La Paz - Highest City..

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We awoke later than usual around midday, and we were pleased we had survived last nights' journey! We decided to head out for some much-needed food, and opted for a safe gringo-style cafe, which had a good veggie selection. We enjoyed veggie hamburgers and pittas, along with tea and fresh orange juice - fantastic value! We passed the huge colonial style attractive cathedral San Francisco, surrounded by police, and wandered up the Calle Santa Cruz street, the main drive of shops and stalls selling an array of gifts/wares and textiles - very busy! We were aware that we had to be extra careful in this city, due to the scams and pickpockets that sometimes occur.

We headed back to the main street where our hostal is situated, the road on either side has been dug up and is in the process of being repaired, so lots of rubble everywhere. From here you can see the huge incline with houses dotted upwards to a great height, ornate spires towering above, and the mountains in the distance, visible on a good day such as today! The streets were extremely busy, compared to when we arrived at 5am when there were only a few street sellers, selling items such as textiles and oranges, a vibrant city. Then we decided to catch up on a few jobs, as plenty of time here! Still struggling to walk up hills, as slight shortness of breath!

In the evening we all went to an Indian restaurant and enjoyed rather hot vegetarian Tikka Masalas, and delicious nacho chips with guacamole, accompanied with local wine/beer. Some people decided to pop into the oxygen bar next door for some extra health benefits! This was our last night with old group, as tomorrow newcomers will be joining us. The night scene was very busy on way back to hostal, lots of food being cooked on bare flames and a few unusual looking females!

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