The Government is out to get you, with turbulence


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South America » Bolivia » La Paz Department » La Paz
October 6th 2010
Published: October 9th 2010
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Day 31-6th October

As we didn’t have an early start I left the packing until the morning and it was our most sedate start yet! We checked out of the hostel at 11am and knowing that there wasn’t a flight to La Paz until 2pm we hung around a bit before getting a taxi to Viru Viru airport. When we got there we weren’t sure where you could buy tickets, so we went to the information desk and asked. We’d originally planned to try and get on the 2pm with Aerosur, however they turned around to us at the information desk and said that BOA had a flight to La Paz at 1.55pm and it was cheaper. Result, BOA it was then! They directed us to the check in desk to buy our tickets and it was around 57 pounds each for a 1 hour flight, sounds a bit expensive but we just couldn’t face the 15 hour bus ride. So we checked our bags in and decided to head to the departure lounge. We then found out that you have to pay an airport tax just to get into the departure lounge, rip off. I say that, it was only 15 bolivianos, but that’s not the point! However you have no choice in the matter, so we handed over 30 bolivianos for the both of us and headed upstairs. While we waited for our flight to be called we stocked up on some souvenirs, our pile is growing! I was carrying a carrier bag of all the ones we’d picked up so far as we were worried if we checked them in they wouldn’t survive the flight. This bag included the bow and arrow we picked up in Iguazu falls. Now yes, I know, we should of thought and that before we tried to take it on a plane it being a real working weapon, but its tourist stuff! However the arrows are pretty sharp and when we went through security at the airport, they didn’t like it at all! Whoops. The security guys gave us two options, either they broke the arrow heads off or we could check it into the hold. Option one was completely out of the question for us, so we decided to take our chances and check it in. Bolivian airports are much more relaxed than any other I’ve seen before; they allowed Ellory to go back through security and back down to the check in desk! We weren’t sure it would survive the flight but it was either that or have it deliberately broken. So we crossed our fingers and hoped we would see it in La Paz.

So, our flight, now I’ve flown quite a few times and I don’t really get nervous or anything like that, but sheesh, that was one of the worst. As we took off the turbulence (I think anyway, do you get turbulence that low down?!), was pretty bad and there were a couple of stomach churning drops. Once we were at altitude it was ok but obviously we didn’t stay up there for very long and we had to descend to land in La Paz. Again, have no idea whether it was because La Paz is the highest city in the world or pilot “skill”, but at times even I was clutching at the arm rests, Ellory was white as a sheet! The landing was rollercoaster scary and we were both very very relieved when we were back on safe ground!

La Paz is quite a small airport and as we went into the luggage reclaim, our bags were already going round the conveyor belt! (Heathrow take note!) So we grabbed them and waited to see if our bow and arrow had made it. A few anxious minutes of not seeing it on the belt, I turned around and spotted an airline official clutching it, yay! It had made it! It also now has some excellent stickers so it looks like a well travelled bow and arrow . However we have learned our lesson and we plan to ship it home from Cusco in Peru before our next flight, (Cusco to Puerto Maldonado after the Inca Trail) apparently the postal service in Bolivia is not great so we have to wait until Peru. Worries over, we grabbed a taxi outside to our hostel in downtown La Paz.

For those who have been to La Paz, you will know what I mean, it is one of the most dramatic cities I have ever seen. It has the honour of being named the highest city in the world, and at 3600m you can see why. It lives in a bowl, surrounded by snow-capped mountains and the scenery is just amazing. At night, as we are in the centre of the city you look out and are just surrounded by city lights from the buildings at the side of the bowl. We weren’t sure how we were going to find the altitude and the answer is, everything’s just that little bit harder. Our hostel has lots of slopes and stairs and you get to the top and wonder why your heart is going like a train and you’re out of breath! The taxi driver very kindly stopped so we could look at the views before taking us to our hostel, The Point. As we are travelling in low season, it is a bit quiet, but it’s clean, has a good communal area and the comfiest beds yet! They have huge fleece blankets on them and I thought I’d be too hot as the sun was baking down. We have since found that if the sun’s out it’s hot, when it’s in the temperature drops dramatically and suddenly you need a jumper and at night it is absolutely freezing! Hence the blankets, god bless them.

So we headed over to the communal area, played some pool and laughed at the naff music videos playing on the TV. We ended up joining a couple of people, Claire from Somerset and Tom from Belgium. Claire unfortunately had dislocated her kneecap earlier that day and was on crutches, she was due to fly home the next day anyway but was understandably quite gutted. We all launched into the 5 travellers’ questions that we have been asked, and have asked every time we meet someone new! What’s your name, where are you from, how long are you travelling, where have you been, where are you going. Seriously I’m going to get a t-shirt with this on. That done we spent a few hours chatting away. Ellory somehow got onto conspiracy theories and it emerged that no matter how outlandish, Tom believes in it. JFK, 9/11, Elvis, aliens, you name it. Facebook is also apparently created by the government to track us and one day we’ll all have to get micro chipped. This guy is actually moving to a desert island in the Philippines to get away from the evils of the government and the internet. Good lord, fortunately I can say this on here as there is no way in hell he’ll read it! Claire had gone to bed at this point and I just couldn’t cope with it. So I left Ellory, who was winding the guy up something chronic and went to bed.

Love Liz xx


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