Lungs of Fire

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Today was the first day I have felt back to my traveler self. I checked out of my luxury hotel this morning and wandered into the sunny La Paz street and hopped into a taxi. The driver knew of my hostel and we were away. It was an easy run and I am now offcially checked into my first ever ¨party hostel¨. Whatever that means. They do have a full scale irish pub on the second floor. When I first got there around noon I went to the bar to buy some bottles of water because the tap water in La Paz is undrinkable. As I approached it sounded like a rave was going on inside. At the bar there were a few scurrilous fellow already, still?, drunk.

That is not what made me feel like my old self though. It is more due to the fact that I can finally breathe somewhat normally so I was able to go have a very solid explore of La Paz on foot. My first destination was to be El Prado. Unfortunately, I mistook some kind of spooky half empty quasi-amusement park place for it at first, but I eventually found it. I passed a little old man busking on a lone pan pipe. My first brush with Andean music, a personal favorite! I tried Mercado Camacho, but many of the stalls were closing down. It was 3pm, so perhaps it is some kind of post-lunch pre-dinner siesta?

Walking around La Paz you can feel this cool Andean air. It is very different from any bit of South America that I have previously traveled to. There are so many indigenous faces here. The women walk around all round and plump with their fancy long skirts and colorful satchels. Their hair is braided into pigtails and so many are wearing those bowler hats. I kind of thought that they wouldn´t actually dress like that. These are a purposeful people. There is a vague feeling of winter in the air, but it is not like any winter I am used to. The whole city is slightly haunting.

The streets are cobbled and slippery with dust. Speaking of which I need to slip out of my Sanuks and into my Nikes for better traction. The streets manage to be both dark and sunlit. The sidewalks are very narrow along the streets leading up high into the canyonside. I have to say that the hills are still rough for me. Particularly the one I have to travel up to get back to my hostel. The return trip positively sets my lungs on fire.

I am now in the front courtyard waiting for the Bolivia vs Chile Copa America match to start. I will be watching it at the hostel´s aforementioned irish bar. I am really excited about this match! In fact you know what, I may not wait and just start watching the first match, Ecuador vs Mexico. Bring on the night!

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