From the quiet, relaxing lake side town of Copacabama to the crazy madness that is La Paz. What a difference a day can make.

La Paz is a crazy fast paced city, Not the prettiest place but it beats along to an an energy more well established cities could only dream off.

Its height is at around 3600 metres above sea level, it it is considered the highest ´de facto´ capital city in the world and it situated in a spectacular natural bowl of the mountainous Atiplano. On arrival we came through a crazy city on the outskirts of La Paz at 4000 metres above sea level. Then at the last minute the landscape drops away and you see the entire city sprawled out tumbling down the mountains for 500 metres.

This is the city of markets, they are everywhere. You cannot walk on the pavements as they are full up with people selling all kinds of items. You have to take your chances in the road with the non pedestrian friendly traffic.

Thousands upon thousands of market stalls are everywhere selling anything you want. You want a bath? Well there will be one on the pavement somewhere for sale, you want dodgy rip off clothing, its your lucky day, you want a hundred wooden spoons, well over there is the spoon lady with a cart crammed full of them, you want a Llama foetus, well you´re in luck, this is the place for you!!

On arrival Dave and Emily got rather lost and ended up wandering around the steep and hectic streets with their backpacks trying to find the one narrow street (out of hundreds) that there hotel is located. After a good kilometer of walking in circles, asking shopkeepers, street sellers and two seperate policemen the hotel was sucessfully located.

The hotel is very nice, large room with three beds (?) ensuite and balcony, plus cable tv which is always a nice addition (lost and csi here we go again!) This hotel prides itself on each room having wall paintings and our was a rather nice painting of a townscape that goes all along two walls and over the door, making it quite hard to disdinguish where the corner of the room is or where the door is located!

Our time here has consisted of exploring the many many alleyway of markets and shops, lots of breathless walking up steep streets and the odd museum. Also frequenting a Pizza restaurant around the corner from our hotel on both nights, its a very nice place and they make the pizzas infront of you, tossing them about in the air.

We also enjoyed a visit to the Coca Museum, which explains the history, culture, politics and moden day problems with the leaf.

As mentioned on previous blogs, the coca leaf is widely used in this part of the world. Dave and Emily benefited from its effects whilst in Cusco and climbing up to 4200km on the Inca Trail. The problem is that it is the raw ingredient in cocaine. So of course the USA blame Bolivia (where coca leaf cultivation has been going on for 5000 years) for all their drug problems. The Bolivians need the leaf to live and work at high altitudes.

So the USA is trying to ban Bolivia from cultivating the coca leaf and therefore destroy a way of life, religion and history of this country. Let´s hope the USA dont get their way again and instead try and deal with the reasons their citizens take cocaine!

The museum was very informative and facinating. At the end Dave and Emily enjoyed a coca tea each and a coca chocolate orange cake, which was super tasty.

Bolivia is so far taking its toll on your faithful travellers, the food doesnt seem to be agreeing with our sensitive English stomachs and the altitude is gradually reducing us to gibbering wreaks!

Over a week at atitudes of between 3900 and 3600 metres above sea level is causing some harsh and consistant problems for our bodies, and we look forward to our next desination Sucre at a nicer 2750 metres above sea level. Then eventually down to lowlands in Chile.

What a delight that will be to breath air that is rich in oxygen!!