Sky-High Bolivia Bolivia, violently colorful, rugged, and mysterious — one of the strangest yet most excit- ing countries of South America. It is divided into two distinct re- gions — a great tropical plain at the eastern foot of the Andes, where immense rivers form and move slowly to the Amazon; and a 12,000-foot plateau, the Altiplano, that lies between two Andean ranges. It was due to this cool plateau that civilization developed so near the equator. Bolivia was first a part of the Inca Empire, and then a province of Peru under Spanish rule. As a nation it was born May 16, 1825, following the Battle of Ayachucho in which Gen. Antonio Jose Sucre, under the "great liberator" Simon Bolivar, dealt the Spanish their final defeat. Bolivia lost its territory on the Pacific to Chile in 1883 and became a landlocked nation. After losing other portions to surrounding countries, its present area is now about 424,000 square miles. It lies in the south tropical zone with altitudes ranging from 300 ft. to 21,000 ft. The population of Bolivia is about 4 million, 85% of which is all or part Indian, the rest are white. Spanish is the official language.

VIEW-MASTER REEL ONE El Prado in La Paz Promenading on the Avenida 16 de Julio or El Prado,the first stop on our View-Master Guided Picture Tour,is the fashionable thing to do on Sunday in La Paz. This beautifully landscaped avenue, with its fine modern buildings, is the pride of the city. La Paz, seat of the Bolivian government and Bolivia's largest city, has a population of about 350,000. It is over 12,000 ft. above sea level and is the world's highest large city. It lies on the Altiplano at the bottom of a deep, narrow gorge. Its streets are steep and its houses are built on an incline. Average temperature varies from 48° to 55° with a high of about 67°. Its rainy season lasts from August through March.

 Plaza Murillo      The heart of La Paz is the Plaza Murillo, a portion of which we see here. The statue in the center is of Pedro Domingo Murillo, who led the first revolt in La Paz against Spain in 1809. Facing onto the square are the Cathedral, the Government Palaces, the Capitol, Military Club, and Bishop's Palace. Bolivia is a republic with a president, senate, and house of deputies, but like many South American countries it has been sorely troubled with revolution and changing government. Of La Paz, which means City of Peace, one author writes jokingly, but perhaps truthfully, "La Paz is generally a city of peace, except when it is at war, which is usually."

 The Copacabana's Sidewalk Cafe The open-air cafes of La Paz, such as the Copocabana's pictured here, give the city a relaxed European air, but these cafes and this modern hotel are in sharp contrast to the country's usual ancientness. And, at the city's edge, where the Cholos live in their mud huts, life is hard and meager. Guests here enjoy the late afternon sun, but most are warmly dressed, for even in mid-summer. La Paz is cool and in the evenings the temperature drops rapidly.

Street of the Indians The Calle Sagarnaga, or Street of the Indians, in the old section of the city is one of the most interesting and colorful parts of La Pa/. This hole-in-the-wall dress shop reflects the color which the cholos add to the city. The women wear many layers of bright skirts such as these we see here.

 Indian Market in La Paz The Central Market of La Paz is open daily, but the bustling, noisy Sunday Market, a portion of which — the fruit market — we see here, is the most fascinating. Hundreds of Indians in their native costumes, with their produce loaded on burro and llama trains, pour into La Paz on week ends. The markets are run by native women who wear black, brown, or gray derby hats and costumes spectacular colors. About half of Bolivia's people are pure Indian; some 35% are cholos—a mixture of Indian and white The Aymara Indian illustrated on page five wears a luxurious headdress of Rhea (an ostrich-like bird) feathers. He plays a sampora which dates from Inca times and is exactly like the Pipes of Pan of ancient Greece.

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