La Paz: 04. – 20.08.2010

After over a month nature pure we at last headed for a big town again. But not just one, nope, it is the highest one; La Paz, the administrative capital of Bolivia is because of location the most important town of the country but not it capital (that is Sucre). It is situated in a valley and stretches from 3’100 up till 4’100 Meters above sea level. Anxious to see this contrast full town where skyscrapers are just next to adobe houses, where Indigenous, Cholos, Chriollos, and some other Europeans life peaceful side by side and last but not least of course because of its colorful markets.

But before all that there was a thrill waiting for us. Although they built a new paved two lane highway from La Paz to Coroico, a town in the tropical lowland, our way should lead us via the formerly most dangerous road of the world. It isn’t long ago as on this road busses trucks and cars  had to squeeze past each other on the 3,2 meter wide road that a places drops some 600m down just  at the side of the wheel. Not to mention that it is only gravel and at places soaked by waterfalls that wash thru it. That and Alcohol, to numb fear, where the reason why on average 26 people found its fate along that road. Today most trucks use the new highway and we encountered only a hand full of collectivos that we had to squeeze past. Gone are also the dogs that waited along the roadside, they got fed by the truck drivers in the hope that their ancestors would watch over them. But also without the adrenalin rush, that we weren’t sad to miss out on, is a spectacular road with some fantastic views all thru different climate zones on the climb of about 3000 Meters. One memorable encounter we had with a little Hummingbird. If he thought we were a flower, we’ll never know, but it wouldn’t have taken much and he would have flown into our open window as he hovered just for a second or two in front of it and inspected us, just to zigzag away in a lightning speed to get to the next flower, amazing little creatures they are.

After this spectacular drive over the Abra La Cumbre (4’650 m.a.s.l.) we reached La Paz with a light headache and headed straight for the, under long time travelers well known, Hotel Restaurant Oberland that is under Swiss management. Here one can camp in the backyard, but not just that if you look at the menu you’ll find some unique Swiss specialties. So one could see us eating a Cheese Fondue, Cordon Blue, Rösti, Älplermacaronis, and and and, and it even tasted like back in Switzerland. But we haven’t come just to eat because we had to get accustomed to the thin air, we slowly walked thru the unique streets and alleys of La Paz with all its churches and markets and still manages quite a few altimeters.

Our Visit to La Paz should not only be a sightseeing tour. Also our dear friend and fourwheeler Nisto should get some professional petting. At Breaks, Wheelbearings, Clutch, aso. was after 84’000 Kilometers on the road a revision needed. So we went to the Garage of Ernesto Hug, also a Swiss who settled here almost two decades ago. With the feeling of having it all done in 5 days we drove into the garage. Well Ernesto smashed these ideas right out of our head, if we want to do it all, it would take at least two till three weeks. That one sat. But what else to do, things that need to be done have to be done if we don’t want to break down somewhere. So, off to work. While Markus busily helped Jaimen our mechanic Sonja was busy in the office organizing things that had to be long done, writing emails, planning our further journey and cleaning Nisto from the inside. Quickly we belonged to the inventory, because we continued to life and sleep in our home.

While we spent the weekdays working in the garage, the weekend we spent downtown strolling thru the markets with stands full of pluming articles, screws, others where only for kitchen articles like pans and pots, but the most we where fascinated by the Calle Sagarnaga. Colorful ponchos and pullovers of Alpaca wool, caps, scarf’s purses and even hammocks were shining at us. This ocean of colors not even we could resist and so the one or the other piece went into already tight Nisto. We also visited the witch market, where one can buy drops, herbs and even good fortune by the pound. A bit cruel for our western ‘civilization’ seem the dried lama embryos. But if you build one into the northern corner of the foundation of your house it gets spared off all miss happenings. Moreover we met friends of Markus parents, Ruth and Carlos, he grew up in La Paz, with their family. With them we spent two wonderful days and got a tour by a real La Pazian which included a true delicacy a real Bolivian breakfast with an Api, a real hot corn drink, Pasteles and Bunuelos. We also joined them on a visit to a Peña, a dinner with folklore music. We penetrated him with questions about Bolivia and La Paz and beside others got answers to for us mysterious habits, like why we always got written down at police check points. It comes from the earlier days when people more often got lost on those rough and sometimes dangerous roads. It could easily be determined on which part the missing person got stuck or lost and where the search could start.

Earlier then estimated, after 1 ½ weeks all work on Nisto was done. Nobody would have thought so and we were amazed. But before our journey continued we did a thorough test drive into the Valle de Zongo (1’800 Meters) and up to Chacaltaya (5’260 Meter), an almost completely gone glacier that once was the world’s highest skiing area. We enjoyed the view onto La Paz, got the impression that the houses of El Alto fall into the La Paz valley like a waterfall does and of course also the 6’000 Meter peaks around. The test drive was passed so it meant we are on the road again, off to new adventures in the wonderful nature of Bolivia’s Altiplano.

From Potosí we send some cold snowy greetings … Sonja asks; is it Christmas already?!?

Sonja and Markus

Here it goes to the pictures...