"Breathless in La Paz"

Although most of the streets are steep & narrow we really enjoyed just wandering around the city. We found that the people here were more friendly & happy and less pushy than in neighbouring Peru. I think that the weather also helped with this, beautiful clear blue skies and almost balmy weather during our entire stay made a welcome change for us. On arrival we made a conscious decision that we were not doing the tourist rounds & that we were "museum-ed out". We just wanted to mingle with the locals & enjoy the city on an everyday level, so this is what we did and we enjoyed our stay immensely.

There are numerous small parks scattered throughout the city and as anywhere in the world they are great for people watching. Although you will probably have to succumb to a few "shoeshines" if you choose to do this but at just a couple of Bolivianos it is a small price to pay! One of our highlights was walking around the huge markets, the Mercado Negro where the locals go to shop. And yes, we did come home with some shopping bags although not your normal woolly things and typical handicrafts.

Quick Tips:

The main tourist area is not that large and it is very easy to get your bearings. The main street runs down through the canyon, changing it's name several times, in this section it is named Mariscal Santa Cruz. Around this tourist area in central La Paz there are many hotels clustered around a steep side street named Saganaga.

The Witches Market and Plaza San Francisco with it's large Church or Iglesia are just one block away from here as well. If visiting here or anywhere in the Andes consider obtaining a precription for Diamox tablets, it accelerates your acclimatisation, could save you lot of nasty side effects and and is well worth packing.

Best Way To Get Around:

Unless you are travelling further out of town ie;the airport or the bus station it is easy enough to walk. If you find walking difficult every street is steep, you may need a taxi or local bus. Both are easy to flag down. A taxi within the main sections of the city excluding the airport should only cost 5-6 Bolivianos (.50US).

Getting to your destination is the next part of the problem. Over two days we saw five protests in our section of the city. Every single one blocked the traffic in a major way.

Allow yourself plenty of time to take a taxi to the airport as the expressway leading here is a favourite one for the protesters to target. This is even though it is only 15-20 minutes out of the city. On the day we were in traffic it was the teachers and they were only dispersed when the police were sent in with full riot gear & tear gas! Add to this the very thorough customs people, bag checks & three body searches and we almost missed our flight despite leaving town over three hours earlier.

We found that this hotel was in a good location; just down the hill on the other side as Hotel Saganaga and offered nearly as much for a lot less money. Don't let the entry from the arcade,the bored receptionist downstairs or the lack of negotiation on the price put you off. The standard rate of 100 Bolivianos for a double is good value anyway.

The rooms were a good size and our room had a nice view over La Paz. The bed was comfortable.The bathrooms had been nicely re-done in a marble look tile although they still had the dreadful electric showers (as did all the hotels in this area even the more expensive ones). At least the water here did come out out reasonably warm & dare I say even nearing hot.

Standard breakfast was included. One bonus was that the coffee was in a mug and both hot & strong.

Don't let the noise from the Pena downstairs worry you. If you can hear it from your room we found that it still finished at a reasonable hour so were able to sleep undisturbed.

We checked out quite a few hotels in this street including Happy Days, Saganaga and Alem and we still found that this was the best value for the money.

We unfortunately found this charming little hotel on our last day and it was too late for us too stay here. Because of it's beautifully restored exterior curiousity compelled me to find out more.

The rooms were huge but cosy with a lovely colonial feel including the delicately moulded ceiling roses. They were beautifully decorated with lovely timber furniture and felt very welcoming. Large private bathrooms with non-electric showers, what a bonus!

On each landing there were communal sitting areas with comfy looking lounges and arm chairs with televisions for guest use. Downstairs there was also a lovely courtyard where they served breakfast. The Receptionist was welcoming and at 120 Bolivianos I deeply regretted that we did not stumble apon this little gem sooner.

As you step down into this little restaurant it has a nice cosy feel, mellow music, a fresh flower on every table and a wood fired pizza oven at the back adding to the ambience.

The menu has a full range of Italian staples but we opted for the the wood fired pizza. It was delicious although one of the most original Hawaiian Pizzas that we have eaten. Whilst we were happily munching our way through I could not identify what the unusual bits were and it was only midway through that we realised the Hawaiian bit was actually a can of fruit salad complete with grapes and cherries.Understandable up here in the Andes and besides that it was still absolutely delicious! 10 points for ingenuity.

The service was extra friendly and a complimentary Pisco Sour on arrival was also a bonus. I also sampled the homemade lemonade and it was sensational. The Pub Mama Africa nightclub is upstairs however after all our walking our legs would not have been able to cope so we did not stay around to sample it. Judging by the convivial host I would have imagined it would be a great experience.

This restaurant tucked away upstairs has a reputation amongst travellers as the place to go to hear authentic local music. The night we happened to be there there was a good duo playing local music that was of a high quality although when we arrived they were just finishing.

Although this restaurant was not cheap by the local standards and filled with gringos only; the setting, the service and the meals made it worthwhile. All meals included an extensive salad and vegetable bar and having had neither of these for weeks made the dining experience much more enjoyable.

The restaurant has the standard few objects and paintings on the wall but what made it interesting for us were the old hessian sacks hung on most of the walls. When we inquired we were told that they were old sacks for transporting silver from the mines back in the twenties and yes, they were actually for sale. The cost was $10US each. We were quite keen to return and purchase one as a souvenir of our time in Bolivia however we ran out of time, did not return and missed out. Unfortunately.

This is not as ominous as the name suggests howeve it is huge. Spread over four blocks in the Cemetario district you can pick up almost anything your heart desires. It is not aimed at tourists but at the locals. There are load's of stores selling all types of clothing, Levis for around $11 without bargaining, lots of baby and children's wear, a huge range of CD's and all the latest release Playstation games (all pirated, I would imagine) but complete with full colour labels.

We were amongst the only "gringos" there so I wouldn't recommend taking your camera or flashing your money around.There is an ATM at the bottom but again it is in a very obvious position so I would be cautious using that too! If you find something that you like but you need to try it on and as most stores don't have change-rooms there is a toilet and change room down towards the bottom of the hill. You pay half a Boliviano (12 cents) to use each, a modest investment.

Any taxi can take you here for 5-6 soles. We found it a refreshing change from all the standard typical tourist type shopping and well worth a look!

If you have been on the road for a while, or even you are brave or just super shaggy; head on down (sorry no pun intended) to this street for your own local experience.

Have your hair cut Bolivian style. First of all the old fashioned hand held clippers are heated up on a flame then zip, zip, zip and no more locks left. Quick as a flash around the ears as neat as a pin with an old cut throat razor. Unbelievable! And all for just 60 cents it is a cheap half hours entertertainment. I can probably say that because it wasn't my hair on the floor!

Hairdresser street is located in the street on the right of the church facing up the hill. I think it is either Murillo or Jimenez but you can't miss it!