Chochís

Chochís (whose name in Chiquitano means "fury of the wind") is not so much a town as it is an extraordinary place - in part a religious sanctuary, in part a mysterious, other-worldly landscape. Technically, yes, it is a town. It sits at the foothills of the Serranía Santiago and is served by the Red Oriental railway. People live and work here. But one can't avoid the feeling that what one sees in Chochís is far less than what one experiences. There is a subliminal, intangible energy at work here. For that reason alone, anyone within reach of the place is well advised to stop and have a look about. Because of its placement along the railway line and roughly equidistant (25 miles, or 40 kms) location between San José de Chiquitos and Roboré, getting here is easy: hop off the train, or just motor through. There isn't much of an infrastructure to the place, and any accommodations would have to be made through the church, but this is a stop-over you'll remember for years.

Where to Go
You won't get close to Chochís without hearing mention of its sanctuary, and for good reason: the place is amazing. Formally known as the "Santuario Mariano de la Torre", the building was constructed by the late Hans Roth - who also restored the seven major Jesuit mission churches - and dedicated to the Virgin of the Assumption in 1992. This is one of the few major edifices Roth constructed in the Chiquitania that is not in some way either a reconstruction or restoration of a colonial-era work: it is utterly unlike any other religious building he laid hands upon. The sanctuary was constructed in commemoration of the tragic innundation of the town of El Portón in 1979. Almost no one survived.

There is an interesting story connected to this tragedy. As the flood surged along the route of the railway, the passengers prayed to la santísima Virgen for protection. Headed towards a particularly precarious bridge and with no way to stop (for fear of instantly being submerged), the train somehow crossed the bridge safely. Less than a minute later the entire bridge and its pilings were swept away. The passengers attribute their lives to the Virgin's intercessory powers, and the sanctuary was named in her honour.

The building is utterly unlike anything else you'll ever see, let alone Jesuit-inspired mission churches. A testament to the human spirit's ability to overcome loss and sorrow and find hope anew, Mariano de la Torre is as much as masterpiece as Roth's more traditional efforts. He enlisted the support of some of Europe's finest artists along with the very best local talent, resulting in a chapel that literally stuns visitors into awed silence. The handiwork is incredible, from the famous "arból de la vida" (tree of life) that forms the central support for the building, to the individual Stations of the Cross, which incorporate images of the suffering of El Portón into their scenes.

La Torre with Santuario Mariano de la Torre in foreground: Chochís

As with Santiago de Chiquitos and Roboré, Chochís has a reputation as a paraíso escondido (hidden paradise). The town is steeped in colonial buildings and atmosphere, and life passes very slowly here. This is a wonderful place to relax and soak up the energy that surrounds the area. Outside of the town, your first stop should be La Torre, a bizarre, jagged granite tower that is a landmark for miles and miles. Many legends surround this place, some of them not so pleasant. (Its other name is "el muele del diablo" (the devil's tooth). The pinnacle has long been reputed a source of extraterrestrial energy, and indigenous peoples and townsfolk alike make the occasional 350-step trek to its peak to renew their own energy. The ancients believed the area was sacred, as it was impossible for them to imagine this rocky tower simply cropping up out of nowhere. People come from as far as Japan and Australia to try to pinpoint the source of the radiant energy (which may be electromagnetic) here, but no one has yet succeeded in giving a defensible explanation for it.

Just as Santiago has its Valle de Tucavaca, so Chochís has its Valle de Turuquapá, a stunningly beautiful hidden valley with mesas and canyons shaped by millennia of wind and water. It is impossible to see Turuquapá and not be moved. The views afforded here are not found anywhere else on earth, and are so pristine as to resemble what some geologists and botanists have called "a living prehistoric ecosystem". The valley is best seen from the air at sunset, but is accessible by auto or on horseback, too.

As with most of the towns in the region, outside of Chochís one can find several examples of prehistoric carvings and paintings, innumerable swimming holes, and hot springs. These are not identified anywhere, but all the locals will know them and how best to get there.

When to Visit Chochís

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