Pesky Bolivans

La Paz is beinging to really grow on us now we´re used to the crazy people, mad driving and general way of life. Almost 90% (not sure if that´s accurate, but it´s a pretty high number) of the inhabitants of La Paz are indigenous and the women all wear the traditional dress , which is at least five underskirts and loads of jumpers and shawls. This makes even the skiniest old lady look like really quite fat, or like ´pequeña gorditas´ (little fatties), but in reality it´s an absolute godsend for them as the weather is so cold and most of them sit around all day manning kiosks or selling goods off the pavements. These innocent looking ladies are also well shifty and will short change you at blink of an eye. Any chance to overcharge and they will, pesky buggers!

The streets are bustling with vendors selling everything from bread to batteries and socks to clocks. You really can get anything on the street without even going into a shop. There are so many stalls, street sellers and kiosks now that the government it trying to regulate them, and of course this is causing uproar. The people of La Paz get up in arms about anything and regularly protest and cause road blockades where the transport system (minibuses and taxis) block the major routes in and out of the city and this can happen for days on end. They literally just park up in the middle of the street, bumper to bumper and then leave their cars or vans until late in the evening. Added to this are marches, where the protesters set off fireworks, mainly bangers, which sound too much like gun fire for my liking, but I´m assured they´re only fireworks. Tomorrow it should all be back to normal and by the end of week we should be able to make it out of the city.

It´s spring now and the weather is pretty cold. It doesn´t get that warm in La Paz at all, mainly due to the high altitude. You´re reminded of just how high you are everyday as the La Paz sits in a steep valley between a range of mountains topped with snow all year round. The streets climb the steep sides of the valley and many of houses literally sit into the cliff face.

Stu and I are really feeling the cold. Our hosts, and probably most of the inhabitants in La Paz don´t have any heating (and we´re staying with a well off family, the man of the house is an accoutant), which explains the many layers of clothing worn by the locals and our hosts. The shower is also frequently cold, so itt´s certainly different after Rurre where we welcomed the cold showers!