The Yungas region in Bolivia, is a kind of paradise on earth that is very hard to leave.

As one comes down from the highlands to the Yungas, the rocky landscape gives way to colorful flora, to new smells and waterfalls that seem to fall from the sky. Further on, the vegetation thickens, until it becomes virgin rainforest. The valley soil is very fertile and abundant. Generous crops of fruit and vegetables, which supply the cities of the highland region, are cultivated here. Melons, mangos, papayas, bananas, and coffee are in abundance, among of the parrots and monkeys.

And the Coca, of course, a traditional part of this culture. In the heart of the valleys, the magnificent towns of Coroico and Chulumani gently welcome the traveler into their stupor. These towns are modest colonial antiquities lost among the fruit trees and the fragrant jasmine, a perfect stop into an idyllic setting where mosquitoes hardly exist. The Yungas offer many possibilities: 4WD discovery trips, hiking, unprecedented mountain bike crossings, white water rafting, or simply lazing around at great heights.

AGRICULTURE AND COCALEROS

About two-fifths of the working population is engaged in agriculture (including small numbers in hunting, forestry, and fishing), but farming accounts for only about one-seventh of the gross domestic product (GDP). Although peasant markets have grown in the northern cities, in roadside towns on the Altiplano, and around Cochabamba, subsistence farming remains widespread in the Andes.

Potatoes, which are available in thousands of varieties, have been a staple in the Andes since pre-Columbian times, centuries prior to the food’s introduction into Europe. Both potatoes and oca (another edible tuber) are indigenous to the northern Altiplano, where they are eaten mainly in the dehydrated forms known as chuño or tunta. The two important grains that ripen at this elevation, both highly nutritious, are quinoa and cañahua (cañihua). Other important crops there include barley, wheat, fava beans, and, around Lake Titicaca, corn (maize). Llamas and alpacas are raised in the Andean region and serve a variety of agricultural functions, although the use of the llama as a pack animal has decreased with the growth of truck transport.

Among the enormous variety of crops produced in the Yungas are coffee, cacao, citrus fruits, bananas, avocados, pineapples, mangoes, papayas, melons, chili peppers, sweet potatoes (yams), and cassava (manioc). Cultivation of coca leaves, the raw material in the processing of cocaine, continues to play a major role in the economy. In the warm, agreeable climate of the Valles, corn, wheat, barley, alfalfa, grapes, flowers, strawberries, peaches, and vegetables are grown, and sheep and dairy cattle are raised. This fertile region, which is characterized as the garden of Bolivia, has grown further in importance as more-systematic irrigation systems have been introduced and modern farming techniques used.

In the Oriente around Santa Cruz, soybeans are the main crop, and sugarcane, rice (dry and paddy), and cotton are also significant, as is the raising of beef cattle. Soybean production grew dramatically from 81,000 tons in 1986 to 862,000 tons in 1996. By the end of the century, soybeans were one of the most important sources of export earnings, and the area under soybean cultivation was increasing by 10 percent annually. Farther north, Beni department is notable for its large cattle ranches. Tropical hardwoods are exploited in the forests of northern La Paz, Pando, Beni, and Santa Cruz departments, although the logging of rainforests has become a matter of environmental concern.

Insights into the production of the coca leaf

The drug war in Bolivia has hit a brick wall. While the Bolivian government wiped out more than 70 percent of the nation’s coca production in the late 1990s, the U.S.-backed eradication program has ignited a firestorm of opposition from coca growers, called cocaleros, in the Chapare region of central Bolivia. A growing movement of coca growers has not only stopped the eradication program in its tracks, it has gained widespread popular support that nearly swept cocalero leader, Evo Morales, into the presidency.

Behind the failure of the U.S.-promoted eradication policy in the Chapare region is a gross misunderstanding of the use of coca leaves in Bolivia and elsewhere, say activists and experts attending the Out of the Shadows drug legalization conference in Merida, Mexico.

Coca leaves have been consumed and used for thousands of years in Bolivia for medicinal and religious purposes. Today, coca is primarily “consumed orally,” in a manner similar to chewing tobacco, but it is also used to make tea and in indigenous ceremonies.

The U.S. and Bolivian governments acknowledge this use – to a degree. A Bolivian law passed in 1988 allows for the production of coca on 12,000 hectares of land in the Los Yungas region near La Paz, which the U.S. government deems sufficient to meet domestic demand. The law rendered coca production in Chapare illegal, setting the stage for the conflict in the region that is raging today.

At the heart of the conflict, say cocaleros and other activists, is the unproven assumption that the 12,000 hectares of coca grown in Los Yungas is enough to meet local demand for traditional use. No evidence has been produced that demonstrates just how much coca is consumed in Bolivia and in surrounding countries. Moreover, the 12,000-hectare limit has not changed since 1988, while the population of Bolivia has increased by some two million.

Most people who grow and sell coca in Bolivia, do so primarily out of economic necessity. Alternative crop programs funded by the United States have been rejected by cocaleros from the Chapare region. They say they will never be able to make as much as they can growing coca, which can be harvested as many as four times a year, is easy to transport because of its light weight, and fetches far higher prices.

Geographical characteristics

Tucked between the Altiplano’s high plateau and the Amazonian valleys, stretching over 60 miles, the Yungas are deep and narrow intermediate valleys, which altitude varies between 800 and 2000 meters above sea level.

Tips

- on the way to Chulumani, in Chaco. Hotel El Castillo. A Scottish style manor built in the 30’s. Totally atypical but so charming... Swimming pool, barbecue option. Moderate cost (about $ 15 US per person).
- In Coroico. El Cafetal. At Dany’s we are welcomed with a smile in an enchanted scenery. As of recently, it is possible to sleep there (about $ 5 US per person) and they cook the best Roquefort steak in the world! To try by the swimming pool.
- Rafting. on the Coroico River, from the village of the same name. Day-excursion, adrenalin rush and superb scenery guaranteed all the way down the river. Around $ 30 US per person.
- Los vagantes stroll. From Coroico, a pleasant tour allowing the discovery of the local fauna and flora. Coca fields and crystal clear waterfalls, monkeys, parrot and armadillos (maybe) seem to magically appear along the way.
Check in any hotel for directions. To do alone or with a local guide (around 100 Bs for the day).

Highlights

On the way back from Coroico to Paz, one has to be quite bold! The road, following the narrow and steep valleys along side vertiginous precipices before reaching Cumbre pass, at el. 4650 m.a.s.l. one hour before reaching La Paz, is particularly amazing.
We will travel among numerous colorful and incredibly overloaded trucks, bringing citrus fruits and vegetables to the major part of the towns of the Altiplano.