Amazing Quest: Stories from Bolivia | Somewhere on Earth: Bolivia | Free Documentary

[Music] yay [Music] [Music] [Music] in the center of south america lies a land of volcanoes and tropical jungles [Applause] bolivia where the sounds the aromas and the colors are in harmony with the people descended from the ancient incas with its rugged dusty hues it's also the land of colorful lakes in the midst of the andes mountains [Music] bolivia is the heart of the south american continent [Music] mario where are you see okay okay okay i'm on my way [Music] erwan giggle a frenchman who's been living in bolivia for two years is on his way to the village of mapiri on the edge of the amazon basin there's no train or plane to access the valleys of the yungas region only a steep twisting road and collective taxis crammed to the limit by their drivers [Music] [Music] this is a deadly road cut into steep mountainsides it's nearly impossible to get by an oncoming vehicle so many lives have been lost here that it's called the carretera de la muerte death road [Music] left le paz up at 3 600 meters then the road took us up to 4 600 meters almost the height of mont blanc and the rest is a descent of 3 500 meters on this road which will bring us almost to the equatorial forest so we'll go from minus two minus three degrees to 35 in the shade there's a legend that says that when you take this road on a foggy night a second road can open up so people take that second road and go over the edge knows all the legends about this road the only access to the amazonian part of the country [Music] his many trips and encounters here have brought him to know and love this land by collective taxi it takes at least a day to get to the village of mapiri that's in good weather and with no stopping at least three days when it's raining [Music] [Music] as the kilometers roll by people get on others get off the hours drag on the passengers each do what they can to forget the bumps dust and heat that rattle the bones and numb the mind again [Laughter] [Music] you're on the road for two days so you have the time to talk to people you go through some rough patches you run into someone who's in trouble what i like about places like this is that they're like the sea you have to help out the person in trouble so if you break down on the way people are going to stop you talk it over and they'll try to find a solution you always have the human contact here this is the country's true riches right now the last obstacle on the way to mapiri crossing the river this little city in the heart of the amazon jungle is like the wild west with its gold mines and its pioneers from the four corners of bolivia and even from all of south america in high water season it's impossible to cross the river so the inhabitants are totally isolated erwin has been working on a project here that he's quite committed to the construction of a landing strip to open up the region and thus allow medical evacuations the landing strip at mapiri has been ready for two weeks but so far no plane has yet landed here erwan is 47 and is no stranger to adventures in far-off lands he ran an organic pepper plantation in africa he went hunting for the treasure of cocoa island he learned magic with the pygmies made movies sold furniture in china his ability to bounce back from one offbeat project to another even more wild one has taken him to five continents a few months ago he embarked on a new undertaking he has decided to write his autobiography relating his and then when you get home you realize you're hooked and that's how you wind up in bolivia working in gold and setting up an airline company to help out the local population [Music] [Music] gold is the main economic activity of mapiri and most of the mines are along the river big mining companies are working the bolivian soil with fleets of bulldozers and excavators but there are also the solitary prospectors who travel the river by perugu to try their luck picking up the crumbs spit out by the gigantic mines these men are desperados who toil at the earth or strain the muddy river water for a few flakes of gold [Music] you should know that the president evo morales gave this land back to the indian communities then those indian communities set up cooperatives and it's those cooperatives that possess the mining rights 90 of the mines here belong to the local population victor is one of those souls driven to the mapiri by gold fever and poverty for three years now he's been working like a dog on this desolate beach victor with the energy of despair spends his days running from the hole he's digging to the pump which is forever getting blocked up with sand and to the sieve he uses to separate the stones from the tiny flakes of the precious metal is there gold in this river i think yeah there's gold in there but it's the river that decides to deposit the gold or not the river lays down the law she deposits what she's carrying here and there you have to be able to recognize the stones these for example they're round pebbles like these yes they're no good you find gold along with the flat stones they're the boss stones the others traders completely cut off from society victor lives