Five hours on a bus and a drop of around 2500m in altitude over 150km, and we're back in the tropics in a little town called Caranavi! We've just survived the world's most dangerous road by bus out of La Paz. Well, actually the world's most dangerous road was replaced a few years ago with probably the world's second most dangerous road, and the original is now only open for mountain bikes. Rather than by airplane or mountain bike, we opted for the bus to find our way down towards the Bolivian Amazon for a few days, partly because it was the cheaper option, but mostly because we wanted to experience an authentic local Bolivian bus. With impossibly narrow, cliff-hugging muddy roads and a landslide every 500m, perhaps it was a bit too extreme, but the driver seemed competent, the local passengers were friendly and, thankfully, we made it through unscathed. Now as we attempt to adjust to the lower altitude and jungle humidity, we are contemplating our brief few days in Bolivia's capital city, La Paz.

Sol Andino in La Paz was possibly the nicest hostel we've ever set foot in. It was quiet, comfortable and the walls were covered in amazing authentic paintings of peaceful Bolivian animals and landscapes - the perfect escape from the old cities energetic, chaotic web of narrow streets and bustling locals. This city was intriguing from the moment the bus rolled into El Alto, with graffiti and graphic art covering many of the buildings, many communicating powerful political, social and environmental messages. For us La Paz was the most real and raw city we've visited in South America so far. It reminded us of Hanoi in Vietnam, but with less motorbikes and more dried llama foetus' hanging from the storefronts. The narrow, winding streets and countless markets in the indigenous quarter where we stayed were amazing to wander through, and we found ourselves becoming more and more comfortable with the street food and the local way of life.

After bland tourist-orientated meals in Copacabana and the Isle del Sol, we were craving some good authentic Bolivian cuisine. We splurged a little on our first night in La Paz and went to a more upmarket local restaurant, which was worth the extra dollar or two. The food was satisfying, but the decor was even more exciting with satanic, torturous pictures and devil masks covering the walls. The owner explained they represented a mix of cultures, and the horrendous working conditions in the Bolivian mines near Potosí. It was a challenge to enjoy our llama steaks with images of naked devils ripping people's guts out beside us, so it was a good thing it was delicious.

Free (tips based) walking tours seem to have recently taken off in South America, so we joined one in La Paz with a company called Red Cap. The two well-educated local girls who ran city tour were great. We started at the San Pedro prison where some of the world's best cocaine is reportedly still manufactured and smuggled from. From here we toured through several markets while the girls talked about local market etiquette and some controversial indigenous superstitions, including the burying of comatose alcoholics below your new mansion for good luck. Across the main drag, El Prado, we wandered around the colonial Spanish-influenced side of the city. It was more spacious, organised and European, but more interesting than the streets themselves was the melodramatic and somewhat tragic political history behind the scenes. Bolivia seems to have struggled to hold a Presidential leader for more than few months! Combined with the countless wars over natural resources, drugs and land, post-colonial political reform has been much slower than Bolivia's neighbouring countries. To rub salt on this political turmoil, only a decade ago Bolivia's previous president, Goni Sanchez, fled to the US with around half of the state' budget and has still not been successfully extradited! Things are looking up though. The current President, Evo Morales, has been in power for far longer than any of his predecessors and seems to be doing a good job, despite he's tendency to suggest (and later revoke) stupid policies like banning condoms and taxing childless women.

Of all the museums on offer in the capital, we chose the tiny coca museum for a couple of hours of educational tourism. It's an amazing contradiction. The simple coca leaf is such a beneficial, harmless product of nature enjoyed by millions of people in this part of the world. It grows easily, negates the effects of altitude sickness and fatigue, aids digestion and provides essential nutrients. Due to misuse and abuse however, the rest of the world is unable to separate this leaf from its derivative cocaine and has donned it completely illegal and immoral. Perhaps if early European explorers had treated this plant differently, cocaine wouldn't exist and America wouldn't have had to burn down acres of Bolivian coca plantations for their strict 'war on drugs'. Perhaps the coca plant would now be harvested all around the world and marketed as a popular 'superfood,' just like maca, spiralina or quinoa. Then again, if it wasn't for these early European explorers and chemists, we also wouldn't have the variety of coca-derived drugs that make modern medicine what it is today...

We are looking forward to returning to this enchanting, raw and vibrant city in a week or so. For now though, we are more concerned about the remaining journey through the muddy, rain-soaked dirt roads that lead into Rurrenabaque, and with how to deal with the Malarial and Yellow Fever carrying mosquitoes that will be waiting for us in the Jungle! So far this definitely feels like a real, raw Amazonian adventure!