It rules. I love it. Getting there, however...
We arrived in La Paz, Bolivia, on Friday (2/2) afternoon on an overnight bus from Cusco. During the boarding process, we notice that people were carrying blankets and wearing pants, sweaters and jackets. I was in jeans in a long-sleeve shirt; Mark was in light khakis and a teeshirt. Hmmm... context clues about the journey to come? Naaah.
I can honestly say I have never been closer to freezing to death in my entire life. For about eight hours I was surprised everytime I felt my heart beat. When the sun came up, I awoke, in amazement, not in the afterlife. We made it. Alive. And I am buying a blanket immediately.
We walked over the Peru-Bolivia border with no problems (though the scene was absolutely chaotic) and were dropped at the bus terminal in La Paz. Grumpy, hungry and thawed, we made it to the Prado -- the heart of La Paz. Our celebratory meal was at none other than Burger King. Score.
Minivan Madness
La Paz is noisy and disorderly and crazy. I completely loved it.
There are hundreds (well, a lot) of these insane minivans that are worthy of mention because they are converted into mini-buses that wildly drive around scooping people up. Whoever is at the sliding door yells the destinations as if they were possessed. Utterly bizarre.
Walkin' After Midnight
Just kidding, Mom-- I didn't walk around (much) after midnight. I did, however, discover that when walking around La Paz, crazy things happen.
On Sunday, I took a walk to Plaza Murillo, the historical square in the country's capital. I was filming the ongoings and appreciating the national landmarks when, out of nowhere, a huge brass marching banding comes tearing down the street. They are dressed in fantastic red military uniforms and playing with such gusto. It was an awesome site.
After an hour of pomp and circumstance, I come to find out that every Sunday morning they do a traditional flag-raising ceremony. It was quite a spectacle. Will post photos for this soon. Speaking of... the photos that you see now are:
- First one on the right is the eternal the street market in La Paz. You will find everything from fake Puma sneaks, to alpaca blankets to UNC Tarheel hats to designer dress shoes. It's like Chinatown, except 100 times bigger. No exaggeration.
- Second one to the left is a photo of San Francisco Square on the Santa Cruz street. Apparently, this street is a dividing line for the city: above Santa Cruz is where the Spanish influence and development begins; below is where the indigenous folks of Bolivia remain. We kept it real and stayed below Santa Cruz. You know, it's like 14th Street. :)
We arrived in La Paz, Bolivia, on Friday (2/2) afternoon on an overnight bus from Cusco. During the boarding process, we notice that people were carrying blankets and wearing pants, sweaters and jackets. I was in jeans in a long-sleeve shirt; Mark was in light khakis and a teeshirt. Hmmm... context clues about the journey to come? Naaah.
I can honestly say I have never been closer to freezing to death in my entire life. For about eight hours I was surprised everytime I felt my heart beat. When the sun came up, I awoke, in amazement, not in the afterlife. We made it. Alive. And I am buying a blanket immediately.
We walked over the Peru-Bolivia border with no problems (though the scene was absolutely chaotic) and were dropped at the bus terminal in La Paz. Grumpy, hungry and thawed, we made it to the Prado -- the heart of La Paz. Our celebratory meal was at none other than Burger King. Score.
Minivan MadnessLa Paz is noisy and disorderly and crazy. I completely loved it.
There are hundreds (well, a lot) of these insane minivans that are worthy of mention because they are converted into mini-buses that wildly drive around scooping people up. Whoever is at the sliding door yells the destinations as if they were possessed. Utterly bizarre.
Walkin' After MidnightJust kidding, Mom-- I didn't walk around (much) after midnight. I did, however, discover that when walking around La Paz, crazy things happen.
On Sunday, I took a walk to Plaza Murillo, the historical square in the country's capital. I was filming the ongoings and appreciating the national landmarks when, out of nowhere, a huge brass marching banding comes tearing down the street. They are dressed in fantastic red military uniforms and playing with such gusto. It was an awesome site.
After an hour of pomp and circumstance, I come to find out that every Sunday morning they do a traditional flag-raising ceremony. It was quite a spectacle. Will post photos for this soon. Speaking of... the photos that you see now are:
- First one on the right is the eternal the street market in La Paz. You will find everything from fake Puma sneaks, to alpaca blankets to UNC Tarheel hats to designer dress shoes. It's like Chinatown, except 100 times bigger. No exaggeration.
- Second one to the left is a photo of San Francisco Square on the Santa Cruz street. Apparently, this street is a dividing line for the city: above Santa Cruz is where the Spanish influence and development begins; below is where the indigenous folks of Bolivia remain. We kept it real and stayed below Santa Cruz. You know, it's like 14th Street. :)
that freezing cold trip sounds vaguely familiar...didn't Eric warn you of his near death experience as well??? Wille hogged the sleeping bag and it almost ended his life too!! :) Glad to hear you made it alove...