BOLIVIA

81

with  little  vegetation,  but  is  extremely  rich
in  mineral  deposits.
Running  north  and  south,  and  at  the  east
and  west  sides  of  this  vast  plateau  are  two
ranges  of  the  Andes,  the  distance  between  them
being  about  85  miles.  In  addition  to  these
main  ranges  are  many  others  which  criss-cross
the  country  in  numerous  directions.  In  but
few,  if  any,  countries  of  the  world  is  there  to
be  found  such  a  wealth  of  scenery,  Bolivia
possessing  three  of  the  highest  peaks  in  this
hemisphere,  namely  Illampu,  Sorata  and  Illimani, ­
  the  sentinel  of  La  Paz,  whose  snowcovered
  peak  towers  into  space  22,500  feet.
As  may  be  surmised  the  climate  in  the  plateau ­
  and  mountain  regions  is  cool  and  invigorating ­
  most  of  the  year,  but  extremely  warm  in
the  summer,  while  as  the  land  descends  toward
Brazil  and  the  upper  Amazon  region  it  becomes ­
  milder  until  it  reaches  tropic  warmth.
On  account  of  the  high  altitude  of  Bolivia,
the  traveler  generally  has  attacks  of  what  is
known  locally  as  “puno”  or  “sirroche”—or  in
plain  English,  mountain  sickness,  owing  to  the