Day 11 - July 28, 2017 La Paz, Bolivia

Our hotel in La Paz was very good in a renovated old casa. We were lucky to get upgraded to a suite that was huge. Although it is classified as a five star hotel, there are many deficiencies as expected in Bolivia. After a nice breakfast, we hired a taxi for 300 Bs to take us on a 4 hour power tour of the city. This was a better option than the hop on and off city tour as we would not have to adhere to their schedule. La Paz is built in a valley surrounded by tall mountains so walking around the city up and down hill at 4000 m altitude is very challenging.

The first stop was to the Valle de Luna, about 40 minutes away from the city center. Traffics in La Paz is a nightmare, regardless of the time of the day. Worse still, no one adheres to the traffic signs or lights. Definitely would not recommend driving in the city.  The Moon Valley was formed from rocks that were eroded inside and outside by wind and rain, changing the landscape into the current formations. One does feel being on a different planet when walking on top of the park on a well laid out trail.

Cable cars (aka ski lifts) are iconic in La Paz. There are a number of lines to choose from and the one we took was the red line that took us to the top of the mountain to a suburb called El Alto where the airport was located. Stairs were provided in the alley between houses for those who chooses to walk up or down. The view from top was spectacular and while we were taking the pics, we saw an eruption of another active volcano at the distance.  Best of all, the 20 minute ride costed only 3B (0.60 CAD) each way. What a bargain! These cable cars are the "skytrain" of La Paz moving commuters around the city. This is definitely an unusual choice but is actually quite a logical choice: first the mountainous landscape would rule out any subway or train system; second the capital layout is cheaper than any other forms of public transit.

Next stop is the Miri Miri lookout. It provided another panoramic view of the city.  After some photos, we were taken to the central plaza where the parliament and cathedral were located. We took some pics of the parliament building with the soldiers guarding the entrance gate. The next stop at Calle Juan was a bit disappointing as we got there during the siesta time and most of the museums and attractions were closed.

We picked up our pace to explore the city after the taxi driver dropped us back to the hotel. La Paz is well known for its variety of markets. We walked only a few blocks and were exhausted given the steep hills at every block.