Day 22: La Paz

Overall, La Paz was pretty uneventful as sightseeing goes. Partly to do with exhaustion and lack of will, and partly to do with the fact that it isn't really all that enticing. It's a bustling, gritty city. It's not pretty. But that's not to say I didn't enjoy it. There's a frenetic energy that I found exciting! I just probably wouldn't rate it as a tourist destination. However, on day three of La Paz I felt I really should make an effort.

The plan was to join a walking tour at 11:00... but we missed it by 15 mins (bloody bag packing! ALWAYS takes longer than expected...)! So, what did we do? Yup, back to Cafe del Mundo - where we spent more time (and money) than anywhere else in La Paz.

Huevos rancheros (and a gluten free brownie) for brunch before negotiating our way through the heat and hills to find the cable car - the only other touristy thing we did in La Paz!

The cable car, only 6Bob (€0.78) return, had amazing views over the city and the entire valley. We passed over streets, buildings and a huge cemetery, where tombs were stacked high on top of each other in linear rows of rectangular buildings.

We made it back down in time to join the 2pm walking tour. Battling our way through wall to wall street markets, we found our way to Plaza San Pedro (Aka Plaza Sucre) in time for the tour. The chirpy Red Cap guide, gathered us all around to inform us about the infamous, minimum security San Pedro prison on the other side of the square. While we listened, the sun beat down on us. One by one, wilting in the intensity of the heat, we sat on the fountain edge before moving off to the next part. The heat too much to bear, some of the group cut their losses and decided to find shelter and shade. Adamant not to miss out on the tour, Nat, Kat and I persevered... but not for long. A combination of heat, altitude, walking up hills through crowded markets we agreed to bail. It really was too much for our fair skin and unacclimatised bodies.

Taking refuge in a bar, we got something to drink before deciding to spend the rest of our limited time in La Paz wandering around doing our own thing. I went on the hunt for stamps and envelopes to send a package to my darling nephew Alex for his birthday in the coming days. It was a mission! But mission accomplished. Only catch, it would take 15 days! Which Vale, our new guide, advised me would take twice as long - I'll be home before the package!

We were all meeting at 6pm to get yet another night bus. A bad sleeper in general, this prospect was painful... so after much consideration I decided to buy sleeping pills! Best. Idea. Ever! From the time I took it at 9pm I slept right through to 6am, and then some (to be fair, I was still groggy a day later, but worth it!). I was however conscious enough to take in the strangeness that was that bus ride...

Vale had warned us that buses in Bolivia had their own rules. Drivers would stop mid-journey to collect/deliver packages or else pick-up additional passengers. Which is exactly what happened. We weren't long on the bus when the bus stopped for a good 40 mins, during which time various vendors got on and off to sell us crisps, drinks and trinkets. As if that wasn't bad enough, at some point during the night a few passengers boarded, one an elderly man who throughout the night paced the bus, shoving his face mere millimetres from different passengers faces and asking them something illegible in Spanish before moving onto the next... it was unsettling to say the least! But happily my sleeping pill got me through the long night...

Accommodation: Night bus
Weather: Beating hot.