Altitude... it´s a killer!


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South America » Bolivia » La Paz Department » La Paz
September 20th 2008
Published: September 25th 2008
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Arriving at my hostel in La Paz i had 4 delightful flights to climb with all my gear to my room (a normal double bed, thank god) and passed out, probably still puffing.

Woke with the rudest thumping headache and thought, there is no way i am leaving La Paz today feeling this hellish, and booked another night in the hostel. My room was already booked so i moved into a 4 bed girls dorm.

Went to an area known as the Witches Market and was offered a Llama foetus - for good luck, she told me. Took about 1.5 hours to walk the 5 blocks to the Bus terminal having to stop and catch my breath every other minute. Sorted myself out to leave La Paz the following day, and then went to explore some more, basically puffing my way around La Paz.

Even feeling this horrendous, I really like La Paz. The people are just lovely and have the most intriguing bird-like features and the kids are the cutest i have ever seen. In fact, i have 10 of them in my backpack. There´s an old lady every 10 metres selling saltenas (like empanadas), trinkets, rip-off
Llama Foetus'Llama Foetus'Llama Foetus'

for good luck...
cd´s, sweets, etc. This was good for me, as i could stop for a breather as the streets are so damn steep.

Now, Bolivian women are bringing it back. No, not sexy, but the Bowler Hat. Ill-fitting bowlers, on a dainty side slant. Not sure how they stay on but it looks wonderful.

After my day out I went back to my dorm room about 7.30 pm (via taxi, i could no longer walk i was puffing so hard) to find a curly haired woman in the next bed asleep. I thought, may as well, there was no way i was going back down those stairs, and hopped into my own bed and passed out. The curly bird, actually turned out to be a dude from Brisbane, I obviously misheard when they said it was a co-ed room. We shared a giggle about our two German room-mates, one of whom spent from 6 am snorting and clearing her throat. Guten Morgen to you too! I have woken up with yet another pounding headache, so slowly sifted down to the main drag at about 9.30 am for breakfast, to find some sort of town festival on. Stages being set up, market stalls, etc. The sound guy was setting up and testing the mike with a deep voice "tss tss, ahh, ahh, hola". Amusing, but whatever happened to Uno, Dos, Tres?

Went and had some breakfast, a full spread for around $4AUD, far out it is cheap here! I barely had an appetite though. When i came out of the cafe the festival was in full swing with a Rave down one end, a large group of Bolivian Emo´s lined up listening to some death metal, a traditional Bolivian music stage, a Bolivian boyband stage and locals spilling out all over the place!

Some kid in a balaclava jumped out in front of me and i thought he was trying to rob me but he kept chanting ´shoe shine, shoe shine´. Dude, look down i´m wearing trainers.

Saw a woman at the end of the street selling coconut juice, so i bought one from her. I thought she would tip the juice into a cup but no, the old dear pulled out a knife and violently stabbed the top of the coconut several times, shoved a straw inside and passed it to me. Shoeshine boy was still hounding me and had the nerve to ask would i buy him one as well! Beat it, kid.





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La Paz street festivalLa Paz street festival
La Paz street festival

Traditional dance


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