The City Built on Llama Foetuses & the Coca Plant

The view over La Paz

La Paz is without a doubt one of the strangest places we have visited this year and during our stay we found that if it wasn’t the altitude that was taking our breath away, the bizarre shops, markets and traditions did!  The administrative capital of Bolivia (it shares power with Sucre) sits between 3,200m and 4,100 as it gradually spread up a canyon formed by the Choqueapu River and spills over onto the flat planes of the Altiplano (high planes).  Simple red brick houses cling to the canyons steep sides as the magnificent peak of Mount Illimani (6000m) looms over the city.  Despite its less than charming exterior La Paz is an intriguing city with a lot of Bolivian tradition and culture as a lack of development seems to have allowed the city to escape extensive globalisation, for better or for worse. La Paz was founded as Spain’s centre of power in the Andes and as such traditional markets and indigenous people share the city with colonial buildings and decedents. The city often seems like a giant market and cholitas (indigenous woman) dressed in thick skirts and bowler hats line the streets with stalls full of fresh food.  Alongside the cholitas tiendas around the city sell dried llama foetuses to be buried under new houses as an offering to Pachamama (mother earth) for disturbing the land.  It is a crazy place and even with the lack of apparent tourist sites the vibrant streets and unique nature of the city made it an interesting stop and a great insight into Bolivian culture.

Llama Foetus!

Entrance to San Pedro Prison

The walking tour around La Paz was one of the better ones we have taken this year as a guide was able to explain some of the strange things you cannot help but notice walking around the city.  We started our walk at the infamous San Pedro Prison (setting for the book Marching Powder) which houses mainly drug related offenders.  Ironically the prison apparently produces the finest quality cocaine in South America and the prisoners pay to rent their rooms with the money, some of which are akin to a 5* hotel.  Some families live inside the prison with the inmates and the children leave for school whilst their mothers often run shops and restaurants inside the prison which is set on a square bloc of prime real estate in the city centre.  Tours of the prison run by inmates to earn money on the side have recently stopped after one backpacker was attacked and some had to pay extortionate bribes to the guards to be allowed out!  Jorge (our guide) also spoke about the government, led by Evo Morales, Bolivia’s first indigenous President (and according to the locals Bolivia’s first true President).  In 2008 Morales removed the Drug Enforcement Agency from Bolivia saying they fuelled the drug problem and has refused to make illegal the growing of coca due to the indigenous population’s tradition of using the leaves to combat altitude sickness and other illnesses.  The issue is very controversial as Bolivia’s coca production has increased and there is even a bar called Route 36 which is known as the world’s first cocaine bar in La Paz. 

The tourist district

As a socialist leader Morales is unpopular in the west having reversed many of the previous leader’s corrupt policies of selling off many of Bolivia’s natural resources to global corporations with no benefit to the people.  As with Ecuador the former president known as ‘The Gringo’ (he studied in America) fled to the States with chunks of the country’s wealth where he has been granted asylum with America who have rejected numerous extradition attempts to make him stand trial.  Standing outside the government buildings Jorge was keen to point out that Morales is not perfect (he does still have 67% approval ratings after 12 years despite trying to change the constitution to allow him to serve another term) but as the country’s economy has grown and indigenous rights have improved during his time he has an almost cult following across the nation.  Despite this Jorge told us that Bolivians like a good protest including over such things as removing The Simpsons from TV, closing a popular chicken and chips chain and an attempt to increase the population by banning condoms across the nation (all were successful).  Bolivia is currently embroiled in a UN law suit against Chile over her access to the Pacific (Bolivia is South Americas only landlocked nation) after they were defeated in a war and forfeited 400km of coast to them.  Flags hang from the government buildings in a show of unity with their former state and the UN has recently stated a trial must take place to determine the future of the land in 2016, a huge moment in the future development of Bolivia.

Plaza Murillo (the Presidents offices)

Cholitas

All day cholitas (women) can be seen on every street heading down from the higher red brick houses in the city to sell their products.  Locals are known as ‘potato heads’ due to their love of potatoes (coming from the Incas) and thousands of types of potatoes are sold as well as fruits and flowers by the women.  Cholitas are dressed in bowler hats because when the English arrived wearing bowler hats to make the rail network local men bought the hats without realising they were too small for them.  They were subsequently given to the cholitas as a present with men claiming they were at the height of European fashion – the women still wear them today!  An area in the centre known as the witches market sells everything from dead llama foetus’s to potions and powders aimed at improving your sexual prowess and each shop has a strange offering outside to improve their luck in business. 

Car Parts & a Lama??!!

Every Sunday in the neighbouring city of El Alto one of the biggest markets in the world takes place.  We caught the newly installed cable car (aimed to improve life for the poor and connect the two cities – 3 lines are open and 7 more are being built)  up the hill which offered amazing views across the city and the mountains beyond. It was a very strange experience travelling over multi-story buildings! Unfortunately some people have toilets on the roof of their houses with no doors leaving them to conduct their business in full view of the passing commuters!  At the top the market stretched as far as the eye could see and sold everything you could possibly need from kitting out a new house to building a new car from scrap parts.  My favourite stall sold golf clubs, crutches and toilet seats but less comical were the numerous shady people selling phones that were clearly stolen (we were told to take nothing of value with us) and other electrical equipment. 

On our final day we took a walk down to the base of the canyon and up the other side (much to Hannah’s delight) to Mirador Killi Killi which offers the best views across the city.  We sat and enjoyed a saltena (Bolivian meat pasty) at the top and gazed out across the sprawling city and glaciers beyond – even Hannah admitted it was worth the hike!  On the way down we passed back through the Presidential Plaza where I thought it would be a good idea to buy some corn to feed to the pigeons.  In a Bolivian remake of 'The Birds' they descended upon me and sat everywhere from my head to my toes. I decided it may not have been the best idea and threw corn over Hannah in a successful attempt to distract them.  We recovered with a look around the Coca Museum which was aimed at teaching tourists abut the history and use of the plant by the indigenous population and distinguishing the difference between the plant and the drug.  Without a doubt La Paz was an interesting stop over (we probably stayed a little longer than we needed!) and certainly opened our eyes to life in Bolivia, the good the bad and the bizarre!