and works all alone on this little patch of beach he says that the wild animals of the jungle are his only friends but i'm earning nothing that's how it is i'm earning penis this crumpled scrap of paper contains the fruit of three weeks hard work 20 euros worth of gold once a month victor goes into the village to sell his gold and buy supplies to get him through the following month [Music] [Music] gracias as for fidel he decided to try his luck in a socadon a gallery dug in the riverbank and which yields too little gold to interest the mining companies he works alone as well but it's the price of his freedom [Music] that's like greatest you have to take care of yourself in the mind and cover up well you have to drink fizzy drinks and above all never ice cold drinks i've been working in this mine for a long time and i never get sick because i work at a relaxed pace i don't eat too much and i don't drink too much water i take it easy thank you [Music] so [Music] [Music] [Music] so [Music] erwan is inspecting the landing strip this morning if everything goes according to plan an airplane should be landing here for the first time this afternoon it rained all night the ground is a bit muddy but it looks like it should be okay however because of the humidity the mist is kind of clinging to the peaks of the small nearby mountains i think we'll wait for an hour or two then we'll make a decision because the pilot is the only one to decide whether he'll land or not [Music] nice huh [Music] [Music] [Music] a now you're going to boost tourism you're really going to do something here that's great for everybody when will the plane get here the pilot will call us in about half an hour i think on account of the rain okay bye thanks see you this afternoon the weather has cleared up and the whole village has turned out for the inauguration of the new airfield they don't have a windsock yet so air one lights a fire at the end of the runway to give the pilot the wind direction [Music] [Music] but the pilot managed to go around the storm and made a perfect landing so the runway looks good i couldn't be happier we're in business a bit of turbulence but it was good let me introduce you to the new airfield manager this landing strip will help a lot in developing the region and above all in emergencies when an ambulance is needed it can save lives so it's very important to have a runway and keep it in good working order [Music] what i like the most is that the people are happy when you look at the kids faces you know it's the first time they've ever seen a plane now that the first plane has landed in mapiri erwan has a new chapter for his book one more adventure in the life of a free spirit all i can say to people is that they should listen to themselves don't listen to what people tell you like you have to buy a house you have to have two children you have to have a minivan don't listen to what people tell you live your own life [Music] i've always done just what i wanted to do i not only feel free but i know i am if tomorrow morning i've had enough of this place i'll pack my bags and go even if i don't have any money i'm gonna take my time before finding someone and settling down it could take two weeks it could take six months that's what life is in any case that's what it is for me [Music] [Music] photography and archaeology are gabriela escobar's two passions in life she quite naturally brought them together in one vast project she travels the length and breadth of bolivia to photograph every archaeological site in the country thus building up an inestimable database for historians the world over her work is above all scientific but it also allows her access to nature's most spectacular aspect then the artist takes over [Music] [Music] this landscape is almost surreal the geometric forms are really awesome i like the texture of the rocks it's a kind of construction in the middle of nowhere so just looking at the forms your imagination takes wings thanks to photography and archaeology gabriela is exploring the region of surlipes in the southern part of the country it's also an ideal way to meet the locals who are often an excellent source of information on the region's history [Music] in bolivia nature is a wonderful subject for an artist like gabriela standing before the geysers of the sol de manana she gives free reign to her emotions i will never get tired of photography it's soothing and it's definitely something i need it's my gateway to creativity which can spring up at any moment for me it means savoring everything that's all around and capturing it in an image laguna verde close to the borders of chile and argentina is surrounded by majestic volcanoes this unreal lake is at an altitude of 300 meters its rich emerald color comes from the arsenic and other minerals suspended in the water [Applause] the vestiges of a building and a corral bear witness to very ancient human activity here the region's entire economy was based on the transportation of goods by llama it's the only animal that can survive at this altitude and at such low temperatures it seems the people passing through here live lower down in um around the salad for example the vast salt flat