As I climbed the hills, I was treated to stunning views of the city. La Paz sits in a high-altitude valley in the cordillera. The city structures climb the mountains and emerge from the valley until the land becomes too steep, and then the bright oragne of the brick buildings gives way to the rich blues and greens and ocasionally snow-capped peaks of the cordillera. It is the most stunning city I have ever seen, and my new favorite city in South America.
A view of La Paz's Iglesia de San Francisco from the pedestrian bridge a few blocks from my hostel.
La iglesia.
Flower vendors in front of the church.
Rather austerely dressed cholas in front of the church. 
I spent the morning at the Coca Museum, which charters the history of the coca leaf and its various uses in Bolivia and the rest of the world. The museum was incredibly informative and interesting, and convinced me further of the unjustness of several Western countries' zero-tolerance policies towards Bolivia and its coca growers. Coca leaves are apparently still used by Coca Cola for flavor of their beverages, although obviously there is no longer cocaine in the pop. I also learned that Sigmund Freud was the first recreational coke user, another fun fact! Coca leaves were present at least 2,500 years B.C., and were used by indigenous peoples in the pre-Colombian Andes from tasks as diverse as fighting the effects of altitude to performing brain surgery. The Catholic Church outlawed the coca leaf during colonization, but once mining companies realized that if miners chewed coca leaves, they could work longer without feeling exhaustion, the coca leaf was relegalized. Chewing coca also represses the appetite and helps regulate the blood sugar...sounds good to me! Miners chewed so much coca that as a commodity the leaves were more valuable than gold. I wish I could bring home bags of coca with me, but of course it is illegal to enter the US with coca. The museum made the argument that coca has to be processed to make cocaine, and most coca processing places in Bolivia are owned and operated by private interests in the US and other Western countries. The museum, along with Evo Morales, are working hard to distinguish between cocaine, the drug, and coca, with its indigenous, spiritual and health benefits. I found the museum fascinating, and chewed some coca on the way out!
I had planned to visit the cemetery without realizing it was at the top of an endless hill and that I would have to walk through the chaos of the "Black Market," an unofficial market where I think you can seriously buy anything: shoes, clothing, pots and pans, bath tubs, the list is never-ending. I ended up being really happy that I persevered, because the cemetery was incredibly beautiful. It was the busiest cemetery I have ever visited--choked with visitors paying respects to loved ones. I was touched by one man standing next to the grave of a loved one, playing a little song from a plastic relic (kind of like those greeting cards that sing) and leaning against the grave with his forehead, eyes closed. I spent a lot of time creeping around the cemetery, trying to be respectful about making a tourist attraction out of people's loved ones. I was trying really hard to be appropriate and take pictures on the sly, but then within a span of 10 minutes I got hit on and then saw a kid throw a rock at a grave, so I relaxed a little about having to seem so pious and respectful! The cemetery was even more stunning for the fact that just beyond its borders, the city of La Paz was rising up at all angles.
The chaos of the Black Market.
Cholas doing some shopping.
Cemetery views.
Outside the cemetery was a beautiful flower market which I failed to photograph because it wasn't very busy and all the atendants were cholas, who notoriously do not like to be photographed. I was also struck in La Paz by all the political propaganda everywhere, especially in the wake of the hugely important vote. There were signs and billboards with pictures of the Bolivian president Evo Morales (the first indigenous president for Bolivia) kissing cholas and babies and waving the Bolivian flag. There was also pro-Evo graffiti everywhere. Bolivia has been in the process of rewriting its constitution for two and a half years, and it just so happens that I was in Uyuni the day of the vote to accept or reject the constitution. The new constitution, which gives more rights to the indigenous Bolivians and also alows Morales to run for reelection (big surprise), passed in five of Bolivia's nine districts, revealing some deep divisions in support for Evo. I saw a lot of signs referring to the vote during my stay in the country.
The chaos of the Black Market.
Cholas doing some shopping.
Cemetery views.
Outside the cemetery was a beautiful flower market which I failed to photograph because it wasn't very busy and all the atendants were cholas, who notoriously do not like to be photographed. I was also struck in La Paz by all the political propaganda everywhere, especially in the wake of the hugely important vote. There were signs and billboards with pictures of the Bolivian president Evo Morales (the first indigenous president for Bolivia) kissing cholas and babies and waving the Bolivian flag. There was also pro-Evo graffiti everywhere. Bolivia has been in the process of rewriting its constitution for two and a half years, and it just so happens that I was in Uyuni the day of the vote to accept or reject the constitution. The new constitution, which gives more rights to the indigenous Bolivians and also alows Morales to run for reelection (big surprise), passed in five of Bolivia's nine districts, revealing some deep divisions in support for Evo. I saw a lot of signs referring to the vote during my stay in the country.This political sign reads: "Vote yes for the new political consititution to eliminate poverty and social exclusion."
