Bolivia - Coroico Eco Bambu Mandal

Project location: COROICO is a Bolivian population situaded 100km from La Paz and is the capital of the province Nor Yungas.

It has a temperate to warm/hot climate depending on the season and is one of the principal tourist destinations of the provinces of La Paz.



The population is aymaras (indigenous peoples), afro-bolivianos, mestizos, and foreigners. The town yields to all types of service, also the town itself is picturesque and one can appreciate from whatever point the majestic mountains, captivated in its full leafy natured effulgence.

Some minutes away in an automobile and an hour walk, you will find yourself along the flowing veins of mother nature's Black rivers and Coriguayo.
Also you can enjoy the surrounding furtile energy of the coca, banana, coffee and citric fruit plantations, which is the means of survival for this region-along with tourism too.

The Afro-Bolivian community Tocaña is located near this sector, where we are able to relish ourselves with their culture through their traditional dances and the quality in which characterizes their people.




To arrive at Coroico from La Paz:

· Take the normal highway
· Take the famous highway "The Highway of the Dead" with breathtaking views and panorams.
· Walk following the precolombian tourist path "El Choro" that last 3 days.


The Yungas is a region of Bolivia located to the northeast from the city of La Paz.
It's situated at the downhills of the eastern cordillera of the Andes towards the amazonian basin with a varied altitude that varies from 600 to 2.500 meters above sea level.

Yunga belongs to an ecosystem that is characterized for being humid with fog and precipitation, also it's home to succulent green hillsides, cliffs, rivers, waterfalls, and exuberant vegetation.

Of the entire country, Yunga is one of the richest eco-regions that contains an abundant quantity of species of animals and vegetation. For example, the tapir, peccary (wild hog), agouti (rodent), otter, weasel, monkeys, jaguars, foxes, ferrets, coati raccoons, guinea pigs, mouse opossums, and birds.

In the warm Bolivian Yungas valleys it's common to see terraces carved out to cultivate coca, coffee, sugar cane, bananas, papayas, lacayotes (squash), lúcumas, amaranto (kiwicha), achupallas o bromelias (flowers), corn etc.

Ethnologically, the Yungas is the name given to mixed peoples of the region with melanoafricanas origins; who were descendents of African slaves brought to the Americas to work in the "mitas", the Peruvian mines during spanish colonialism. Later they estableshed themselves in the warm, damp and humid valleys of the eastern Bolivian region of the Andes.

HOW TO CONTACT US

For more questions write us in english, spanish, french or italian at the following email:

voluntariosarica@yahoo.es

Also you can call us at the following numbers:

- (0056) 989730227 - Chile (en español, ingles, francés o italiano)
- (00591) 2413485 - Bolivia (en ingles o español)
- (00591) 71551831 - Bolivia (en español)

HOW TO ARRIVE TO COROICO

From the city of La Paz it's easy and safe to arrive at the finca with public transportation including some members of the finca would be more then happy to accompany you there.

1. Take a minibus at the ex-gasolinera of Villa Fatima terminal (La Paz) that takes you to Coroico's terminal, for the price of 15-25 bolivianos ($2-4) with a trip duration of 2hrs and 30minutes.

2. Get off at the terminal in Coroico, walk 5 minutes climbing the stairs of the terminal until you reach the center (el centro).

3. From there take a minibus for 3.50 bolivianos directly to Carmen Pampa, 15 minutes.

4. Ask the driver to get off at the Hotel Finca, the Monastery is the property that follows.

Also in the city of La Paz you can take a taxi for 200-300 bolivianos ($28-40) directly to the finca.

There exist the option of walking the precolombian tourist path called "El Choro" that last 3 days, depending on the walking velocity.

For more information please don't hesitate to contact us via mail or by calling us:

voluntariosarica@yahoo.es

- (0056) 989730227 Chile (en español, ingles, francés o italiano)
- (00591) 2413485 Bolivia (en ingles o español)
- (00591) 71551831 Bolivia (en español)

read more and see more pictures:
http://volunteeringbolivia.blogspot.com

WHAT TO BRING TO COROICO

For your comfort bring the following:

- sleeping bag
- warm clothes and rain-proof garments
- flashlight
- hygiene bag (toothbruh, shampoo,etc)
- notebook, pen and USB (memory) to share information
- hat, natural sun-screen (block, protector) and natural bug repelant.

Realize that the eco-village is situated in a raw, rural environment with subtropical climate and that it is still in its first sprouts of constructional existance. Being here is determined by austere conditions.

AVAILABLE SERVICE AT COROICO

The eco-village is still under construction but there's the availability of rooms for volunteers and an area for camping.

The eco-village has electric connection(220volt), water and gas.

There's the possibility to take therapeutic alternatives, yoga, mantra, and hindu music classes as well.

HOW IT WORKS

As explained earlier in "Volunteer at Coroico" the volunteer will do 6 hours of service, at a cost of $ 7.00 (US dolares) daily.

This includes:

• 3 lacto-vegetarian meals daily
• houseing in shared rooms and seperated by gender
• possibility to camp
• daily clases on vedic philosophy, meditation mantras, hindu music
• yoga clases and natural therapeutics (when available)





This is the old road to Coroico. It is no more used for busses, because of the simple reason that it is the most deadly road in the world.