La Paz

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I arrived in Bolivia a day late as the bus I was going to get was cancelled because the road to La Paz was blocked by political protesters, apparently quite a common occurrence. So I had an extra day in Cusco and then got on the overnight bus on Tuesday night. The road is at high altitude and there was no heating on the bus so it was COLD! I tried to look out the window but I couldn't see anything because it was covered in ice! They gave us blankets to cover ourselves but that was not enough - I got in my sleeping bag! Everyone else's seat except mine reclined so I was trying to sleep sitting upright which meant I slept very little and arrived in La Paz feeling vey tired. I didn't really know what to expect and was a bit overwhelmed by the place. It's the craziest city I've been to so far, full of noise and colour, with street vendors everywhere selling just about everything and huge markets selling even more of everything. There don't seem to be many proper shops - I think everyone must buy everything from the vendors. Crossing the road is like taking your life in your hands, you just have to choose the right moment and run for it because nobody's going to stop! Even walking along the pavement is hard enough as there are just too many people.

One of the most unusual sights is the witches' market where you can buy all kinds of traditional medicines and potions, talismans (supposed to bring good luck), Andean and Inca symbols and for some reason llama foetuses. It's all very strange indeed. This is near a street called Sagárnaga, otherwise known as Gringo Alley, where there are lots of cafes, hostels and internet places where backpackers hang out. It's on a very steep hill which I've just climbed and at this altitude (3640 metres) I'm competely out of breath.

If there's any city that can be described as bustling it's got to be La Paz. A few times it's just been a bit too much for me and I've had to retreat from the main centre to the Plaza Murillo, which is marginally quieter and where you can find the Cathedral, the Presidencial Palace and the Congress building, along with more street traders of course, but you just can't escape them.

I did get away from the city today on an organised tour to the historical site of Tiwanaku, which dates from 1500 BC, well before the Incas. It's regarded as the most important archaeological site in Bolivia and is still being dug up bit by bit. We visited a couple of museums nearby, then walked round the site where there was once a pyramid and a temple, parts of which are still intact and in good condition.

Tonight I'm going to leave this mad city behind and catch another overnight bus (with heating this time I am assured) to Uyuni towards the south of the country. From there I will get on a tour of the salt flats in a 4WD.

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