straddling the Andes, it is a land of gaunt mountains, cold desolate plateaus and semi tropical lowlands.  It is also call the Tibet of the Americas - the highest and most isolated of the Latin American republics.  Bolivia is also the most Indian country on the continent; over 50% of the population are of pure American Indian blood and maintain traditional cultural values and belief systems.  The country offers mind-blowing landscapes, colonial treasures, colorful indigenous cultures and remnants of mysterious ancient civilizations.  One of the countries highlights in the legendary Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world.