La Paz – A Terracotta-Coloured Crater

During my time in Bolivia, the country faced a fuel crisis. Several bus companies often operated on the same routes, but because they couldn’t guarantee enough fuel, they had to split departures among them. This also meant they wouldn’t accept bookings until the day of travel. I was taking the overnight bus from Sucre to La Paz. I couldn’t travel with my preferred company, but I stuck to my original plan and arrived in La Paz early in the morning.

Now I have to use a word I rarely use on this blog: WOW. As we drove along the edge of El Alto at sunrise and started descending towards La Paz, the view was simply WOW. It felt as though we were driving down into an enormous crater. Almost all the houses were built of red brick, clinging to the sides of the crater.

It was only when looking far down towards the centre that I could see buildings rising high into the sky. But because they stood at the bottom of the crater, there was no familiar skyline. Watching the sun appear over the edge and light up the El Alto side was almost magical.

I have to say that La Paz looks rather chaotic and is not immediately charming, but it is so different from almost anywhere else I have seen in the world. It is enormous, the views stretch a long way, and there are still more valleys and neighbourhoods hidden from sight. In the distance, the snow-covered Illimani rises to over 6,400 metres. La Paz itself lies at around 3,600 metres.

One of the things I fell in love with most in La Paz was Mi Teleférico, the cable car network that covers large parts of the city. With such steep terrain, a conventional underground metro would be difficult to build, so the transport network runs high above the streets instead. There are ten lines, and I tried most of them. It is an incredible way to experience the city, sitting in almost complete silence while watching life unfold below. Many of the lines connect with each other, so you can travel around a large circuit and see a great deal of the city.

Just around the corner from where I was staying was Calle Sagarnaga, where miniature cholita dolls hang above the street. As you continue uphill through this area, you have to take it slowly, because walking up these streets is hard work at this altitude. You eventually reach perhaps the most touristy part of the city, with the Witches’ Market as its main attraction. Shops are filled with witch figures, colourful souvenirs and all sorts of traditional remedies and ritual items, some presumably intended to help with illnesses. It is a very colourful area.

Centro Sinfónico Nacional

There is plenty to do in and around La Paz, but this post is about what I discovered in the city itself. I was out taking photographs when I took a picture of a building without knowing what it was. Later, I discovered that it was the Centro Sinfónico Nacional, and on my last evening in La Paz, I attended a symphony concert in its rather small Art Deco concert hall.

Cholita Wrestling

Another experience I had read about and thought I should try, if possible, was Cholita Wrestling. Women in traditional clothing throw themselves at one another amid plenty of noise and some spectacular wrestling moves. Of course, it is a performance, but it is quite entertaining, and the contrast between the wrestling and their traditional outfits makes it rather comical.

In the historic part of La Paz, you can find the typical Spanish colonial buildings. Several are open as museums, although this kind of architecture can be found in many South American cities.

One building that caught my attention for a rather different reason was the Palacio Legislativo on Plaza Murillo. The historic building is overshadowed by an enormous, dark modern tower directly behind it, the new building of the Legislative Assembly. I have to say that I found the contrast rather unfortunate. That huge black box dominates the view and, to me, takes away from the old palace.

National Museum of Ethnography and Folklore

A museum that really caught my attention was the National Museum of Ethnography and Folklore. It displayed traditional clothing and cultural objects, showing how customs and styles have developed over time. I found the masks, hats and ponchos particularly interesting.

La Paz may not be a city you necessarily fall in love with, but it certainly stands out. I don’t think I will ever forget my experiences there.

In my next post, I will tell you about an experience that took me a little outside my comfort zone, as I cycle down the Death Road.