La Paz - the weird city...
As I wrote yesterday, we have been in La Paz 1 day, now its the second. It is a weird city, and to get to know it better we took a city tour today on a double decker tourist bus. Reccomend it! Even if the information is not that extensive, it does give enough to understand what the city is about.
It is a mixture of old restored, old ruined, old possibly to be restored, semi-new 70th adn 80th horror buldings, new nice, new even more "horror" buildings. Basically, there is NO STYLE to it, but if you take it piece by piece, you can appreciate each of it individually, and likewise do not appreciate some of the horror architecture examples. And, I still like the people! They may ignore you, but its better than last 3 weeks.
What is interesting here as well - the rich part is the South. Normally, the North part of the city is the rich one, but here the contrary. Explication is rather simple - the difference in temperature between El Alto (around 4000 m) and El Sur and its affluent negbourhoods (at 3000 m) is 10 degrees celsius +! Thus, if in the North and altiplano it is 20 degrees, in the South of the city its 30. A good enough reason for the rich to breake the rules.
Since La Paz is situated between two mountain chains, the main street is the lowest part that runs in the valley. This consequently means that whenever you want to go to the right or left side from the main street, you have to climb up.... At 3000 somthing m altitude one needs strong lungs and has to be fit to do it well here. We are trying. Fortunately, the 3000 something is not that high yet to feel bad, but I can´t say I am running up and down the streets. Its more like slow controlled walking where pilates breathing comes handy. They say that by the time I get to Madrid I will have more red blood cells in my body nad the lungs will be taking in more oxygen, but considering that the air is not that good in Madrid, I will also be taking in lots of pollution.. Cant have the good without the bad. I wonder though how it will be going back to the jum - will be running like a sprinter! With all of those red blood cells carrying around oxygen should help the physical form.
The city is overlooked by the ever while Illiani vulcano. Should be some 6500m if not even slightly higher. Yesterday it was covered in clouds, but today we had a nice view to it. You can try and see it in the background of the picture. Have to say it looked more ipressive "live", but..
La Paz also has the highest commercial airport at 4060 m! That I will try on April 2 when going to Lima to catch my flight to Madrid. And i think I will try to get a window seat for this flight.
My scientific brother also told that the weight here should be different. Have not tried yet, but seems like travelling has made me loose some, to the degree that I am worried that I have to start eating double the food as normal! But, I also guess that once I am back at 700m it will all settle to normal. Anyone for weight loss programmes? - go to the high altitudes and eat chicken and rice for a week - thereafter you will long for salads, fruit juices and every time you pass the "polleria" with strong smell of french fries and grilled chicken you will say "no, thank you".
What else, La Paz has more electric wires than I have seen in my life! Well, again the reason is
simple, they have not put all electircity lines in the ground, but they go over and between the houses. Our double decker tourist bus run into them twice during the 3-4 hour trip. When you check the pictures and see some black lines crossing thse - there is nothing wrong with the camera - those are the electricity and all other imaginable cables. When you see that, then the warning by the bus driver and the guide - "do not raise your arms or stand up" makes perfect sense! When we did rise to take some photos, a careful review of the situation was done before - "wires or no wires"....
Part of our tour took us to the Valley of the Moon. Why that name - it looks like you are on a different planet! Supposedly it is the bottom of the sea - that is when lake Titicaca was connected to the sea and after a move of the platos of the Earth, the water was divided, making the Andes and the valley, and the sand stones is now visible. Yep, my scepticism acquired in Peru tells me to double check everything before believing it, but I will leave it to each of you.
The view however is nice. Its weirs also to see that the Moon Valley is of a yellow-grayish sand stone, while neigbouring hills are of a red sand stone. An impressive contrast. What we missed out in the trip was a cactus garden. Saw it only from the bus, but supposedly there they grow all imaginable variety of cactuses. If you have a chance, take time to see that as well.
We are now back to the city and will head ou for "shopping". As dutiful toursits we have to take some of Bolivian articrafts home. What we got, you will have to come and see when I get home. Until later...
The city is overlooked by the ever while Illiani vulcano. Should be some 6500m if not even slightly higher. Yesterday it was covered in clouds, but today we had a nice view to it. You can try and see it in the background of the picture. Have to say it looked more ipressive "live", but.. 
simple, they have not put all electircity lines in the ground, but they go over and between the houses. Our double decker tourist bus run into them twice during the 3-4 hour trip. When you check the pictures and see some black lines crossing thse - there is nothing wrong with the camera - those are the electricity and all other imaginable cables. When you see that, then the warning by the bus driver and the guide - "do not raise your arms or stand up" makes perfect sense! When we did rise to take some photos, a careful review of the situation was done before - "wires or no wires".... 
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