Our first full day in La Paz, Bolivia was a Sunday. After a leisurely start to the day we headed in the direction of the centre of the city. In La Paz we stayed in Casa Skyways B&B in the more affluent area of Sopocachi. Here we chose comfort over location but were happy with a brief taxi journey if it meant a more comfortable stay for a few days.
Apparently there is an excellent cafe in Copacabana (our previous destination) run by an Irish guy that sells Irish tea and freshly baked soda bread. I was bitterly disappointed to find that it was closed at weekends, so I left Lake Titicaca with my tea drought intact. With the chillier climate of La Paz, we (I) made it our mission to search out ‘proper’ tea. So that’s how we found ourselves in ‘the English pub’ that has Barry’s tea on the menu, having a relaxed Sunday lunch of fish n’ chips – a haven of home comforts after six weeks of travelling.
A cup of ‘proper’ tea in La Paz
For the afternoon we bought tickets to the Cholita wrestling which happens twice weekly on Sundays and Thursdays. The term ‘Cholita’ was once a derogatory name for indigenous girls now the term seems to be more one of almost endearment. We were collected from the city centre and brought by bus to El Alto and the location of the wrestling. Our ticket costing $10 covers transport, entrance to the wrestling, popcorn, a soft drink, a souvenir (postcard or badge) and strangely two admissions to the bathroom. I wasn’t familiar with the idea of Cholita wrestling long enough to gather any perceptions of what was involved, all I did know was that it was heavily choreographed (WWE style). I’m not a spectator of violent type sports so believe me when I say that it was two hours of laugh out loud, ridiculous entertainment. Dressed in traditional dress the Cholitas throw each other in and around the ring. Be warned it’s best to avoid the front row seats unless your happy to be sprayed in drinks or end up with a stray Cholita in your lap.
Cholita tickets
Post wrestling photo op with the Cholitas
The following day we took the Red Cap walking tour which included stops at San Pedro Square, the infamous Witches market and San Francisco Church to name but a few. The tour costs $3 plus tips and was delivered animatedly by our two guides who took it in turns to mix humour with history and facts. Some of the stand out things from the tour…
We learned about the self run San Pedro prison where the inmates have to pay for their keep. At one point they even offered guided tours to the general public (the attraction even made it into the Lonely Planet guide book). Safety of the visitors came into question when the tour’s founding inmate was released and the tours were soon outlawed. However, ever resourceful the inmates have numerous other sources of income including renting out cells to other prisoners, ferrying visitors to their loved ones, and of course processing and selling drugs all while using the nearby hotel’s WiFi to communicate with the outside world.
At the Witches market we were then enlightened about the many potions on offer (everything from love to good fortune), and how animal remains can be purchased here for sacrifices to Pachamama (mother earth) before constructing a building. Urban legend has it that before constructing large or important buildings, a human sacrifice would be preferential in the offering this is supported by the fact that at some sites human remains have been discovered during excavations. Thankfully, human remains are not sold in this market!
We were also given a brief history of the turbulent Bolivian political scene (160 presidents in 200 years) and entertained with stories of their current president who has a habit of embarrassing himself with outlandish statements but is ultimately less corrupt than his predecessors. One of his lasting contributions to the city is backwards clock he had commissioned that sits proudly on top of the Congress building.
Our last full day in La Paz we explored Sopocachi and sought out supplies for our impending Salt Flats tours (snacks and warm socks!). We also did a round trip on one of the cable cars to see the full extent of the city. Like Medellin, La Paz is situated in a valley with the centre in the middle and neighbourhoods climbing up the sides of the valley. A number of cable cars connect these areas providing efficient transport for the locals and an affordable bird’s eye view for curious tourists.
A bird’s eye view of the city
For us three nights in La Paz was enough. We didn’t option for the Death Road cycle having completed a similar cycle on our Inca Jungle Trek just previously. La Paz isn’t a particularly beautiful city (hence the lack of photos – oops!) nor is it filled with world famous landmarks but instead my memories of La Paz will be ones of folklore and raging Cholitas!
