I was going to call this blog "Bolivia" but that was drastically unfair to Bolivia. So it's called La Paz because we spent most of our time in La Paz. Quick tip, spend v little time in La Paz! There is not a lot to do and as a result this is like to be very short! Our journey to Bolivia did not go to plan and as a result our journey in Bolivia changed. Blockades, strikes, a "unacceptable" departure card made our exit from Peru expensive! The plan was a VIP bus and then book a trip to the salt flats. However we ended up flying and then at the airport paying for me to leave the country. Second tip - look after those pieces of paper they give you - do not drop it out of your passport on the Inca Trail, you will likely have to pay/bribe someone for a new departure card!
We arrived in La Paz and the views were pretty impressive. Arriving in one of the highest cities in the world is incredible. We were surrounded by glacial mountains making you realise just how high the city is. We had arrange for the hostel to send a cab to pick us up as we had been told that taxis were often on the dodgy side and you had to be sure exactly what company you were dealing with. So of course the taxi was nowhere to be seen. Up until this point we had experienced people who spoke at least some English with my mixture of Spanish and English just getting us by. Bolivia is a different kettle of fish me: "hablas Ingles?" Internet/telephone lady "no". Ok we will be working this thing out for ourselves! We somehow managed to speak to the hostel, workout that the cab wasn't coming and then find the "Aeropuerto" taxis who took us safely to our hostel. hurrah! My Spanish was getting better out of necessity. Once settled in we set about exploring the city. Easier said than done. La Paz was like a maze! Defeated we returned to the hostel prepared to take a walking tour the next day to find our way around the area. It struck me that La Paz was a complete contradiction. At times you would see lots of modern dress, technologies, touristy shops and a bustling banking district. Turn the corner and you were truly in "old Bolivia" cholitas selling food on the street, huge food markets and peeing in the street. It was going to be an interesting week.
Our waking tour started at San Pedro square which is home to the famous San Pedro Prison. The prison is unlike any other. There are no guards inside and the prisoners make the rules themselves. We were told you will find shops, coca cola, cafes, prisoners families and real estate sales. Four years ago the Bolivian government put a stop to tourist tours but we were told you can often find someone who promises they can get you inside although this often ends in mugging at best and more gruesome outcomes at worst. The tour moved around the city explaining about the cholitas ( their clothes can weight up to 1kg!) and how their hat wear is a trend brought over by the Europeans indicating their marital status. It took us through the witch markets and explained about offerings made to pacha mama or Mother Earth. They went on to tell us an elaborate story about sometimes the offerings need to be a live human and the witch doctors get homeless people drunk enough to pass out and then carry them to a hole in the ground near to where a new building will be. They then explained how they bury this person alive, concrete and all! Then claiming it's all an urban legend but "to be on the safe side don't take unusual drinks from strangers or pass out drunk in the street ok?" Wow! The recent visit by the Pope meant that a lot of work has obviously gone into La Paz recently but there are still clear divisions between the rich and poor and still markers from its history. In the presidential square there are many buildings with the markings of gun fire from a civil war in the early 2000s. Our guides explained that this is a part of their history that haunts many young Bolivians and the buildings are kept that way as a reminder of what has passed. The tour ends in an English bar with a shot of Bolivian alcohol ( the name escapes me!) we then head back to the hostel and figure out what we are going to do to pass the time over the next 6 days.
The answer to that was 'not much'. We had to take an opportunity to save some money after having a fairly spendy 3 weeks to try and get our budget back on track. A very cheap and cheerful was a day trip to Catchatallya and Moon Valley. Heads up don't be fooled by the word 'tour' in Bolivia, it can mean a lot of different things. Secondly, Catchatallya is a deserted ski field 5000m above sea level (Bolivians love telling you how high up you are!) and is not worth your time unless you happen to enjoy walking up an old ski field, covered in shale, with very little oxygen to get to the top and walk back down. It was a long day and it was hardly a guided tour. Some lady took money off us, pointed to the top of a mountain and said "walk up there come back at 12:15. Don't be late". It was incredible what you can see so high up but without a guide you are looking at a lot of brown ground and some mountains. Disappointed, breathless and desperate for the bathroom our 'tour' took us to Moon Valley. Again our guide pointed to an arrow and said "walk that way. Come back by 3". Moon Valley was a very interesting collection of rock formations. It had been filled with water but had since dried up leaving the formations. She then said we would see all these cool animals, except "you probably won't see them they are the same colour as the rocks and very timid. Ok. Thank you". Next minute we were back at the hostel. Hopefully the cholita wrestling and Lake Titicaca would be more impressive than today's tour.
Hurrah! After a few very slow days filled with podcasts and a UV party we had Cholita wrestling to look forward to! A local Sunday treat we got on our transport, picked up our popcorn and coke and some questionable souvenirs and settled in for our ringside seats. It was just as mad as Freyja had told me! I've never seen women in full skirts clothesline each other before. It was highly entertaining if bloody freezing! One of the highlights has to be a Bolivian local getting involved when one of the male wrestlers was out in the audience! Classic!
Lake Titicaca was going to be our last day in Bolivia and it was totally worth it. A long and bump by bus ride took us to the sleepy town of Copacabana. It was stunning. Hungry after an early start and insufficient snacks/breakfast we headed to get some food. We over ordered but it was delicious! Fed and watered we got ready for our boat ride out to the Isla del Sol. A beautifully clear day the lake was like a mirror. As you looked into the distance you saw glaciers and clouds kiss the lake. The photos just cannot convey what we were looking at. Having done our fair share of walking recently we were ready for our wander around the Isla del Sol. It was great entertainment hearing people on our boat saying things like "this will be great prep for the inca trail" guys...you have no idea...this is barely day one! The sun temple and the view from the look out point were incredible and definitely the highlight of the trip. As the boat arrived back at Copacabana was had a quick drink and browsed some markets before we headed back to La Paz. The bus had to cross an inlet on a barge so we waited in the cold and munched on a packet of chips to tie us over for the rest of the journey.
If we were doing the journey again we would have bused to puno waited out the strikes, bused to Copacabana for a few nights and then La Paz. This is what I would recommend if you find yourself in this part of the world trying to save money and not doing the salt flats. I would also suggest that Bolivia Hop is the company to go with! Two Irish guys own and run it and the info you get about each place you stop at is awesome! They can even help you find hostels!
Back in La Paz we packed and readied ourselves for our next stop...Buenos Aires...I was so incredibly excited!
