Overview of Land and History 7Setting
Setting in most places is like stage scenery, a background for
the plot of daily life. Though known for its romance, the Eiffel
Tower never intervenes in a love affair. The Grand Canyon
poses for pictures without enticing its admirers to remain at
the rim for weeks and cancel the rest of their holiday.
In Bolivia, the diverse and contradictory settings are
much more intrusive and will function as protagonists
or antagonists, interacting dynamically with you, the
main character.
The altitude of La Paz can intervene to determine the
result of a football game. The coca leaf catalyses international
incidents. The downward spiralling road into the dense
Yungas valleys propels ‘gravity-assisted cyclers’. The paucity
of highways and the abundance of stones along the way
allows for road blockades that can overthrow presidents. The
Pachamama (Mother Earth) presides over festivals and joyous
occasions. How you get along with these protagonists and
antagonists will help determine the plot of your own story.
Fortunately, in Bolivia you may choose your setting. Among
the choices, almost every possible world climate and terrain
exists, excepting a seacoast. (Bolivia became landlocked
following defeat against Chile and British saltpeter interests
in the ‘Pacifi c War’ (1879–1884), losing the inhospitable but
economically strategic sea coast in the most arid desert in
the world, the Atacama.)