- Sorata
Sorata is a small town in the
Bolivia nAndes , northwest ofLa Paz and east ofLake Titicaca . It has a population of approximately 5,000.It is a somewhat popular weekend getaway and a relaxing base camp for a growing number of
hiker s. It includes several small hotels, including a converted Italian mansion. In colonial days, Sorata provided a link to the Alto Benigold fields andrubber plantations, and a gateway to theAmazon Basin . In August 1781 it was the site of an unorthodox siege by the nephew ofTupac Amaru , Andres, and his 16,000 soldiers. They constructed dikes above the town, and when these had been filled with runoff from the slopes of the nearby peakIllampu , they opened the floodgates and the town was washed away.Deanna Swaney, Robert Strauss, "Bolivia" (Second Edition), Lonely Planet, 1992.] The siege is mentioned in Herbert S. Klein, "Bolivia: the evolution of a multi-ethnic society" (second edition), Oxford, 1992; however that book makes no mention of the tactic of flooding the town.] The citizens of Sorata have, in recent history, violently opposed what they see as the rule of a too centralised government. For example, in the summer of 2005, the town was blockaded and inaccessible for several days in response to the government's plans to privatise Bolivia'aoil reserves.Fact|date=March 2007Sorata is no longer a major commercial center, as there is now a more direct route to the
Yungas fromLa Paz . Today it is best known to foreign tourists, trekkers, and climbers, who visit this formerly little-known destination. The main square, Plaza General Enrique Penaranda, is Sorata's showcase. It is graced by towering date palms and immaculate gardens. The main town fiesta is held on September 14th. Of note is Casa Gunthere, a historic mansion that now houses the Residencial Sorata. It was built in 1895 as the home of the Richters, aquinine trading family.Sorata is located at the base of the mountains
Illampu , 6,368 m (20,892 ft), andAncohuma , 6,427 m (21,086 ft), which are the northern anchors of theCordillera Real . By the most reliable figures, Ancohuma is 11 m (36 ft) lower thanIllimani , near La Paz, but surveys in the area are imperfect, and there is much debate between the citizens of both areas as to which mountain is higher.External links
* [http://www.solobolivia.com/turismo/lapaz/sorata.shtml Offical Sorata Website]
References
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