Chiflon Qaqa tour - The ascent
16 ottobre 2017, Bolivia ⋅ 🌧 10 °C
After staying at the falls for about 15-20 minutes, we started the steep ascent to the top of the canyon via a different route. The views as had been the trend since morning were truly amazing.
Chiflon Qaqa tour - Views at the top
16 ottobre 2017, Bolivia ⋅ 🌧 10 °C
At the top of the canyon, we actually saw the hills around Toro Toro. These were the same hills that we had seen in the pre-Inca paintings below in the canyon.
Chiflon Qaqa tour - More dinosaur prints
16 ottobre 2017, Bolivia ⋅ 🌧 10 °C
A few meters walk from the canyon top, we came to a region which was rich with dinosaur prints. Tgey were spread all over the flat plain. Where ever the top soil had been eroded, the stone below jadLeggi altro
Chiflon Qaqa tour - Tankar Pampa
16 ottobre 2017, Bolivia ⋅ 🌧 10 °C
As we walked further, we came across a most unique and amazing natural stone formations spread out over a large area. These seem to have been blasted into the current shape by wind and samd erosion.Leggi altro
Chiflon Qaqa tour - Dinosaur fossils
16 ottobre 2017, Bolivia ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C
After the Tankar Pampa, we came across another area which was rich in dinosaur footprints and even fossils.
Chiflon Qaqa tour - Back to the village
16 ottobre 2017, Bolivia ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C
By the time we started the walk back to the village, the time was almost 5 pm. The drizzle had continued all the while. From the top, we could see the rain clouds pouring down on the hills nearby. WeLeggi altro
Siete Vueltas Tour - start
17 ottobre 2017, Bolivia ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C
Today we had planned to go to the full day tour of the Umajalanta Caves anx and the Itas formations, but neither of us woke up at 6 in the morning. We were extremely tired and continued sleeping tillLeggi altro
Siete Vueltas Tour - going back in time
17 ottobre 2017, Bolivia ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C
As we started climbing the hill, we started crossing the layers that had been uplifted and turned. It was like a walk back into the time. With each layer, we could see the details of the era from theLeggi altro
Siete Vueltas Tour - 1st fossil area
17 ottobre 2017, Bolivia ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C
Deep into the hill in the valley was a huge collection of aquatic fossils. The whole layer runs for about 30 kms across many of the hills nearby. Its a protected area.
Siete Vueltas Tour - 2nd fossil area
17 ottobre 2017, Bolivia ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C
We climbed a bit higher and reached the 2nd major cash area for the marine fossils.
Siete Vueltas Tour - to the top
17 ottobre 2017, Bolivia ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C
After coming down a bit, we were supposed to take an alternate route back to the village. There we decided to also go to the top of the peak we were passing. It was a steep ascent at some of theLeggi altro
Siete Vueltas Tour - At the top
17 ottobre 2017, Bolivia ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C
It was hard work reaching the top, but the viees were magnificent.
Siete Vueltas Tour - The descent
17 ottobre 2017, Bolivia ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C
The descent was a steep scrambling down the nearly vertical face of the cliff.
As we reached the bottom of the hill, we noticed the heavy clouds coming in from the other side of the hill. There was aLeggi altro
The hail and downpour
17 ottobre 2017, Bolivia ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C
We reached the hostel just in time. The rain had not started yet. The clouds were rolling in. We rushed to the terrace to remove the clothes and just in time. Within 5 min of our coming down it staredLeggi altro
Cuidad de Itas
18 ottobre 2017, Bolivia ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C
Cuidad de Itas in the Ghurini language means the city of the rocks. Its a place high up in the mountains made of natural rock formations. It was used by robbers to snatch bulls and cattle and hideLeggi altro
Itas - walk to the back of the stones
18 ottobre 2017, Bolivia ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C
The Itas is basically a collection of natural stone carvations at the top of the hill
There are many interesting formations in the shape of caves and natural arches. From the start of the boulders toLeggi altro
Itas - a bird's eye view
18 ottobre 2017, Bolivia ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C
At the end of the trek, we climbed up a narrow path between two boulders. From the top was a magnificent view of the canyon where the robbers used to hide the cattle.
Itas - The 1st cavernous formations
18 ottobre 2017, Bolivia ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C
From the top, we climbed down into the canyon. There were many catedral like cavernous formations beautiful carved out by thousands of years of erosion. The sunlight reflecting from the floor belowLeggi altro
Itas - The 2nd chamber
18 ottobre 2017, Bolivia ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C
We continued further into the formations amd came to the 2nd chamber formed by erosion. Here too, the effect of the light was mesmerizing on the smooth surfaces of the rocks.
Viaggiatore
It is very strange that the interiors of caves are so smooth & beautifully profiled as if some sculpture has done this amazing job.
Itas - The elephant formation
18 ottobre 2017, Bolivia ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C
Outside of the 2nd chamber, we saw a natural elephant formation made from erosion. Even the outer surface of the head amd the trunk looked exactly as the texture of an elephant's skin.
Further on, weLeggi altro
Itas - The exit
18 ottobre 2017, Bolivia ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C
A few meters further we found ourselves in the mid of the canyon. From there a narrow passageway led us out of the fairytale land.
Itas - Cave paintings
18 ottobre 2017, Bolivia ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C
On the trek back, we saw some cave painting on a flat wall of a boulder. The painting was made most probably from the blood of a sacrificial animal. The guide told us the age of the paintings to beLeggi altro
Itas - 3rd chamber
18 ottobre 2017, Bolivia ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C
The 3rd chamber looked small from outside but was huge inside. The was a beautiful ray of light falling right in the middle of the chamber making it into a magical place. There was also a bridge likeLeggi altro
Itas - 4th chamber
18 ottobre 2017, Bolivia ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C
A bit further was the 4th chamber with similar erosion formations. There was also water inside so we got some amazing pictures.
Itas - 5th chamber
18 ottobre 2017, Bolivia ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C
The 5th chamber had some deep formations almost like a cave but there was a small opening in the innermost chamber giving it a very mystical feel.
