Several Branches. Farther north important branches to the interior are already in operation. The first, opened in 1912, was from the station, Rio Mulato, 130 miles south of Oruro, to far famed Potosí. This section, 108 miles long, climbs to a height of 15,814 feet, the second highest altitude reached by rail, following the Morococha branch of the Central Peruvian. The cost was over $8,000,000, the maximum grade three per cent. The trip occupies eight hours; there is weekly service. The Oruro-Cochabamba Line was completed in 1917; its length 132 miles, its cost above $10,000,000. It crosses the Cordillera at about 14,000 feet. This road is equally important, opening up a fine agricultural and well populated district. Its fine scenic attractions should allure the tourist. Food is very expensive on the plateau, but with improved access to the warmer sections, lower prices and greater variety of fruits and vegetables may be expected above.
A branch on the plateau long in operation is a 24 mile line from Uyuni to the Huanchaca silver mines, the road owned by the Mining Company. Another branch is now under construction from Machacamarca to Uncia, 57 miles, built by Simon Patiño, the wealthy owner of extremely rich tin mines at Uncia. Thirty-eight miles are in operation.
New Lines. Under construction are two very important lines: one the Potosí-Sucre Railway, 105 miles, with 40 in operation; the other, the La Paz-Yungas Line of very difficult construction, passing over the mountain range near La Paz at an altitude of 15,338 feet and going down into the deep valley. One hundred and thirty-seven miles have been surveyed. The passage has been accomplished, the road opened to Unduavi, 16 miles, from which point it will be continued down the valley to Coroico, later to Rurenabaque, and some time to Puerto Brais on the Beni, the latter port being open to navigation all the year. Already a delightful road for tourist travel and useful for bringing fruit, vegetables, and other products to the La Paz market, has been constructed. With the completion of the road to Puerto Brais, a more speedy route for travel and freight to Europe will be attained. On account of the scarcity and high cost of coal this road is operated by electricity, for which the great fall of small streams gives ample power. On account of transportation difficulties and increased cost the completion of the Potosí-Sucre Railway has been delayed, but when this is realized the road will probably be continued northeast to Santa Cruz. From this city a road to Puerto Suarez on the Paraguay, now talked of, will come later. Bolivia has about 1400 miles of railway in service. A road to Santa Cruz from Cochabamba instead of Sucre is advocated by many.
Other Forms of Transportation
Roads. Automobile roads are planned and being constructed to fill as far as possible present requirements, but in the rainy months, December to May, traffic is generally suspended. From Cochabamba to Sucre there is motor service for freight and passenger traffic, a more direct route than that from Potosí for persons in La Paz. From Potosí to Sucre a motor bus makes the journey in 12 hours. Another motor car road soon to be available is from Riberalta to Villa Church (65 miles), opposite Guajará-Mirím in Brazil, the terminus of the Madeira-Mamoré Railway. From Cochabamba autos run to Totora, also from La Paz to Achacachi, and over a spur of Illampu down to Sorata.
Aside from railways land transportation is chiefly confined to burros, mules, and llamas; in some places there are mule wagons or ox-carts, mules generally carrying the traveler. The cart roads, constructed and maintained by the Government or the Municipality, are mostly very poor; yet such as they are they extend 2000 miles. They are often if not usually impassable in the wet season. Llamas are more extensively employed than in any other country. In the plateau region with their 100 pound burden they wander leisurely along, cropping the coarse grass, tended by their Indian owners or drivers, who are in no more of a hurry than they. Along difficult mountain slopes are paths constructed by the Indians, skirting precipices and climbing steep inclines, where llamas, mules, and burros bear loads of minerals, coca, coffee, or other products or imports, from one section to another. About 5000 mules and burros pass over the La Paz-Yungas road daily. Except in the dry season, May to October, travel either by mule or by stage may anywhere be difficult or impossible on account of rivers becoming impassable by reason of freshets or roads because of mud. The importance of proper packing according to directions of goods which may be shipped to the interior, or indeed to any destination, cannot be overestimated.
Lake Transport. Aside from the railways transportation in Bolivia cannot be called excellent either on land or water, though there is fair steamboat service on Lake Titicaca. This with Lake Aullagas (Poopo) and the Desaguadero River are the only waterways of the table-land where navigation exists. On the larger lake the Railway Company has steamers of 1500 tons or less, five in all, connecting with the trains, and some touching at small ports on the islands and around the Lake. Other boats are used, among them Indian balsas, built entirely of reeds, sails and all. In the use of these the Indians are very expert. The Desaguadero River is navigable to Lake Poopo for steamers of 500 tons. Poopo is navigable for boats of shallow draft.
River Transport. Of great and increasing importance are the rivers of the eastern slope, both those of the Amazon Basin, and to a less degree those of the Paraguay, which river for some distance is practically the eastern boundary of Bolivia. Its chief tributaries are the Pilcomayo and the Bermejo. Bolivian statistics give the total length of all their navigable rivers as nearly 12,000 miles, but these figures include sections not conceded as within the boundaries of the Republic as well as rivers on the boundary. Half of the distance mentioned, 6000 miles, is said to be navigable by steamers of 4-6 feet draft.
In the Amazon Basin steamboat navigation is possible on the Acre from the Upper Purús, the Abuna, Orton, Madre de Dios, Beni, Madidi, Mamoré, Itenez or Guaporé Rivers, with some of their tributaries. Of the above, the Beni and the Mamoré are the most important. On the latter, regular steam service has recently been inaugurated from Cuatro Ojos in Santa Cruz to Guajará-Mirím (a distance of nearly 1000 miles), the terminus of the Madeira-Mamoré Railway. From the Department Cochabamba, boats descend on the rivers Chaparé, Chimoré, and Iabaro to the Mamoré. The Guaporé, though easily navigable for 1000 miles, flowing through an uninhabited region, is little used.
Although most of the streams are more or less obstructed by rapids, rocks, and masses of tree trunks, which last might easily be cleared away, they are nevertheless useful for navigation. In spite of difficulties and dangers much transport with canoes and rafts is effected by the Indians, who are expert boatmen. On the Beni, rafts are used from Puerto Pando 155 miles to Rurenabaque; from there steamboats serve 573 miles to Riberalta; the Esperanza Rapids below the town making their further passage impracticable. Hence the journey to Villa Bella opposite Villa Murtinho on the Madeira-Mamoré Railway or to Villa Church, higher up, opposite Guajará-Mirím must be made by land; therefore the motor road is being constructed.