing at least 75 days before departure will result in an administrative fee of $250.00. Cancellations received less than 75 days prior to departure will not receive a refund. If for any reason you are unable to complete the tour, we will not reimburse any fees. Registrants are strongly advised to buy travel insurance that includes trip cancellation.
If you do not fly on the designated group flight, you are responsible for all flight arrangements and transportation (including airport transfers) to join the group. If Far Horizons must change the trip dates or cancel the trip for any reason, Far Horizons is not responsible for any air ticket you may have purchased. If you issue your own international flight, please send the complete schedule as soon as you have it.
This trip is designed for energetic people who like to be active and have a spirit of adventure and a positive attitude. You should be in good physical condition and with the ability to travel at high altitudes. Many areas of Bolivia are at altitudes of as much as 14,000 feet. The ability to maintain a flexible mind-set, team spirit, and a good sense of humor are essential! If you have questions about your ability to handle this sort of challenge, please call us.
The private tours of archaeological sites and talks by specialists are scheduled in advance and include a donation to each. Specialists working at these sites are excited about showing their work to interested enthusiasts. However, please be aware that there may be times when the director or a member of the staff may not be onsite when our groups arrive due to other commitments, or that the date or time of our visit to their project must be changed.
THIS ARCHAEOLOGICAL TOUR TO BOLIVIA IS LIMITED TO 15 PARTICIPANTS
