A chaotic spattering of run down homes and markets, the air saturated with the blasts of car horns and the bellow of Bolivians desperate to sell their wares, whoever gave La Paz its name had a wicked sense of irony; El Ruido would be far more suitable.
Was completely underwhelmed with the city during the taxi ride in (looks similar to Cusco but spread over a vaster area) and utterly overwhelmed after taking my first step out of the hotel. I was greeted by swarms of locals buzzing round fruit and handicraft-covered rugs that usurped the pavement to such an extent that pedestrians were forced to get from A to B on the roads - which, with crazy drivers who are seemingly averse to signalling and a lack of general order, are not exactly the safest places to be. Crossing the road is an intricate operation which requires a great deal of courage, an excellent ability to weave in and out of buses/cars/mopeds and, most importantly, faith that aforementioned crazy drivers will stop rather than plough you down in the all too likely event that your attempt is ill-timed.
Felt quite unsafe here in the first couple of hours - money belt saw the light of day for the first time on this trip so far - although should be better tomorrow now I know what to expect. Just the one incident today that sparked a mild freakout - a grandad grabbed me by the arm as we passed on the street and wouldn't let go! Wasn't sure whether to be irked that a stranger thinks it's okay to do that or impressed by his super strength for someone of that age! Although from what I've seen so far, people in this part of the world have this physical strength that you just don't see at home; in Cusco I saw numerous old ladies heaving huge heavy sacks up the steep hills I struggled to climb with just my day pack!
Not quite sure what to do tomorrow... You'd think a capital city would have lots to offer but Lonely Planet has listed the airport as one of the top 20 things to see - along with the museum of musical instruments. Hmm, bring on the tour I say!
