The shoeshiners on the high ropes

Policemen and their Whistles

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March 2nd 2007
A few days ago I was driving up in El Alto, a very poor 'suburb' of La Paz situated on the altiplano. It is a sprawling, flat, chaotic, concrete 'city', where about 1 million Aymara (indigenous) Bolivians live (and where there is a severe shortage of trees or any other living plant life). Needless to say, driving in El Alto is crazy and the road rules don't mean much (and its difficult to know w ... read more

South America » Bolivia » La Paz Department » La Paz

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Bolivia, named after independence fighter Simon BOLIVAR, broke away from Spanish rule in 1825; much of its subsequent history has consisted of a series of nearly 200 coups and counter-coups. Comparatively democratic civilian rule was established in 1... ... read more