uh it's easier to get food in the valleys and the temperature is much more bearable the people who would pass through here carried on trade with the valleys yeah is that hand down and the other one up see that exactly wherever gabriella goes her photography is a way to connect with the people she meets along the way like vidal he was born and raised in this inhospitable region he has offered to take gabriella up to the laguna colorada one of bolivia's most beautiful sights set in one of its wildest landscapes [Music] okay that's where they lay they scrape the mud up with their beak into a sort of nest where they lay a single egg one egg for each flamingo couple pariguana mira aqui this is a good spot to shoot from i think if we get any closer they'll fly off [Applause] as a kid i used to come here a lot to gather eggs then we'd put them in boxes and take them to chile by llama or donkey to sell them in san pedro that's how it worked in chile what do you think of that when i reached eight these people with beards and blonde hair where do they come from some other planet then after it was okay yes okay [Music] what [Music] the feelings you experience here are difficult to put into words this landscape is one of a kind it's something that you feel deep within yourself it's very moving i would like to keep all this in a box so that it would never disappear and stay just like it is forever [Music] at san juan's elementary school monday is citizenship day as in all bolivia schools after singing the national anthem the children present what they've learned in the cultural workshops [Music] gabriella is eager to share her knowledge with her visits to her country schools she's trying to make the younger generation aware of the importance of the past and the need to preserve the archaeological sites [Music] do any of you know about the necropolis here in san juan raise your hand if you know of it you know about it and who are our ancestors our grandparents but our ancestors are the grandparents of the grandparents of the grandparents of our grandparents bolivia has a very rich history the different civilizations that inhabited the country before the arrival of the conquistadors in the 16th century have all left their mark on the land gabriela is not trying to give a master class but rather to plant a little seed of history in the mind of each of these children archaeology is the science that studies the past very good a frame has given the best answer let's give him a little hand [Applause] [Music] is [Music] [Music] after the class work a field trip to the necropolis on the outskirts of town [Music] everybody's going to take a look at what's here in the tube before people used to believe that when you died you passed over to another world so they would place small objects belonging to the deceased in the tomb what would be the best way to preserve it because the site could be a source of revenue for the community in the future it will be the responsibility of these children to take care of it the idea is also that when the children go home they tell their parents today an archaeologist talked to us about the place where ancestors lived and so the parents also start to be aware that it's important to preserve these sites wow [Music] if you've never experienced the joy of climbing it's hard to understand why one would spend hours of effort to get the top of a rock in the heart of the desert [Applause] but for the alam morales brothers it's simply a game they play together every time they can get out of the city and take refuge in nature miguel and diego have the same interests both of them are firefighters mountain guides and paragliding champions [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] miguel and diego live in downtown la paz together they've set up a little company that organizes paragliding flights and mountain treks [Music] a long time ago we went on an expedition near sahara with my father and his friends the last day on the way back to the city the car broke down there we were two kids a five and ten year old abandoned in a four-wheel drive for eight to ten hours because my father and his friend went off looking for help somewhere i don't know exactly how long it was but an entire day on our own wondering where are they they are going to come back aren't they at night the cold was overwhelming because we hadn't planned on sleeping out and we didn't have any sleeping bags no tent nothing but looking back that was really a good experience our first taste of adventure [Music] not long ago miguel had a serious paragliding accident when he got out of the hospital it was his brother diego who encouraged him to start flying again for miguel's comeback flight they gave themselves a challenge to fly over the salar de uyuni the vast salt flat in the far south west of the country what is it they're hoping to share together tons of dust encounters and adventures in the country's altitude deserts [Music] [Applause] [Music] the most important thing in victim transportation is coordination this village perched up at 4200 meters in the middle of the desert is inhabited by only a few families of llama herders as volunteer firefighters miguel and