My third day in La Paz, I visited the Tihuanaco ruins 72 kilometers away, toward Lake Titicaca (a trip which merits a post of its own). On the way back, we stopped at a lookout point in El Alto on the rim of the valley to stare into the vast expanses of La Paz. The views were breathtaking.
My third day in La Paz, I visited the Tihuanaco ruins 72 kilometers away, toward Lake Titicaca (a trip which merits a post of its own). On the way back, we stopped at a lookout point in El Alto on the rim of the valley to stare into the vast expanses of La Paz. The views were breathtaking. La Paz from El Alto.
My fourth and final day in La Paz, I mostly chilled out. I ate salteñas, a traditional Bolivian food, for lunch. They are kind of like empanadas: baked pastry pockets filled with meat. Mine was filled with beef, egg, raisins, peas, onions, and papaya-banana juice. They were suuuuper tasty! I spent the afternoon relaxing at a cafe, and at night, visited a peña, a folkloric club. I was kind of bummed because the show started almost an hour and a half late, and my hostel had a midnight curfew, so I only got to see a little of the show. I did, however, enjoy fried llama fillet, and saw an all-female group perform beautiful folkloric music, sometimes sad, sometimes upbeat. There was also a dance performance with a princess, monsters, and a knight, all dressed in those creepy Carnaval masks and wild costumes of bright satin and sequins. It was really fun! An older Bolivian gentleman invited me to join his group for a drink, which I did, then, like Cinderella, had to rush home. It was at this time that I faced the only negative experience La Paz afforded. I was walking quickly through the streets to my hostel, a short five-block walk from the peña. Something dark flew past my forehead, narrowly missing my dome, and I realized as it exploded on the ground next to me it was a bag of garbage! I have no idea where it came from, heard no laughter, cat calls, or even threats. I chose to keep moving, barely breaking my gait, but was rather confused by the whole situation! Was it because I am a woman alone at night? A gringa? Did the culprit want attention, or were his intentions more malicious? I tell you one thing, I would have been pissed if I had gotten sacked with a bag of trash! If it was anti-American or -gringa sentiment, it is one of the few times I have experienced it so strongly in South America.
My fourth and final day in La Paz, I mostly chilled out. I ate salteñas, a traditional Bolivian food, for lunch. They are kind of like empanadas: baked pastry pockets filled with meat. Mine was filled with beef, egg, raisins, peas, onions, and papaya-banana juice. They were suuuuper tasty! I spent the afternoon relaxing at a cafe, and at night, visited a peña, a folkloric club. I was kind of bummed because the show started almost an hour and a half late, and my hostel had a midnight curfew, so I only got to see a little of the show. I did, however, enjoy fried llama fillet, and saw an all-female group perform beautiful folkloric music, sometimes sad, sometimes upbeat. There was also a dance performance with a princess, monsters, and a knight, all dressed in those creepy Carnaval masks and wild costumes of bright satin and sequins. It was really fun! An older Bolivian gentleman invited me to join his group for a drink, which I did, then, like Cinderella, had to rush home. It was at this time that I faced the only negative experience La Paz afforded. I was walking quickly through the streets to my hostel, a short five-block walk from the peña. Something dark flew past my forehead, narrowly missing my dome, and I realized as it exploded on the ground next to me it was a bag of garbage! I have no idea where it came from, heard no laughter, cat calls, or even threats. I chose to keep moving, barely breaking my gait, but was rather confused by the whole situation! Was it because I am a woman alone at night? A gringa? Did the culprit want attention, or were his intentions more malicious? I tell you one thing, I would have been pissed if I had gotten sacked with a bag of trash! If it was anti-American or -gringa sentiment, it is one of the few times I have experienced it so strongly in South America. The female performers at the peña.
Mostly, though, I have no complaints about La Paz! It is an incredible, lively city that was intersting at every turn, and I cannot wait to revisit it in the future.
Mostly, though, I have no complaints about La Paz! It is an incredible, lively city that was intersting at every turn, and I cannot wait to revisit it in the future. 
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