bolivia - la paz

Well, we made it through our first border crossing to Bolivia.  Our bus driver dropped us off to get our passports stamped,
we had to be checked by the police and apply for visas (which is a more involved process for Americans than citizens of other countries) before getting back on the bus.  Since we knew it would take longer for us we were a little concerned the bus driver wouldn´t wait for us, but he did.  It was a crowded and hectic process, but we made it through just fine.

Our destination was La Paz, about five hours from Puno.  The city looks a bit like a flat bowl, with all the activity in the middle and residential areas all up the sides.  La Paz is Bolivia´s largest city, with a high altitude similar to Puno´s.  Bolivia´s culture seems to be comparable to Peru´s but I like the vibe here better - it seems a little friendlier.  The prices here are even cheaper than Peru, and we found a couple restaurants where our meals were each about $3 (U.S.) which included soup, salad, entrees and dessert.  One of those places also had a bakery and the meal was one of the best I´ve had on this trip!

Our hostel in La Paz was pretty nice and included large breakfasts every morning.  Located on "Gringo Alley" there are several overpriced restaurants and lots of shops.  Just a block away is the "witches market" where women sell herbal cures, fertility dolls, llama fetuses (yuck) and other strange and unidentifiable objects to foreigners passing by.  We also visited the "Coca Museum", a small but very informative center focused on a quite controversial leaf.

The coca leaf is an integral part of the Peruvian and Bolivian (and likely many other groups) history, spirituality and way of life.  It is used as a greeting in some cultures, for healing, for ceremonies and general health.  It has been used for thousands of years, long before it was taken by foreigners (and corrupted by) for what we as Americans may be more familiar with: cocaine.  The leaf is broken down and mixed with other pharmaceutical components to create the addictive drug.  It was interesting to learn that although the U.S. is 5% of the total population of the world, we consist of 50% of total cocaine users.  It is also interesting to learn that Coca Cola originally contained cocaine, up until the early 20th century.  Today, coca leaves are still used in the Coca Cola recipe for flavor, but without the cocaine component.

Coca leaves and products are legal in Peru and Bolivia and supposed to help with altitude sickness.  Most commonly, they are used in tea or candy form, but the leaves themselves can be chewed to reap the healthful benefits.  I have used all three forms since arriving in the mountains to help ease my nauseousness and overall digestion, and it does help!  The leaves also help increase oxygen intake which helps when you´re huffing and puffing up and down the mountainside.  What they don´t do is create any sort of "high" or addiction, it is similar to drinking herbal tea or experiencing the soothing effects of mint.  So don´t worry, I haven´t become a drug addict!

While in La Paz, we walked around the city, saw the main pigeon-covered plaza, ate at a Burger King (Guy´s request), attempted to look into San Pedro prison (where prisoners, and sometimes their families, live...its said that the prisoners are "in charge" here...don´t know if I buy it), were loudly offered cocaine on the street, and watched American movies on cable.  My favorite part of La Paz were the random and hilarious traffic conductor/crossing guards dressed like zebras throughout the city!  They were so cute and funny, and really helped the pedestrian population, considering the traffic (like Peru) is insane here!

After a 7 hour bus ride, we are currently in the city of Cochabamba, where we are staying two nights before heading to the town of Villa Tunari, where we will be working for two weeks at an animal rehabilitation center.  Cochabama is a lot bigger than I thought it would be, but is very non-tourist-y, and a nice change of pace for a few days.  We´re not sure what kind of internet access there will be, so don´t panic if there are no updates for a little while!