Richard Watts

On the drive in, and after a not so great experience in Copacabana, I was unsure weather I’d like la Paz. I wanted to in theory, but first impressions were not good. Generally speaking, when I feel like this on arrival in a place, I’ll end up really liking it; and I did! It’s a proper marmite city and it really splits opinion.
Meeting up with Jerry and B was great, legends, i will keep in touch with hear two for sure! Whilst hey were there, northern Anna turn up too, so it was nice having a crew again.
Things we did... B is an interior designer and had heard about the Cholets, which are buildings done in a crazy Art Deco/Neo Japanese style with influence taken from Inca patterns. So one day we went out and found lots of these building up in El Alto, which is the City above La Paz. We managed to get in to one building that was turned into a furniture shop. It looked like the inside of an old ship, but painted all psychedelic, very cool! The others we saw we from one of the many cable cars that link the whole of La Paz and El Alto. It’s the largest system of its type in the world and it’s getting bigger.
A night out for us, was going to watch the Cholitas Wrestling. Basically WWE wrestling, but with women dressed in tradition outfits. Loads of gringos there, but loads of locals really getting into it. Throwing fruit peels, drinks, rubbish, really good fun! It was so low budget that there was a guy filming the whole thing from the side of the ring on a cool iPhone. I thought he was part of the act, but no, he never got involved.
On Sunday, on the traditional side, there’s a market that covers 40 city blocks where they close the road and sell literally everything you could ever want to buy!
We did a walking tour which started at the famous San Pedro prison where the inmates have to pay for their accommodation. The families move in and they have to find themselves a job. Apparently it’s an old military building and was converted to take 400 inmates and there’s 8000 people living inside. There’s a football pitch, sponsored by Coke, free WiFi, from the hotel next door, and there used to be tours where anyone could go in. It’s illegal now, but does still happen. There also used to be a notorious drug lab too! They would make the stuff, put it in babies nappies and then throw them out of the roof in to the plaza outside. Bonkers!
The walking tour also takes you through the witches market, where you can buy Llama foetus to put in the foundations of you new house, or get yourself some black or white magic to get yourself ahead in life!
Lots of other history about the battles that went on in la Paz
We also ate a few avocado sandwiches from the local indoor market. Possibly what have me some sort of bacterial infection, but very tasty.
Good times in this city, I’ll be back I’m sure!Read more