La Paz

La Paz is a fscinating city. At an average height of 3600 Meters, it is the highest capital city in the world. Everything you do here seems to take a little more effort. And of course, everywhere you want to walk is either uphill or downhill. The views in all directions from all points is quite overwhelming.

We have spent the last few days exploring the city and generally hunting down places to eat, etc.

Our hotel is very nice and quite economical, but is in a very dodgy area of the city. During the day it is no problem but at night it can be quite scary.

We have taken a city tour and a tour to the ¨Moon Valley¨, which is at the lower end of the city and enjoys a much warmer climate. A very eerie place, surrounded by some of the nicest homes in the city. Generally, the lower the altitude, the higher the wealth.

At the top, on the Altoplano plain where the airport is, is over 4000 Meters high and is a city unto itself called El Alto. Not nearly as nice as La Paz proper.

Yesterday, we took a tour to the most important archaeological site in Bolivia at Tiwanaku, on the shore of lake Titicaca.

This is a pre-Inca site dating from about 500 AD and is currently still being excavated. Interesting but nothing as impressive as what the Incas left behind at Machu Picchu and such.

We are not sure what the plans are for the next 1-1/2 weeks but I am sure we will keep ourselves amused somehow.