La Paz, Bolivia

It was a further three-hour drive from the Peruvian border until we arrived into the city of La Paz. The journey was smooth and the transition from Peru was quicker than expected. The driver was kind enough to stop on a hill which provided the perfect viewpoint of the city from a height of 4,100 metres above sea level before making the final 500 meter decent into La Paz, which sits 3,600 meters above sea level. We got out the coach and clambered up the steps and over to the viewpoint. The first thing I noticed was the density of the city. The houses were tightly packed as they dropped lower and lower into the middle of the city, creating a sort of soup bowl effect. The houses in the middle seemed to be bigger in size, fancier in aesthetics and a lot taller, whereas the houses on the outskirts seemed a lot more basic. We were later told that the city centre was where the rich people lived. Those who lived in the middle range were the well-off/mid income families and those in the highest parts were the poorest. Like a hole in the earth filled with houses, the city of La Paz is built on many layers and because the hills that surround it are made of clay, the city is often susceptible to landslides. The higher you live, the higher this risk becomes, hence why those houses are the cheapest. The second thing I noticed were the cable carts as they whizzed over the city. Each line had its own unique colour and they looked incredible as they passed over us. La Paz was breath-taking, and from this first glance, I knew it was going to be a city that would surprise me.

A Unique Piece of History

La Paz is a unique city for many reasons but one of the most fascinating things I learnt about this city was that it had an indigenous government. Bolivia is the only county in the whole American continent – both North and South – to have an indigenous government. By this I mean that 80% of the government is made up of indigenous people, who in turn represent the 60% of 10.4 million Bolivian inhabitants* who are (or identify themselves as) indigenous. In 2006 the government came into power and have since brought racism in line with the law and created a social revolution which has slowly but surely empowered a community that was once outcasted and given them a better sense of standing in society. This is the first time in history where the majority of the people in the country are being represented. The government building sits in “Kilometre 0” which foreigners refer to as the Main Square and at the top of it is a clock face that has been intentionally built backwards. The clock is still active and is a beautiful symbolism of the indigenous community taking back the time that was stolen from them by the Spanish conquerors and those in power who enslaved them until 1952.  The three biggest indigenous communities out of the 36 in Bolivia are the Aymara, Quechua and Guarani people.

La Paz for first timers

La Paz is a very busy city and you would often find it congested with traffic. This is due to the four different rush hours they have in the day; between 8am-9am when parents/guardians are dropping their children off to school, between 12pm-1pm when workers leave the office for lunch as lunch in the work place is not part of Bolivian culture. Between 2-3pm when workers are coming back to the office after lunch and finally from 6:30pm when everyone is making their way home from a long day at work. Yep, that is a lot of traffic time!

We stayed at, Altus Express Hotel, a newly refurbished hotel in a well connected area situated just outside the hussle and bustle of the main square. The hotel was only a 10 minute walk to the Witch’s market and a few minutes walk from the purple line (cable carts).

It won’t take you long to notice a lack of oxygen in the air. Due to the high altitude, every so often I would lose my breath and have to slow down or stop in order to re-regulate my breathing. It was such an odd experience and something that took me by surprise each time it happened, especially as I never did fully acclimatise in my time there. The city of La Paz sits at an altitude of 3,600 meters above sea level, which essentially makes it one of the highest cities in the world.

What to do in La Paz?

The Witch’s Market – The Witch’s market was a fascinating experience and if you are a shopaholic like me you will certainly be drawn in by all the colours and varieties of pattern that this much needed cultural excursion presents. Lined with everything from fabrics to bags to llama foetus’, these markets are covered with everything you could possibly want to gift a friend – or use to make a sacrifice if you want to make an offering to Pachamama! I wondered for ages from shop to shop being lured in by the friendly Caserita’s** sat at each door. The women with their well-balanced bowler hats kindly greeted me as they waved me towards their shops. It was too hard to say no, and I found myself leaving with more ornaments for my house, earrings and a new purse! Whether you have the intention to shop or not, a visit to the market is well worth the wander if you want to pass some time and embrace the traditional colours of Bolivia.

Experience the cable cars – Due to the topography of Bolivia, and the fact that it has over 300 underground rivers, underground transportation wasn’t even an option and so in 2014 the first cable car service – the red line – was opened and since then has definitely proved itself to be the best way to get around the city. We made a loop starting at Irpavi on the green line and switched from the yellow, to the silver and finally the red where we got off at the Old Station and walked over to the Witch’s Market. For only 12 Bolivianos return, and with stunning clear views, you are really able to gain a better understanding of just how big La Paz really is, as well as see the differences throughout the city, especially in terms of the different houses, as you ascend over its landscape. 

Grab some local snacks – Trying the local food is a must and two of the tastiest places I was able to scout out were Wistupiku and Pacena. Both local restaurants that offer a variety of yummy Bolivian snacks. Don’t be deceived as some of the food you will see here look a lot like typical snacks you would find in the West but the moment you bite into them and release those Bolivian flavours you will soon realise these snacks sit in leagues of their own!  At Wistupiku I went for the empanada de cuñapé and huminita. Both vegetarian pastry snacks filled with fresh goodness. The Amazon potato was a small dough ball filled with cheese and the tamale was a leaf sack consisting of corn and cheese. At Pacena we ate salteña’s which looked like tiny Cornish pasties that had a variety of meaty of vegetarian fillings.

Cholitas wrestling – Well this was certainly something different. Having never been to a wrestling match I had no idea what to expect especially when we were told we were about to watch women in traditional attire put on a violent show. We were picked up in the main square by one of the organisers and on the bus given a quick briefing on what the night was going to look like. We arrived just in time (no thanks to the traffic!) and quickly found some seats around the ring.

The first two rounds were introduced by men and the next three rounds after this were the cholitas. The first time I saw a cholita, she took me by surprise. I’m not quite sure what I was expecting but when I saw the young lady dance out with her bowler hat, big skirt and shawl it made me even more intrigued. I’m not sure if I was mostly surprised at the fact that the fighters stayed in line with their typical Bolivian fashion or the way they body slammed each other to the ground like it was nothing. Either way it was a very entertaining evening. The fights were quick and comical and each round had a different story.

La Paz and Bolivia Facts:

• La Paz is NOT the capital of Bolivia, Sucre is. Although this is a very common mistake made due to the fact that La Paz is the administrative city of Bolivia and holds the government building in its town centre.
• La Paz sits 3,600 meters above sea level making it one of the highest cities in the world.
• The full name for La Paz is Nuestra senora de La Paz which translates as Our lady of the Peace.
• Bolivia has 36 different indigenous communities which make up a whopping 60% of its citizens. This gives Bolivia the title for having the most indigenous people living in one country and it is also the first country in South America to have its own indigenous government.
• Bolivia is the first city in the world to have cable cars as their main public transport. And since being established in 2014, the Cable cars have moved its 10.4 million population around four times over!
• El Alto is the second largest, and fastest growing, city in Bolivia. It’s only 33 years old yet already has a population of 974,000 people! This city is flat and sits on the outskirt of La Paz, so could be one of the main reasons as to why people have migrated there to avoid the landslides. El Alto holds the biggest population of indigenous people in the whole of South America.

*According to last census taken in 2012.

**Caserita – the older ladies who sit and sell at the shops