Day in La Paz… ugh

Day in La Paz… ugh

La Paz, Bolivia, South America

Despite this city being a complete craphole, I managed to have a pretty good day anyway. I met up with Gino at 9:30am, we went to compare the two tour companies again and we have booked the Death Road tour for tomorrow with Barracuda. It seems like exactly the same offer, but for 500 bolivianos instead of 750. It was a no-brainer really.

We then went on the free walking tour with a company called Red Cap, and it was really good. It was run by two girls, who have clearly been doing this for a while. They did a great job of making the city sound interesting, even though they didn’t really show us anything that was impressive. There was a big group of us, about forty people, and I think everyone stuck around till the end, which is a really good sign for a free walking tour. It finished in an English pub, which was a little strange, but it was pretty close to my hostel, so I was happy.

Gino and I went to a Swiss bakery that is in the middle of the Witches Market, and had a couple of crepes for lunch. This market is really strange, it seems like something that would have been around about 200 years ago, but it’s still here now. They sell dead llama fetuses, which you’re supposed to bury under your house before you start building for good luck. They also have all kinds of potions and powders that can help you with anything, from a headache, to erectile disfunction, to needing to find a girlfriend. It seems crazy to me, but some Bolivians still believe in this stuff, so good for them.

We split up for a bit and I came back to the hotel to chill for a little bit and then Karin got in touch. She just got into La Paz today with her other Dutch friends Tessa and Peter, and her english friend Roz. We all met up for dinner in the downtown area (which was still not nice at all), at a restaurant called Vienna. It was really nice. Too nice for a bunch of backpackers. There was a doorman, and a wine list, and it just looked really fancy. We enjoyed a really nice meal (I had lemon flavored chicken and vegetables), and it ended up costing my about $9. I’m really enjoying how cheap Bolivia is.

Gino and I hopped in a cab after dinner because we couldn’t be bothered walking back toward my hostel which was all uphill. It only cost about $2 anyway, so it was well worth it. I’m back at the hotel and trying to get my stuff ready for tomorrow morning. We are meeting for the Death Road trip at 7:30am, and I need to check out of my hotel before that and leave my big bag here. I’ll be staying at Senda Verde, an animal sanctuary, tomorrow night, and then coming back to La Paz on Saturday. I have a busy few days coming up, if I survive the World’s Most Dangerous Road tomorrow!

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