Part of the Parentheses philosophy is to give you a glimpse into another culture you might not have the chance to see on your own. Staying at our cabins puts you in the midst of traditional Bolivian life. If you'd like to immerse yourself even more, you'll find additional opportunities below.
To schedule a cultural experience or to ask a question, write to Wendy at parenthesescabins at gmail dot com or call her at (591) 732-36-665. Or use the form on the Contact page of this site. Not all experiences are available on all days due to the busy schedules of those leading these events. Try and schedule your experience ahead of time.

Shamans and traditional Incan rituals.


First, we'll visit the street outside the cathedral in Copacabana where priests mix Catholicism with ancient Andean beliefs, showering cars with holy water. The custom originates from ancient times, when Incans would sprinkle their homes with chicha, a rudimentary beer, in the hopes of being blessed by Pachamama, the Andean Mother Earth.

However, the priest's blessing is just the first part of this ritual. After his prayers ensure that the vehicle will last a long time and that its driver will come to no harm, the family then showers the car with beer, an homage to ancient Incan practices. The car is also adorned with flowers, all part of the ritual of the "challa."

If you like, Wendy will teach you how to pichar, the term used for sucking on coca leaves. Next we'll walk up the famous mountain known as "El Calvario." Again, here Catholic beliefs mix with the Incan religion. The idea behind climbing this mountain is to suffer a portion of what Jesus suffered on the cross. Yet halfway up the mountain, there are Bolivian shamans who will offer you a blessing in Aymara, securing the protection of Pacahamama, the Andean Mother Earth.

At the top of the Calvario, you'll see lots of crosses, homages to the Catholic Christ and at the same time you can buy alasitas, little tokens that will ensure your good luck in the year to come. As long as you shower them with beer first. Pachamama likes her beer.

We finish up the tour by enjoying a traditional lunch at the home of a Bolivian family.

COST: $39 per person. Includes lunch. Does not include tip paid to shaman (yes, they work on tips). Also includes all the coca leaves you can chew on.
DATES: This tour is offered most Saturdays and Sundays. Please write to Wendy at parenthesescabins at gmail dot com to reserve your spot.
TIME: From 9 a.m. to 1.30 p.m.
PLACE: We meet outside the entrance to the cathedral in the main plaza.​
A priest showers a car with holy water, part of the ancient Andean practice of the "challa."
An Aymara shaman blesses bystanders. This is usually done by burning a special mix of herbs and trinkets with good luck images and chanting a prayer to the Andean mother earth, Pachamama.

Peruvian breakfast. Run for the border!

Wendy Dale, a Random House travel author who has spent a third of her life in Latin America, will take you for breakfast in Peru. She'll pick you up in Copacabana, Bolivia and shepherd you across the border (a 15-minute trip, no immigration process required -- really!). Part of the fun is taking a collective van filled with Bolivians in traditional dress followed by a motorcycle taxi. Once in the Peruvian town of Yunguyo, you'll have the best food available in a 100-kilometer radius, plus the nicest restaurant owners you could ask for. Wendy has a wealth of knowledge about Bolivia, Copacabana and contemporary Latin American history. She'll show you around the town of Yunguyo and time permitting, might even take you to the lake to show you the pink flamingos.

COST: $39 per person. Includes a large breakfast and all transportation costs.
DATES: This tour is offered every day except Saturday. However, please check availability in advance by writing to Wendy at [email protected].
TIME: From 9 am to 1.30 pm
PLACE: We meet at the main entrance to the cathedral located in the central plaza
NOTES: Breakfast includes gluten-free and vegetarian options. See list at right.
​
This is a very small group tour designed to show you a small town in Peru where tourists are nearly unheard of. 
Breakfast probably isn't what you're expecting. No coffee or croissants here. Instead you get to choose any or all of these entree items:
  • Traditonal Peruvian green rice (my favorite!)
  • Lightly spiced chicken
  • Papas a la huancaina (potatoes with a creamy peanut sauce)
  • Pasta with tomato sauce
  • Ceviche
  • ​White beans

Talk about your writing with a Random House author.

Spend an hour talking with Wendy Dale about your novel, memoir or short story in English or in Spanish. She'll even read up to 25 pages of your manuscript (double-spaced) ahead of time and give you feedback when you meet in person. Wendy’s clients have gotten literary representation from top agencies including Dystel & Goderich, International Creative Management (ICM), Levine Greenberg Rostan, Foundry, Stuart Krichevsky Literary Agency and Solow Literary. If you'd like more info on Wendy or her writing, visit  www.wendydale.net or www.geniusmemoirwriting.com  

COST: $60. Oh, and you pay for the coffee.
DATES: Write to Wendy at parenthesescabins at gmail dot com to inquire about availibility. Please schedule your session with as much advance notice as possible.
TIME: Flexible. We'll talk for an hour or two.
PLACE: We'll meet at the main entrance to the cathedral in the central plaza and then go for coffee.

Bolivian cooking class

Visit a rustic Bolivian house and learn how to cook with traditional ingredients, some of which have been used since Incan times. After you slave away in the kitchen with the Bolivian señora, you get to sit down and eat the fruits of your labor with the family.

Length: Two to four hours.
Cost: $25 per person. Includes dinner.
Spanish language skills required.
Write to Wendy at [email protected] to inquire about availability.
​