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CHACACHI city is 12.647 feet above mean sea level. It is in South America, Republic of Bolivia, Department of La Paz, at the East side of Lake Intikjarka (Titicaca) in Omasuyos County. It is the capital of the First Section of this county.

Jach’ak’achi uñjata Suruk’achi qulluta • Achacachi seen from Surucachi peak • Achacachi visto desde el cerro Surucachi

© Photo by bolivian La Razon™ newspaper.
© Artwork by The Achacachi Post™. Online weekly news.

Its name Achacachi means “Big point” it derives from two aymará words: “jach'a”, ‘big’ and “k'achi”, ‘point’. After de Spanish conquest, Achacachi was known as “Villa Lealtad de Caceres”, due to first landlord’s surname.

Achacachi is a distance of 93 kilometres far from the city of La Paz (Bolivia), 199 Km of Puno (Peru) and 540 Km far from Cuzco (Peru). The city has 7540 inhabitants. Achacachi was recognised as an administrative capital trough D.S. of 7-9-1863 making January 24 as its anniversary date.

The region has a predominant cold weather. It is interesting to visit the snow - capped Illampu peak. The Keka and Tambo rivers and Lake Intikjarka (Titicaca).

The town in whole is of Qulla (Colla) origin who speak aymará language. The Qulla nation is known for keeping alive its ancient organizations, in many cases turned into agrarian unions.

Festivities

P'ak'ochi thojt'rinaca • Dancers • Bailarines
© Photo by El Deber/Tanya Imaña.
© Artwork by The Achacachi Post™.

ACHACACHI has three main festivities:

Saint Peters and Saint Pauls,
Corpus Cristi, and
Exaltacion of our Lord.

Which are some prehispanic and folkloric original dancing and musical expressions.

Saint Peters and Saint Pauls (29, june). Here you can see Morenada, Caporales, Danzantis and P'acochis dancers. It is a “Misti” festivity. Misti means neither Spaniard nor Qulla, but been born of both. Mistis come from La Paz city or other cities, even from United States, to dance in Achacachi.

Corpus Cristi . Then we have the Corpus Cristi festivity where you can see Mukululus, Kjachwiris, Chokela, Wacawacas dancers. It’s a Qulla festivity because the people who dance here belong to communities around Achacachi.

Exaltacion of our Lord. Finally, it is the Exaltacion of our Lord festivity (18 nov). In this festivity we got the Incas, Diablada, Cullawada, Mok'ok'aras, Potolo, Llamerada and, also, Morenos dancers as the “Morenada Juventud san Pedro residentes de Achacachi ‘Los catedráticos’ con su paso militarizado” but well-known as Morenada “Los catedráticos”.

The Exaltacion of our Lord festivity is called obrero festivity because here just dance these people: tailors, carpenters, retailers in coca leaves and blacksmiths.

Arriba | Opinion |

Festivities

Wrinting about Achacachi