Circumvalación

Although it is not a work of art, this photo shows clearly the relationship between Santa Ana del Yacuma and the annual floodwaters. The circumvalación, or dike, is maked by the curving road that runs from the top of the picture down to the left. The boats that have pulled up to the shore are river barges, from the Yacuma River, about a mile away. Depending on the year, these boats can put in at the town itself for several months, transporting cattle and other cargo, as well as passengers. Just off the photograph to the left is some of the highest ground in Santa Ana. The road to the right leads to the Bolivian Navy Base. Despite being a landlocked country, Bolivia has a proud naval tradition, because of it's 19th century history.

River Dolphin law

Several news sources this morning (including the BBC, Fox News, and allvoices) are reporting the story that a new law protecting river dolphins has been signed in Bolivia, by president Evo Morales. River dolphins are smaller, with longer snouts than saltwater dolphins, with a gray to pink color, and they are often seen at the confluence of smaller rivers in the Llanos de Mojos. This photograph was taken by Jorge Garcia along the Yacuma River, and shows a dolphin rising to the surface near the thick vegetation that lines the riverbank. River dolphins figure prominently in Amazonian folklore, often as seducers of women.