La Paz, Bolivia

Colin and I left the tranquil town of Copacabana for the bustling metropolis of La Paz.  On our drive to the big city we came across some creative local problem solving.  At the narrowest point of the Lake we all had to exit the bus and get onto a small passenger boat that took us across, expecting to get onto a new bus on the other side we were surprised to see our bus floating on a flimsy barge to greet us. We hoped back on and continued to La Paz.

La Paz, Bolivia’s capital is a huge city built into the surrounding mountains with the main center at the lowest point.  We found a great hotel with a view to boot (the view comes with 8 flights of stairs but worth it).  While the food in Peru and Bolivia has been good it has lacked in variety and we shamelessly indulged in foods from around the world served up at tourist hotspots. Middle Eastern for dinner, European style pastries for lunch, good coffees and even an East Indian feast!    

We visited a great museum outlining the history of the Coca leaf and its importance to the local Andean people as well as the source of cocaine.  The locals chew on the leaves and stuff them in the side of their mouths to obtain a sort of slight high, nothing compared to that you would get from processed cocaine, but still a powerful stimulant.

At night, after filling our bellies with tasty foods, we hit the streets and came across a free concert in the street promoting local culture and social justice.  We have enjoyed the cities vibe but will be glad to say good bye to the copious amounts of exhaust that often fills the busy traffic streets. 

R (pictures to come)