diego decide to mix business with pleasure by giving a first aid course to the rangers of sahama national park this is very important to us we do have a small infirmary here in the village but it's fairly rudimentary this course is very useful for example for example if an accident happens up in the mountains on the trail to the summit of sahara [Music] and how to transport a person because the ambulance can't get up there problem where does it hurt my neck hurts i had an accident i was riding and the horse fell onto me on to my side the two brothers always have their first aid kit with them they've been trained to monitor vital signs in all kinds of situations sometimes extreme like accidents on the road or in the mountains i'll apply some ointment then we'll give you a neck brace okay that should put you right here being a volunteer firefighter is a big part of my life it also fits right in with my lifestyle it allows me to keep helping others whether it's fighting fires or a medical intervention like here it's important that you take things easy now it's going to be kind of awkward to move around with the neck brace you're going to move a bit like a robot whatever you're doing be careful you feel better now [Music] santiago doesn't have much to offer the two brothers but a mate of coca leaves is always welcome in these regions where the altitude is hard to endure [Music] i think that [Music] there are several herders up here each with his own flock but sometimes they get mixed up during the day this way we can tell them apart you know sort them out [Music] [Applause] so we seize the opportunity when we can we're lucky to be able to help people out with something very simple something small but very concrete and that that could be truly useful when you do that you feel better because you're helping people who really need it you know that's a good thing right sharing what you know puts a little smile on the tree [Music] miguel and diego continue their voyage into the country's deep south the rutted road is taking a heavy toll on their vehicle and the vibrations plunge them into silence miguel clenches his teeth because his back is hurting him he's afraid he won't be able to fly from time to time someone appears from nowhere and reminds us that people actually managed to live in these steps with the searing heat by day and glacial cold by night [Music] we're in the middle of nowhere it's absolutely beautiful far from everything every spot we pass by we wonder if we'll be able to fly to climb what can we do out here in the morning we watch the clouds roll by how they shift it's like a drug it's a vice that keeps us in its grip all day long [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] the salar de uyuni is a vast salt flat the largest in the world in the rainy season the salah is covered by water and it becomes impossible to cross and even during the rest of the year it's dangerous to cross for the weight of the vehicles can break through the crust of salt wow okay cool and yet there's so much to see it's awesome absolutely it's something sci-fi a parallel universe we're here above the rest of the world the salt is like a layer of clouds and below all that there's the rest of the planet with its everyday problems it's really something else [Music] [Music] laughs [Music] so [Music] hmm [Music] to protect your skin from the sun because you can get a nasty burn you want it i wear gloves too so my hands don't get hurt boots to protect me from the water the salt burns if you have any scratches the salt gets in and it stinks [Music] hi my name is miguel nice to meet you hi diego how are you do you know if it's rained a lot can we get across the flat you can get across easy it didn't rain at all no problem should we go this way or that way no go that way [Music] okay [Music] is [Music] and [Music] oh [Music] [Music] i really love this country we're coming to the end of our adventure we had a great week we revisited spots we haven't seen for so many years since our childhood it was really great to share it all with my brother now that we're adults the only thing we have to do now is make our long awaited flight the two brothers have found the ideal spot to take off there's no turning back now for miguel he wants to prove to himself that his back operation can't keep him from plunging once again into the void but hey the conditions are pretty good it's really moving for me to get back up in the air this flight is the cherry on the cake doing what you love the most it just fascinates me it's my whole life i dropped everything for paragliding that shows you just how much i love it [Music] [Music] wow [Music] it's freedom it fulfills our lives completely [Music] to strive to surpass your own limits to progress and improve it's hard to explain it's something that is just so beautiful [Music] [Music] do [Music] you

Channel: Free Documentary

Views: 1,036,965

Keywords: Free Documentary, Documentaries, Full documentary, HD documentary, documentary - topic, documentary (tv genre), somewhere on earth, amazing stories, amazing stories from bolivia, amazing quest, bolivia

Id: lVlpTQn6nKc

Length: 52min 15sec (3135 seconds)

Published: Sun Mar 20 2022