What a difference La Paz is to the other more tranquil places I have been of late! It is the first major city since Buenos Aires and it certainly is a lot more hectic and on your toes! I got a taxi to the hostel with the girls from the Sucre Joy Rider. They had a hotel in mind but I had been recommended Hostel El Solario by a few chaps in Sucre, which turned out to be pretty reasonable. I decided to go for a single room for 35 blv rather than a dorm for 25, as 35 is still only about 9 kiwi and I get to lock all my stuff away and throw stuff around, as I plan to use La La Paz as a bit of a base.
I joined the girls at their hotel for a bit of a walk around and some breakfast at a spot they knew. It turned out to be pretty interesting and in the heart of the market area so it was a good introduction to La Paz markets. I left the girls to go and get air tickets to the jungle and went to investigate Huyani Potosi climbing prices for a few days times. It seems liked the price is around 125USD and many operators offering the same stuff but talking it up...enough wasting time so off to the city.
It was clear from the start that I was going to like the place, with lots of street food, Internet cafes and easy to talk around, although pretty darn busy. I walk the main road, 9 De Julio for a bit, stopping in on Gravity Bikes to see their Death Road prices, a whopping 600 blv but I guess they offer safety and the whole reputation deal. I had found a little city info book from the Loki Hostel which indicated that some great markets were on at Al Alto, which is up on the hill and affords great views of the city. I was putting it off given it seemed pretty hard to get to by collectivo (i had some random address written down from the hostel and an Internet cafe). As i was walking along some english chap was sticking his head into a taxi asking to go to Al Alto, but the drive refused. I approached the guy and said we could grab a collectivo and head up together, which suited us both. Simon, who looked like a cross between james blunt and chris martin, was a bit sketched out by the bus but it was a fun experience. It seemed to take ages, and a particular chap who looked pretty professionally dressed with a blazer over his arm had a pretty good go to get into both Simon and my pockets, which was interesting. I chatted to some locals and managed to get the right stop for us to get off.
Al Alto markets were pretty interesting, with a heap of people around and markets that seemed to go on for ever. At an orange stand, we got chatting to a local who was friendly enough, and told us both that the markets are muy peligoros (very dangerous) and making all sorts of stabbing and strangling gestures ahaha. Right, leave before dark! We strolled around for a few hours soaking up the huge number of shops and different distinct areas selling everything from car parts and whole cars, doors and windows, homewares, food and everything else you can imagine. Simon bought some bananas, leaving one in his back pocket, which didnt´last long haha. We got a huge bag of giant honey puff type things, an ice cream and a few other bits while walking around and taking photos of the view looking down to the city. When we decided to head off, we went to the main road and waited for a collectivo, which took ages to come. A chap at a small stand tried to flag some down but the little vans and mini buses were very full, despite some people managing to cram about 10 people into a small Mike Perkins size van (personal joke) with the sliding door still open! We started to walk down the hill through a sketch neighbourhood, but the guy called us back when a bus arrived...perfect!
That night I chilled out in front of the TV...getting up several times to vomit and crap due to bad food and perhaps altitude..not flash. I had a super early night and wrote the next day off as a simple sight seeing day. It was pretty decent really...heading around the commercial area, constitutional palace and courts and generally soaking up a different part of the city. Fried chicken for lunch for the first (and not last!) time and a bit of reading. I tried to find a climbing agency but didn´t get very far! Pretty low key night at the hostel really watching a movie and yarning to some kiwis and aussies.
The next morning I woke feeling pretty good so ran downstairs to see if I had enough time go get on a tour leaving in 30 minutes to Chacaltaya and Valle de Luna. I did, so paid my money and ran out the door to get some bread and jam for lunch. What a classic adventure of a day! We picked up the full van load of people and back up the hill to Al Alto, driving around for ages trying to find gasoline, driving past the same shops 3 times. We eventually found it an on the rush back to get to the mountain we had a crash, t-boning a taxi. Not much damage done but it did draw quite a crowd. We drove on some terrible road, arriving at a junction to Hyuani Potosi and Chacaltaya, where there was a political blockade, which rendered us helpless for around 2 hours. At times the convoy would move, only to be stopped again. The old German couple were having problems, the man was feeling pretty ill and was put in an ambulance at the border blockade, to return just as we were heading off, which surprised us given we though he was heading down. Eventually, after some music, dancing,watching llamas and watching an agreement being signed we headed off towards the mountain at a cracking pace.
The roads were terrible, steep drop offs and in poor condition even for a 4wd, let along a crappy little van. At 5435m, Chacaltaya is the 5th highest mountain in the world has the highest commercial ski field in the world, and we could feel the lack of oxygen. We got our jackets etc and headed on up to the top, which was 5545m, the second highest I have been after Nepal. We had some great views of Hyuani Potosi and other mountains before heading down. We met the German couple at the van as they did not go up. They looked absolutely awful! The lady was moaning and holding her head and had a spew bag ready to go. Half way down they chap couldn´t find his wallet so that caused more anguish for them. I got the feeling that this was the dya from hell and in the little van bumping down for several hours it was a big ask on their first day of travel.
I booked my down hill ride that evening, opting for the budget company at the hostel to save 300blv, as people had said you didn´t need all that flash gear that Gravity offer so that suited me. Brendan Wright had done the trip a year earlier and said it was pretty micky mouse so I made a point of actually selecting my bike that night so I didn´t get a total dud. I went up town and got a massive serving of chicken and chips from a food outlet. Bolivia is big on massive rotisserie stands with 20 odd chickens in them...you simply order how much you want and they cut it up with scissors and dump it in a bag, classic! It was so yummy and totally going to be my diet for the next week or so!
