La Paz, Bolivia

Well...we hit La Paz on Monday morning and began expolring this big, notorious city. Being a capital, La Paz has a commerical and business feel to it with suits and modern attire, mixed in still with the tradiotional skirts and hats of the women {albiet with more ruffles, lace and finer textures}. At an altitude of 3660m, it quite warm during the day and cold at night. The city is nestled between mountains and the centre sits snug in the middle so theres hills to walk to get anywhere.

The witches market is a fascinating strip where you can purchase anything from llama fetuses, herbs, potions, tiger skins...plus your regular Sth American offerings of woven goods and food and drinks. There is no excuse for having un-shined shoes here in La Paz with shoe shine boys on every corner. They wear woollen balaclavas and are quite an intimidating vision at first, but the reason for this is firstly due to the toxicity of the polish, and secondly because it is considered a lowly job and the balaclavas help with anonymity and allow them to be more forward (¨really no, we do not need our dirty suede hiking boots polished thanks!¨)

Our timing was particular good for arriving in La Paz, as Bolivia was playing Argentina in the World Cup qualifier on Wednesday. So we scored some tickets and went along. Due to the altitude and a supposed disadvantage to the visiting team, games are not often played here. But Argentina and Maradona thought they would give it a go anyway. Sold out stadium, awesome seats for 25 aussie dollars and wait for it...Bolivia won 6-1 !! Unheard of, and a historic moment for this country (espceially against one of the best teams in the world) and such an exicting game to be at.

A funny thing about the game was that you can buy tickets to it at a chicken shop in the middle of the city!! Chicken is big over here, and only in Bolivia can you buy tix to the world cup qualifier at the local chicken shop!! We have had several funny restuarant experiences including a stella visit to a Morroccan restuarnt but it doesnt translate in words.

We have not yet made it inside San Pedro jail {aka Marching Powder book for those who have read it}, however we have watched the prisoners being escorted in from the plaza in front. There are police guards around the place, but there are police with riot gear everywhere in Bolivia so this does little to signify that it´s a prison (we apparently missed a riot of some sort by 5 minutes the day of the futbol). The strange thing is that San Pedro is in the very centre of the city, as opposed to the outskirts like you would expect.

As well as a very visible police presence, Bolivia is filled with political messages painted on walls and highways. Messages of new consitutions and pro-Evo (the president) colour the country. Evo is well liked here, and partly for his yes-stance on coca. The chewin of coca in Bolivia is huge and deeply rooted in their traditions for everything. It dates back 2500 BC to pre Inca times (knowledge we acquired in the Coca Musuem). Despite being used in medicine (nowadays synathectic novacaine is used) and of course Coca Cola, coca leaves help the body to take in more oxygen and are therefore a key factor in the lives pf people who live at high altitude.

At the moment, we are in Corioco which is a beautiful town, again surrounded by mountains, but here it is lush and hot and humid. Condors circle the area, flying gracefully on the thermals. We have enjoyed the pool and the sushine today after a very adventuous day yesterday where we rode bikes down the Worlds Most Dangerous Road (or ´Death Road´ if you prefer the short version). Its 64 km, mostly downhill with cliff drop offs 600+ metres. At times the road is really narrow {although, we were expecting it to be worse}. These days, there are little vehicles on this road so not as dangerous as previously where many people have died every year (crosses regularly mark the road). It was fantastic and a real adrenalin thrill to be gunning it down gravel roads through rainforest and waterfalls and sketchy trails. Lots of fun.