Guaqui facts for kids
Guaqui is a small but important town in Bolivia. It sits right on the edge of Lake Titicaca, which is a very high lake in the Andes mountains. Guaqui is special because it's a "railhead" and a "port." This means it's a place where trains end their journey and goods can be loaded onto boats, and where boats arrive and goods can be loaded onto trains.
A special kind of boat called a car float (which is a type of ferry) connects Guaqui with Puno, a port in Peru. This ferry carries train cars across the lake!
Long ago, before the Spanish arrived, this area was home to Inca ruins. Today, the town's main church is built right on top of where those ancient ruins once stood.
How High is Guaqui?
Guaqui is located very high up in the mountains! It sits at an elevation of about 3,822 metres (12,539 ft) above sea level. That's higher than many tall mountains around the world!
Getting Around Guaqui
Guaqui is a hub for different ways to travel and transport goods.
Roads
The RN-1 is a major road that goes through Guaqui. This road connects Guaqui to other places in Bolivia and even to neighboring Peru.
Rail
Trains are a big part of Guaqui's transportation. The train tracks on the Bolivian side of the border are 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in) wide. However, the train tracks in Peru are a different width, 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) wide. Because of this difference, train cars can't just roll from one country to the other.
Instead, a special boat called the car float Manco Capac carries the train cars across Lake Titicaca. This ferry is owned by PeruRail.
Water
Since Guaqui is a port on Lake Titicaca, it's also home to a group of boats from the Bolivian Navy. This means the navy has a base here to patrol the lake.
Air
The closest airport to Guaqui is El Alto International Airport. This airport is located to the east of Guaqui, near the city of La Paz.
See also
In Spanish: Guaqui para niños
