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A second trip we've taken with the Escuela Runawasi was to the Hinajosa's "Pauhuichi" in Copacabana. A pauhuichi is a type of house that is used in the jungle. It has two stories with a roof but usually has no walls (although it may contain an enclosed room.) The upper story is used for sleeping while daily activities are carried on the ground floor. The Copacabana referred to here is not the religious site near Lake Titicaca; it is a settlement in the "Chapare," the coca-growing, jungle region north of the city of Cochabamba.

To get to Copacabana, one must first get to the nearby town of Villa Tunari, approximately 160 kilometers (on good, paved road) from Cochabamba. The trip is spectacular. After climbing up over the mountains to the north of Cochabamba, one immediately enters the cloud forest and then plunges down, down, down into the rain forest. Orchids dot the path all along the way; some have adapted to tiny micro-environments and are found for short distances along the road. The overall scene changes drastically - the initial spartan altiplano landscape quickly gives way to a lust, overgrown jungle.

After arriving in Villa Tunai, the remainder of the trip is relatively short. One must cross the Rio Espiritu Santo (Holy Spirit River) in a dugout canoe and then walk down a jungle trail for several miles.

	The cloud forest is well named. This is the highway up in the cloud forest.		Maria and Janine crossing the Rio Espiritu Santo.
	This is the Hinajosa's pauhuichi. When they bought this property there were many coca plants growing on it. Early one morning the army arrived unannounced and cut all but one down.		There is no running water or electricity in Copacabana. This is the toilet.
	The Swiss were very good at making meals; this is Maria, Livia, and Frene chopping their way toward lunch.		This is Melissa and Anne swinging in a hammock. It was supposed to warm in the Chapare. However, it was very cold and wet. That's why everyone is wearing heavy clothing.
	The Rio Espiritu Santo and the Rio San Mateo come together at Villa Tunari to form the Rio Chapare.		The weather finally warmed up on our last day. We hiked to the river and took a swim. Nicole, Anne, and Mara are in the foreground. The Andes are off in the distance.


This is some of the flora found in the Chapare. Pineapples and philadendon grow wild here.				This is a termite nest.

Bolivia, 2001