First days

Day One -- May 12

My trip to La Paz almost became a trip to Santa Cruz, last Friday. It was lucky we made it here as a volcano in Peru -- Ubinas -- started spewing ash clouds that looked like they were heading towards La Paz. But a south wind blew the volcanic ash in the other direction and airline officals cleared our plane to leave Miami.

-- Left: View from El Alto --

I arrived in La Paz at about 8 a.m. and Domingo, a CECI employee, met us at the tiny airport. He drove us through El Alto, towards the city centre, down a road which is a series of sharp switch-backs. At each turn, people blow their horns to communicate something, or many things. I´m still not sure what the horn ettiquette is here, but so far, I think it can mean: get out of my way; you go; I´m passing; do you want to get on the bus...

After arriving at Jorge´s apartment (another CECI employee) I took a nap to compensate for a night of plane-sleep. Until I awoke, I felt no effects from the altitude. I think it was the inital adrenaline. But afterwards I felt sluggish and even dizzy if I exerted myself. By exerting myself, I don´t mean running to the corner store, I mean boiling water on the single-burner propane stove. On that note, the lack of oxygen at this altitude (somewhere around 4,000m) affects the matches as well as the turistas. I still haven´t managed to light the propane burner with only one match.


Day Two -- May 13

La Paz is filled with street life. From the healthy-looking dogs that sniff through torn garbage bags to the cholitas who sell toilet paper, candy and socks, people are everywhere throughout the city.

-- Above: Many people feed the pigeons in Plaza Murillo --

I took a guided tour by taxi through the neighbourhoods of the city (arranged by CECI). The traffic here is intense. Taxis, buses and other vehicles clog the streets while pedestrians dodge in between. Agressiveness is the key to getting anywhere, but there´s not really any road rage that I can discern.

After the tour, I have many things I´d like to experience here: tours of a prison in La Paz, the football games, los mercados, Tiahuanaco, Valle de la Luna...


Day Three -- May 14

Walked through the streets of El Prado, Sagárnega and Santa Cruz this morning. I needed a sleeping bag desperately as the nights are much colder here than I had expected. I start shivering once the sun sets.

The man who sold me a down-filled bolsa de dormir for a fair number of U.S. dollars warned me about counterfeit money. He showed me a fake bill and I really can´t tell the difference.

-- Above: La Valle de la Luna --

Took a bus out to La Valle de la Luna this afternoon. The municipal park (I think) is a valley of stalegmite rock formations carved by the wind and sand. It was so hot, semi-desert like, but the free water was greatly appreciated.


Took a micro-bus, like a space wagon, back to the centre of town. The man sitting next to me works at La Valle de la Luna and also warned me about counterfeiting.

The majority of Bolivians are happy to answer questions and offer suggestions. It´s an enjoyable country so far and I´m looking forward to starting my work with Uniterra.

On a final note, I can´t stop taking pictures here. There is so much colour and sunshine and life. The sun is so strong that I can see the rays in some of my photos.

-- Above: By the roadside near La Valle de la Luna --