PARTY, PARTY, PARTY…that's pretty much all there is to do in La Paz, so I suppose it's a great place to be for Xmas. But after spending 3 nights before the Amazon & 4 nights after at Loki Hostel we needed a break. The Hostel itself was fantastic by Bolivian standards & it certainly catered well for Westerners with big comfy beds, hot showers & toilet paper (both unheard off elsewhere in the country). With almost 200 beds, free Wi-fi, a banging bar serving drinks 18hrs a day & decent cheap food - you had everything at your fingertips. Plus we'd made a nice group of friends to spend the festive season with. Not a place to come if you're looking for a quiet time to relax & sleep!

The altitude is certainly noticeable in La Paz, with it being the highest Capital City in the world at 4100m above sea level, even walking up the stairs leaves you breathless. So when we did explore the city it was a mission tackling those big hills. The Witches Market is a definite must see, with indigenous women in traditional dresses selling anything from Alpaca Jumpers to Llama Fetuses!

Another experience not to be missed is an 'illegal' visit to San Pedro Prison, where on the weekends the guards can be bribed so tourists can have 'prison tours'. This has to be one of the most surreal experiences ever!! For those who have read the book Marching Powder the prison is every bit as crazy. It has its very own micro economy where you have to pay your own way for everything from food to your cell and even toilet paper. And can you believe that the one thing that is responsible for getting most of the prisoners banged up, is the same thing that helps them financially survive… Cocaine!!

After a very late night (or early morning) Christmas day started off well with the hostel having organized a big Turkey dinner with all the trimmings followed by a knee's up! However East hadn't been feeling 100% for almost 10days since the Salt Flats & later that evening he became progressively worst, so we went to the 24hr clinic and under Doctor's orders he had to stay the night for tests; hooked up to a drip for 18hrs given antibiotics and re-hydration salts. It was Salmonella Poisoning - Feliz Navidad!

We met some great people at Loki, most of which we'll meet up with again in Cusco for New Year. However after being ill with minimal sleep in the last week, La Paz had worn us out & it was time to go. The day we'd planned to leave, the whole of Bolivia was on melt down with a transportation strike over fuel prices rising 73%, it had even made BBC News. We were told by multi tour operators that there was no way out of the city for the next day or so. After much deliberation East & I decided to try our luck and headed for the bus station anyway, yes it was deadly quiet but money talks in Bolivia & if you pay the prices you can get anywhere. It cost us double, but that was still only £3 each for a bus ticket to Lake Titicaca & and a good night's sleep!!