Profile
Blog
Photos
Videos
Skipping Cochabamba at least had the advantage of getting us to La Paz in time to have one last night out with David, Tia and co before everyone went their separate ways. Gerard and I made a valiant effort to convince them to change plans and join us on our route but it was a tough sell - sad to think we probably won't bump into each other again.
We were not sure what to expect from La Paz and arriving in pouring rain after a long and harrowing bus ride wasn't a good start. But we loved it! It's so colourful and dynamic, there's tons to see and do, there's a backdrop of mountains all around (the site of the city was a lake once upon a time so it sits in a kind of bowl), and everything is shockingly cheap (we're talking 60p for a choripan). It's great!
Where to start with what we've been up to... Our first port of call was a walking tour of the city which was a good introduction and helped us orient ourselves a but. The first landmark we saw was the San Pedro prison which I'd read about a few years back; it used to be possible to do tours but by all accounts it's not allowed anymore - for some reason the government frowns upon hardened criminals acting as tour guides. Then on to the witches market where every stall had a selection of llama foetuses of various sizes for sale (supposedly they're good luck, the bigger the better) along with herbs and idols - we're told Bolivians are hugely superstitious and hedge their bets on the religion front, maintaining both traditional and catholic beliefs. In that vein, we also got a tip to visit the miniature market where people buy tiny tokens of their hopes and dreams for the coming year and burn them as an offering to Pachamama in the hope that she'll grant those wishes. We saw everything from construction materials to cars to dollar bills to laptops - all in miniature. Really lovely.
Next day we cycled the death road which we'd been looking forward to for a while - in Gerard's case, for 8 years since he spoke to someone in New Zealand about it. It was awesome even despite the rain. The first section was on asphalt which gave me a false sense of security so when we hit the dirt road I got a little too cocky on a particularly slippery corner and managed to skid and fall off my bike. No harm done except to my pride and that was appeased later on after half our group had had at least one fall (although of course Gerard's Dutch cycling skills kept him upright). The whole route was so incredibly beautiful, definitely a highlight - we even thought about doing it twice! And danger-wise, the drive back in the van was probably more nerve-racking than the cycling; at one point we had to traverse a river that had swallowed the road while we were showering and celebrating our survival.
Ticking off another La Paz attraction, we also went to see the cholitas wrestling ("cholitas" is the term for the old ladies in traditional dress). Whoever came up with this idea is a genius, it was hilarious! There were men wrestling men, men wrestling cholitas, cholitas wrestling cholitas, even a guest Mexican wrestler and, at one point, a baby. There were some really impressive moves from the ladies considering how many skirts they had on - and knowing how exhausted we've been getting at this altitude just walking up a gentle incline!
Our last day in La Paz we decided to visit the Valle de la Luna and were told that the easiest way was on an open-top bus tour. It was not nearly as impressive as the one in Atacama (much smaller and very touristy) and the bus tour was mediocre but, as with so many things here, it was cheap so can't complain. And of course no trip to La Paz would be complete without a visit to the coca museum which provided a surprisingly thorough insight into the white stuff.
Speaking of which, our next stop is Colombia! We booked a flight via Lima and saved some money by going for the connection with an 8 hour layover (true travellers - more time than money!). We had thought we could go into the city and explore for a bit between flights but when we arrived in Lima we discovered that it would cost us roughly the amount we'd saved to exit the airport because of some kind of tax you have to pay. Insufficient due diligence there. So Lima will have to wait until we return in April but if anyone wants any tips on what to do in the airport, you know where to come. (Hint: yes to alcohol, no to burgers in sushi restaurants, even if they are on offer)
For now, looking forward to our adventures in Colombia!
- comments