A short post as more in-depth La Paz sights and sounds will be a week out. There are things to see and a ride to do first.
This Google Earth tells the story pretty well. A very dry, high altitude city in a valley bordered by desert, the altiplano and the Cordillera Real
It tops nearly every long-distance rider’s ‘most hated’ list, but after a few days I like it. It’s extremely indigenous, frenetic, lawless, industrious and full of color, as well as helping to bolster a theory I’m developing. No more on that though.
Finding a hotel with parking downtown was a bitch, so Lucinda ended up in a hotel lobby again. She has no problem with this. In fact it’s the most secure of all options. And she likes to stay warm and best yet be admired by the hotel guests. If you’ve got it, make a show of it, she once immodestly told me. I’m cool with that
We’re still hunting for a good vantage point in our travels around town, but here’s one
The main streets (2%)
Mid-sized (5%)
And the rest
Wherever there’s space
And when there isn’t
This is a harsh city. So a story that might hurt a bit: here’s a group of lustrabotas, shoe-shine boys
They’re shunned and descriminated against. They’re the lowest in a city of lows. These boys wear masks. Because they’re ashamed.
Saludos
