Travel: Beam me down, Scotty

Compiled James Burleigh
Sunday 07 December 1997 00:02 GMT
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This week's random co-ordinates chosen by the computer are:

20 27' S 64 23' W

FIRST REACTION

Am I by any chance on a Spaghetti Western set?

COUNTRY AND REGION

Up in the Cordilleras de Tajsara, a mountain range in the Chuquisaca region of southern Bolivia.

NATURE OF THE TERRAIN

Although it can get dry and dusty, the mountain soil is a rich shade of terracotta; rare cacti and fossils abound. The higher you go, the more spectacular the views, especially to the east, where gently sloping hills and broad, fertile valleys stretch into the distance below.

ALTITUDE

About 3,500 feet.

POSSIBLE HAZARDS

Apart from the risk of altitude sickness, there's always a chance you might bump into a cocoa-crazed llama, but it would probably just spit at you.

USEFUL LANGUAGES

The local Chapacos speak Spanish with a lilting dialect which has more in common with the European accent than the typical Bolivian one.

TAKE ME TO YOUR LEADER

The recently re-elected right-wing coalition leader General Hugo Banzer.

LIKELY WEATHER CONDITIONS

You couldn't hope for a better climate; skies the colour Paul Klee dreamed of, fresh mountain air, and a temperature worthy of the Med.

REASONS FOR HANGING AROUND

This is vineyard territory and Bolivia's finest cognacs, desert wines and singani (a brandy distilled from grapes) are produced around here.

GETTING THE HELL OUT OF THERE

With the aid of some Bolivian marching powder, you could make it to the nearest town, Camargo, without having to sleep rough. Camargo is on the main road to the capital of the region, Sucre, and is only about 40km (25 miles) due west of your location. From Sucre, you can catch either train, plane or, if you're unlucky, meningitis.

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