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La
Chakana
Café/ Restaurant/ Tours
Plaza
Principal
Samaipata
Bolivia
Tel:(591)39446146
chakanabol@
yahoo.com
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Café/ Restaurant La Chakana
is located in Samaipata a pleasant town in the eastern foothills of
the Bolivian Andes, 120 km west of Santa Cruz.
You can find us on the beautifully designed main Plaza.
We are open 7 days a week from 8.00 in the morning to midnight.
We
serve fresh, daily prepared food. You can enjoy a cappuccino and have
a look at our travel guides, maps and magazines. At night you can
listen to local and international music, play chess or cards and try one
of our delicious cocktails.
Check out our book exchange.
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Menu
breakfast,
daily (vegetarian) set menu,
meat and chicken dishes
falafel,
hot sandwiches, (vegetarian) hamburger
pancake, omelet,
fruit salad, vegetable salad,
cake, ice cream, fresh fruit juice, milkshake, lassi ,
cappuccino, coffee, tea,
alcoholic drinks, cocktails,
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Any
questions about Samaipata? In
La Chakana you can ask for the Chakana
INFO booklet in which you can find information about Samaipata
and the nearby attractions of the archaeological site
El Fuerte and the National Park Amboró.
What
does the word Chakana signifies?
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The
"Chakana", translated from Quechua (the language
spoken by the Incas) means staircase.
For the Andean people, Chakana is synonym with the Andean Cross
(see illustration below), which is inspired by the star
constellation of the Southern Cross. The Andean Cross for the
people, gave the feeling of safety, blessing, assistance
and fertility. Up to today people put the cross together
with crops on the roofs of their houses, pointed to the
top of the mountains (where their gods reside) to increase its
magic power.
The
three steps (of the staircase) of the Chakana indicate the three
worlds according to the Andean Cosmos vision:
Ukupacha (Underworld), where their ancestors live, but
also the seeds and reptiles (important in their mythology). This
world is represented by the snake.
Caypacha (Earth), which exists from two parts, water and
earth, and this is the world where humans reside and have to
share with fauna and flora. The puma represents this world.
Hananpacha (Sky) where the Andeans gods live. This world
is represented by the condor, the communicator between
Hananpacha and Caypacha.
The
center indicates void and stands for God. |
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Southern
Cross
Besides, Chakana represents the Southern Cross
constellation. As the Southern Cross its four stars are rotating
around the South pole, the Andean people could use it's changing
location to determine important agricultural dates, e.g. when to
harvest, seed etc.
At midnight on the 2nd of May the Southern Cross reaches
its highest position. On this day farmers started to harvest
which was a very important event and the motivation for fiestas.
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Archeological
sites with a Chakana
The oldest "Chakana" has been found at the
archeological site of Tiwanaku and Isla del Sol in Bolivia.
Other representations have been found in Peru at the Inca ruins
of Machu Picchu, Ollantaytambo, Pisac and Raqchi and at
the ruins of Chavín de Huantar in Central Peru.
.
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La
Chakana, Tiwanaku
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