Vacas, Cochabamba

Vacas
Panoramic view of Vacas as seen from Calvario de la Virgen Santa Bárbara
Country	Bolivia
Departament	Cochabamba Department
Province	Arani Province
Government
• Mayor	Salomé González
Elevation	3,400 m (11,200 ft)
Population  (2001)
• Total	650
Time zone	UTC-5 (EST)

Vacas (Quechua name: Wak'as, deriving from Wak'a) is a Bolivian village in the Southeast of Cochabamba Department. It is the capital of Vacas Municipality, the second municipal section of Arani Province. Vacas is located about 85 km far from Cochabamba and about 30 km far from Arani.

The people living in Vacas and surrounding areas are predominantly indigenous citizens of Quechuan descent. During the Inka period Vacas served as a tampu along the Inca road system that led to Inkallajta and Pocona. Later on, during the colonial period, it was founded under the name of "Santa Bárbara de Bacas".

Vacas is situated in a rural environment in the altitudes of the Valle Alto (High valley) of Cochabamba. The climate is suitable for the cultivation of potatoes, wheat, barley, broad bean and oat. Vacas is known as the "Land of the potato" (Quechua: Papaq llaqtan, Spanish: La patria de la papa). The fields are prepaired with the help of yokes of oxen. The cultivation of the soil is supplemented by animal husbandry of cows, sheep, pigs and hens.

Education

Pupils of the Escuela Unidad Experimental in Vacas during the parade of August 6

As to education all types of schools are available in or next to Vacas.

• Preschool education: Guardería Sagrado Corazón de Jesús.
• Primary school: Escuela Unidad Experimental, founded in 1862
• Secondary school: Colegio Profesor Toribio Claure
• Higher education: Instituto Normal Superior Ismael Montes (in Challwamayu), founded in 1916

Festivities

Saint Barbara church

• April: Fish, potato and crafts fair
• May 4: Santa Vera Cruz Tatala
• May or June: Corpus Christi
• June 29: Saint Peter
• July 16: Our Lady of Mount Carmel, patron saint of Bolivia
• December 4: Saint Barbara, Anniversary of Vacas.

External Links

• Map of Arani Province
• Images of Vacas
• Betty Veizaga and the group Pukaj Wayra: Aires de mi tierra (Takipayanaku)
• Radio Chiwalaki in Vacas (Spanisch)
• Instituto Normal Superior Ismael Montes (Spanisch)