While the ride through El Alto, the city/outskirts above the crater that is home to La Paz, was easily one of the sketchiest and worst rides ever because of crazy traffic, tons of wreckles and quite literally breathtakingly dirty trucks and some rather sketchy people (happy to have cicled in company), the Teleferico ride down into the city was simply amazing (see video)!
Wiring and traffic in this place is crazy though. Traffic lights are more of a suggestion and more often than not a light turning red seems to be a sign to "just honk some more" while still crossing the road.
This is why during rush hour you will see many a Zebra guiding pedestrians over the busy crossings, to try and keep the deathtoll low 🦓
In addition, the geographic location of La Paz in what can best be described as a big, steep soup bowl means that streets generally feature a 10-20% incline making it difficult for the old minibusses used for public transport to get going once they had to stop.
Same btw. goes for the odd cyclist...which is why I am very glad bikes are allowed on the Teleferico. But...sadly...you are not allowed to take the bike on the elevators taking you up to the departure level inside the Teleferico stations (because "it's the rule" 🙄), making a Gondola ride with the fully loaded bike quite the workout (I'm looking at you, 3x3 flights of stairs 🧐!).
I decided to have a longer break in La Paz and take some private classes to improve my spanish.
So,I spend my week with a mix of hard-core grammar and full immersion spanish classes in the mornings and exploring different parts of the city in the afternoons.
From the outside of the infamous La Paz prision in the centre of the city - a micro cosmos without guards and with whole families behind locked doors (thanks to severe funding issues) -, to the busy markets buzzing with live, the witches market and more residential neighbourhoods full of street art.
It is by all means a city of contrasts.
In theory a majority of the population is christion...but...old superstitions and believes are still very much a thing. Want to build a house? Then you have to head to the witches market and make sure to get a nice big dead llama baby/fetus - size to be chosen according to the planned size of the house - to burry in the foundation to please Pachamama.
It is now Monday the 16th October and while my bike is going to wait one more week for me in La Paz I am now en-route to the Jungle of Madidi National Park for some days of jungle exploration 🐒 wish me luck for the 14h bus journey ahead ✌️
New updates to follow next week.
📚 Number of tenses/grammar rules studied: a gazillion
🦓 Live Zebras sighted: 5
🦙 Dead baby Alpaca bodies: 100+
💩 Nr. of food poisonings: 1Read more
BoliviaDepartamento de La PazChijini16°30’19” S 68°7’52” W
BoliviaDepartamento de La PazChijini16°30’19” S 68°7’52” W