Terifico Teleférico Telerifico

We are in La Paz!

The bus station was jumping last night, as we got out of our taxi and headed up to the gate 50 people are shouting at to sell us bus tickets. "La PAZ! La PAZ!" "Santa Cruz! Santa Santa Cruuuz!" "La-pa-la-pa-la-paaaz!" I felt like someone being hounded by the press. Inside the terminal it is just as exhausting,  people everywhere (it's 9:45pm) just doing stuff (like breast-feeding) and we have all our bags and suitcases so we were extra alert to not lose anything. Things get stolen easily in a crowded place like that, and they target tourists for sure.

We had no problems,  cuz we're just that cool. Our bus seats reclined and we could sleep the 7.5 hr drive in the stuffiest, hottest bus ever. I just tried not to move and went to sleep to not create any more heat!  We got here at 5:30am, and went right to our room- Stacie found an apartment we could rent for a day. It's cheap, 3 bedrooms,  2 bathrooms,  come and go as we please.

Room with a view

The Mancinis had visa business to handle,  so off they went. Casie and I slept again until it was a decent hour to be out. Like,  8.

Yesterday I had looked up things about La Paz on Pinterest,  and saw a cute llama street art. I showed it to Crasie and hoped to see it.  As we left the apartment to walk to a café,  there it was exactly next door! Cool

So La Paz is so different from what I expected,  it's an upgrade from Cochabamba.  The business area downtown is pretty, people are businesslike, they wear real clothes (not sweatpants) and  they have somewhere to be. At breakfast we sat and watched people from the cafe window: running through traffic, carrying cakes, unloading Coca-Cola,  shining shoes, moving carpets,  cholitas doing their thing, etc- it never slowed down.

We made it to the San Francisco church/museum, it's old and neat on the outside but we didn't get go in. 

It's right next to the Witches Market, where we had to go book our bike ride for tomorrow. At one time the market was probably full of witchcraft, but now it's mostly the same stuff we see everywhere: knitted, fabric and leather things. We did pass by a few stands that featured the dead llama fetuses, idols, incense and other items that are sacrificed to pachamama (mother earth). And I think on other streets you could find much more, but we kept moving...

Something brand new to the city is the cable cars! It's a fast, quiet, clean and inexpensive (about $0.45 one way) ride up the hill.  Several more will be built.  

The city has expanded up the mountain sides,  the traffic is already crazy,  and how can you add more streets? Stacie pointed out as we reached the top how the streets sort of end, and you're left with stairs. And it's a definite drop in temperature at the top. I think it was a great idea,  functional and a great way to see the view. And an aerial view of this random parade!