Finding work & El Alto market

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We have done our usual trick when arriving at a new city, to spend a few days just working out how the city works and what there is to do.

Like Rio, La Paz is a breathtaking city. It is the world's highest capital situated in an Andean valley at an altitude of 3600m. From the centre you look up at hillsides plastered with makeshift brick houses. What´s more, La Paz is framed by two dominating, snow-capped mountains, both over 6000m. Aside from its topography, the most pertinent features of this fascinating city are its unusual Witch markets (where you can pick up anything from a puma skin to a llama featus) and its stong sense of tradition. La Paz is a city steeped in custom - the women on particular appear as if lifted from the pages of a storybook, clad in full national dress and rarely without a large bundle strapped to their backs and a bowler hat on top.

After resting for a day, Matt, Tatiana, Amy and I went to El Alto, to a market known about and visited only by locals. We travelled there using one of the many illegal and cramped vans that operate on La Paz´s hair-raising roads. The market was fascinating, vibrant and utterly filthy. After spending very little on quite a lot, we decided to leave as our belly´s began to rumble.

After returing from the market, we decided to make a stew. As our stew was on the hob boiling, a maggot crawled out of the vegetable peelings! By now it was too late, so we pushed thoughts of the maggot to the back of our minds, and wolfed down the stew.

The hotel which had been our haven was now beginning to get on our nerves. The hot water showers and unlimited coffee were nowhere to be seen. We decided to look for another place, not just for this reason, but because we wanted to find a job, to cover the costs of living. We decided to try our luck at the Adventure Brew hostel, as we met very nice people who were working on the bar when we went to look round, they told us it was a pretty good deal.

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Photos

Juice stall in El Alto
An enthusiasm for juicing that could rival Alan Hopkins

New hat only 5 Bs!
It doesn´t look cold enough to be wearing it, but it is!

Labour Day protests
Citizens of La Paz regularly campaign for improved working conditions