Enjoying Bolivia 193Cochabamba
The bus from La Paz stops at the fi nal summit before its
spiralling descent into Cochabamba. The passenger peers
down from the rim of a precipice over an immense and jagged
cavity into a city grid three hours below— Cochabamba,
sweeping out over the only fl at space in sight.
The open space of Cochabamba, a wider and deeper hole
in the Andes, alleviates cases of La Paz-triggered agoraphobia
and other more exotic maladies such as hyper-asymmetry
syndrome. With my first stroll through Cochabamba’s
expansive parks, bicycle-friendly streets and alternate routes
that elude congestion, I identify with the mouse that has just
been released from a maze.
Once nicknamed ‘The Garden City’ and still referred to as
the breadbasket of Bolivia, Cochabamba has been stricken in
recent years by a drought so prolonged that the city’s once
voluminous river has dried to a trickle.
Yet coming from La Paz, I was impressed by the greenery
on Cochabamba’s wide boulevards and in its large parks.
On 24 September 1995, Cochabamba made a symbolic
commitment by declaring Ecology Day and prohibiting
the use of private vehicles for the day. Shortly after, as if
responding to the declaration, the summer rains arrived,
with more zeal than in previous years.
The word ‘water’ has been the mantra of most local
residents in recent years, and triggered massive uprisings
in 2000. The ‘Water War’ (detailed in Chapter Two, Overview
of Land and History) eventually led to the expulsion of
a Bechtel-led group of privatising companies that had
hiked water prices beyond the budget of the average
Cochabamba resident.
Cochabamba’s warm days,
and its cool nights so ideal for
those who like to sleep under a
comforting quilt, are the result
of its 2,570 m (8,430 ft) altitude.
Lacking a profusion of tourist
attractions compared to Sucre or
Potosí, this city of nearly half a
Hiking in the nearby Parque
Nacional Tunari’s forested
slopes above the city, one
encounters small waterfalls,
wildfl owers and trout lagoons.
This park is more developed
and accessible than the
usual Bolivian national parks.
Surprise: it has a picnic area and
a playground!