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Click
images for an enlarged view
21st July 1999
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After months of preparation the
plans for the Kota Mama II Expedition moved from the deeply
scratched foreheads and minds found amongst the papers
and files of expedition base in Motcombe to the light-headed
heights of the Bolivian altiplano. Months of planning
bore fruit with the industrious work of Chief Liaison
Officer Yolima Cipagauta. Calling on every contact, including
the prestigious support of Bolivia's leader President
Hugo Banzer Súarez, the months of work moved towards an
actual reality. Behind the scenes planning is essential
for a successful expedition but everyone is really waiting
for the action to begin. The sheer size of the project
guaranteed an exciting start to Kota Mama II.
The father and son team of Erik and Maximo Catari, who
had worked so successfully with members of Phase One of
the Kota Mama expedition in April of 1998, once again
put in months of work to create the expedition's flagship
Kota Mama II. Using tortora reeds growing naturally on
the shores of Lake Titicaca the Catari's weaved and manipulated
eight tonnes of reed to create Kota Mama II - the Mother
of the Lake.
Expedition personnel assembled gradually arriving in groups
of three on the early morning American Airlines flight
to La Paz's international airport at 13,200ft (4000mts)
above sea level. The challenges of the altitude forced
energetic and enthusiastic bodies to lay low for a couple
of days. Other members took flights directly to the lowland
city of Santa Cruz.
The first and major task of the expedition was to move
Kota Mama, and her sister ship Viracocha from the Lake's
shores to Puerto Quijarro on the border with Brazil. Travelling
over 525 miles (871 kms) to the east across some of the
most challenging landscapes the world has to offer, the
boats first had to be lifted onto transporters.
The small dirt lanes around the Catari`s house set the
first challenge. Using a crane generously provided by
Darius Morgan of Crillon Tours, the boats were lifted
onto the low loader and a smaller lorry provided by the
Bolivian government's Civil Defence. The skill and precision
of our drivers Mark and René ensured a problem free exit
from the lakeshore.
The boats now set off for the great ceremony planned for
the 16th July in Plaza Murillo in the heart of La Paz.
On this day in 1809 the city declared independence from
the Spanish and the day is now a holiday for the people
of the city - to have the ceremony on such an important
day was an honour for the expedition.
As the two boats inched their way to La Paz, the best
endeavours of men and women proved insufficient to beat
the challenges of El Alto.
This sprawling city of 400,000 is the backbone of La Paz's
informal economy. The street sellers and hawkers of El
Alto commute daily to the streets of La Paz selling shoelaces,
sweets, watches, anything and everything.
The hustle and bustle of the streets is reflected in the
sky where thousands of cables span the roads in a chaotic
tangle. Atop the low loader Kota Mama II was over 5.2
metres in height. Travelling at a walking pace the cables
had to be lifted above the figurehead of Kota Mama II.
A spark and a flash as a couple of high-tension cables
touched, the working team dived for cover and two sectors
of the city were thrown into darkness. The decision to
take the flagship into the centre of town was aborted.
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