All started with a bit of a pallava.

I started Spanish lessons today, at 9am. Supposedly. Unfortunately, Rodrigo hadn't given me any keys, and the usual pair that was left lying around the house was gone. Which meant I was locked in the house until about 9:40am. Doh!

Luckily, this is Bolivia, and the teacher, whilst curious at me being late, didn't appear in anyway offended. The lesson, whilst shortened, was great! It was mainly just a conversation in Spanish, just to gauge what kinda level I am at the moment. The conversation was interesting. From talking about what I did last weekend, we somehow got onto the issue of teenage pregnancies in Newcastle, how students aren't friends with the teachers in England and the issues of alcoholism in Ukraine.

Being put on the spot was a great way to work out I actually know a lot more Spanish than I feel I do when trying to decipher what is being said by a fast speaking Bolivian with a cheek fat with coca leaves. The lessons are 9 to 11 so I'm likely to miss a few because of my jungle plans next week but hopefully we'll be back to it the weeks after.

I had feared, given the school is close to the embassies, that the atmosphere would have been rather formal. But the lesson, despite the disturbingly serious conversation topics, felt rather relaxed. Much more relaxed than Spanish lessons in Quito, that's for sure.

After that it was a free lunch again in Casa Fushion (not before I finalised my jungle plans). Then, to the Kili Kili.

All three of us decided to go to the centre, Marion to a drawing class near Calle Jaen, La Paz's oldest street, me and Leigh, to the Kili Kili.

K, so I should probably explain what the Kili Kili is.

It's a viewpoint. That's literally all it is.

But to get there we had to walk past barking dogs, urine stained streets and past dilapidated shacks. A few blocks from the presidential palace. And also up (what felt like...) a 75 degree hill.

Kili Kili is situated in Miraflores, not La Paz's nicest district, but boy it is a has an amazing view of the city.

La Paz just seems so improbable. It climbs and sprawls all up the valley side, a ridiculously steep valley side no less, the place is quite frankly ridiculous and probably shouldn't even exist. But it does, and it's an amazing collage of skyscrapers and slum, of traffic-choked highways overlooked by glorious mountains. Students dressed as zebras operate the zebra crossings and masked men - Lustrabotas - try clean every shoe they see to make a pittance. It's an awe-inspiring city.

We then descended down La Paz's many outdoor staircases, to El Prado, the main drag down the city centre. There, after searching, we finally found a crammed minibus to take us to Plaza Espana, the nearest main landmark to the house, and made our way back to the house.

I've mainly been focused on researching for the pieces. These last few days have been very chill and relaxing, good to recharge before launching back into travelling. We have the editorial meeting tommorrow to absolutely finalise what we're doing, and because so many of the longer term interns are still away, I guess I'm going to be quite a bit ahead of them.

Am heading to Santa Cruz, Bolivia's biggest city next tuesday, en route to the Beni, Bolivia's jungle country. There I'm hoping to cover Parque Ambue Ari - part of Inti Warra Yassi Foundation, a wildlife rescue foundation. I'm hoping to write a piece about 'the dark side of the jungle' on animal trafficking and deforestation's effect on wildlife.

The second piece will be on San Ignacio de Moxos's crazy Fiesta de Moxos, one of the biggest festivals of the year.

Of course time will tell if it all works out, but either way, it's going to be an adventure!

Vamos!