Exploring la ciudad

---

Hola amigos,

Today I met with a local Bolivian student, named Vanessa, to take a tour of La Paz from a local's point of view. It was such a great experience. Vanessa got me oriented to the area and also instructed me on how to get around using public transportation (large buses and mini buses), which take 5 times longer but are 5 times less expensive then taxis. She brought me to the calvary (called Juttajha) in el Alto Tacagua, a poor area very high up in the city, which allowed me to have a wonderful view of all of La Paz. You can see the large cross from anywhere in the valley, so it was quite the experience actually seeing it up close. We then walked all around the main areas of La Paz, including the plaza San Fransisco, calle Sagarnaga, el Mercado de las Brujas and el Mercado Negro. These locations are chock full of street vendors and small shops that sell everything from llama fetuses, to live guinea pigs, to stolen electronics. She guided me through the underground markets, where one can buy a 2 course meal for 5 Bolivianos (less than 1 US dollar). We stopped at el mercado Uraguay, or as her father calls it "fish alley", for fresh pescado blanco, ispies (fried small fish eaten whole), and chuño topped with a rich spicy dressing. While there she told me about how her father owns a Hostel in Quime, where she often refers travelers for a peaceful getaway and good conversation with her father, a Bolivian who is well-versed on Botany, the environment, and politics. In fact, she offered to retrieve for me a hard copy of the entire old and new Bolivian Constitution, which is necessary for my study. I imagine that I will make a trip out to Quime for 2 days or so, in order to enjoy the peaceful scenery, learn about the surrounding area, and interview her father for a local perspective on the issue of community justice.

After exchanging information and saying goodbye to my new friend Vanessa, I headed home to la Zona Sur (the South Zone where my neighborhood, Calacoto, is located). I had one hour to get ready for the movies with my cousins. We went to a large new multiplex, built by a Spanish contracting company who agreed to construct the huge development if they were given the land for free. It contains indoor shopping places, restaurants, a bowling alley, and the largest movie theatre in South America (with 18 big screen rooms)! There are many new developments going up in La Paz; a noticeable difference since I was last here in 2009. Both Vanessa and my cousins say this is due to government initiatives backed by the economic stimulus of natural resource exploition and coca production (which, unfortunately, leads to gains for the Bolivian economy through the drug market). I will further explain the complex world of Bolivian politics in future entries. Pero ahorita, estoy cansada.

Buenas noches

---

Comments

[Roberto J.]

"Explorando La Ciudad"
Felicidades, Nejla, por haber tomado la iniciativa de explorar la ciudad de La Paz con una estudiante local. No hay mejor manera de realmente conocer a fondo un sitio, sus vistas, colores, ruidos, sabores y fragrancias que haciendolo a pie y desde la optica de un "lugareno". A pesar de su crecimiento acelerado y desorganizado, La Paz continua siendo una ciudad magica y llena de contrastes entre lo autoctono y lo moderno. Es ademas la capital de la America Indigena. Si, yo te recomendaria que tomes la oportunidad para visitar Quime (no conozco ese poblado). Adelante exploradora!