Wednesday, May 25, 2011

La Paz

View of La Paz from Monticulo

Ryan and I landed in La Paz on Saturday and discovered that the altitude did indeed make a difference.  We managed to see a bit of the city but spent most of the day asleep and more or less delirious.  But with our three nights in La Paz, we eventually managed to see just about everything there is to see, despite the hills and headaches.

To put it simply, La Paz makes Rome look like it is being run by Martha Stewart.  We stayed in Cruz de los Andes on Calle Aroma--a part of town known for being geared toward tourists.  Although we did see a few stores devoted to expensive REI-style clothing, many would refer to this part of town as a slum--there are real slums, however, ones that we only glimpsed.


Walking along the sidewalks of La Paz, one must first make sure to stay on the sidewalk, as these are small, crumbling and only inches away from the street, where buses from the 70s most certainly have the right of way.  Pedestrian life, it seems, is cheap here.  Street vendors are everywhere, selling everything from llama fetuses to piles of oranges to pantyhose.  At our most optimistic moments, these permanent underground markets were exciting and colorful.  At other times, the overwhelming smells produced by neighborhoods lacking in bathrooms and trashcans and overflowing with car exhaust got the best of us.

A common sight in La Paz

But for all the poverty and pollution we encountered, we also found a wealth of surprises.  Indeed, in La Paz you could spend all day in what most Westerners would call a slum or you could find yourself in a wealthy section of El Prado--the main street in town that at its best resembles Denver´s Sixteenth Street Mall.  It is startling to see people living in abject poverty--piled into tiny stalls in buildings that are literally falling down--and then to find a highrise and a dog spa.

Some say that in the First World, if you look hard enough, you will find the Third World.  In La Paz, you live in the Third World, but if you have the means, you can find the First.  I´m glad I saw La Paz, but I cannot say I am eager to return.  I am afraid that I am attached to my developed world amenities--clean water, sanitation, food safety.  I hope that all the people of La Paz can also enjoy these luxuries--sooner rather than later.

Highlight: The Presidential Palace and the Cathedral are both beautiful buildings that are well maintained. They line a central plaza completely covered in pigeons. We spent a good hour in the plaza and another half hour in the Cathedral--a quiet refuge from the street.  The view from Monticulo is also spectacular.

The Presidential Palace

Traveler¨s Tip: Hotel Diamante is right next to Cruz de Los Andes.  For 10 bs more per night, you can get a much nicer room. We were startled to find that this building even has an elevator--and a nice one at that!

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