By bus we went on the afternoon of Copacabana to La Paz. The 4 hour drive took us through beautiful scenery along the Lake Titicaca and the 6000m high mountains of the Andes in Bolivia. The highway to La Paz crosses the Lake Titicaca, but there is no bridge, but a ferry. The so-called waterway Tiquina is about. 800m wide and our bus was a small, loaded rather rickety-looking ferry. We had to go out and take a boat across the lake. Here we waited and watched the ferry with our bus and Luggage. But the bus was well received on the other side of the lake.
La Paz is located in a valley of the plateau of the Altiplano. The difference in height of the directly neighboring city of El Alto, which is also where the airport, to the southern end of La Paz is almost 1000m. El Alto was once a district of La Paz. Today it has more inhabitants than La Paz itself. There are many slum. In El Alto swarmed on the streets is the only way of cars and people. At the roadside, many residents sat with outstretched on the floor goods for sale. On passing Seppel could see the so-called "death dolls", which are suspended in front of shops or markets. They should be a warning to thieves, because in El Alto there is still vigilantism. Theft is partially punished here with the death.
When driving through El Alto down to La Paz we had a spectacular view of the city. La Paz is located between 3200 to 4100m above sea level, making it the highest located government seat of the world. We finally arrived in the evening at the bus station in La Paz, and then took a taxi all the way across the city to the southern district Sopocachi. Here we billeted us in Rendezvous Hotel a, which was really a stroke of luck. Zack, the hotel's American owners, greeted us warmly equal and covered us with tips about La Paz. You could tell him to immediately, that he does the work in his own hotel really like. From our room we had a crazy view of the city and its landmarks, from Illimani, 6.439m with the second highest mountain in Bolivia.
The breakfast in the hotel was great, we had so much choice on our trip never. There was cereal, Yogurt, right (!) Bun, Cake, Fruits and even cheese and sausage! Lately we had mostly only get a few slices of toast with a bit of butter and a dollop of jam. I was almost overwhelmed and did not know the same, what to eat. Well fed, we then made our way to the city. There we had with us and Kim Rune dating, which also just went to La Paz. We met in an English pub for football Look. But actually we watched talked more than football. There was also much to report, because the last time we had on us Galapagos seen. Even the evening we spent together. Kim and Rune wanted in a certain Argentinian steak restaurant, but the search was in vain and so we ended up in a Thai restaurant. Then we had to also say goodbye again, because the two went on a trekking tour. But we would soon meet again and together make a tour to the Salar de Uyuni, the largest salt lake in the world.
The following day spent Seppel and I so to get us information about Salar de Uyuni. There are so many providers, there is a choice not easy. Also, we did not skimp on the, because thanks to the many tours at the expense of safety. We've even heard of drunken drivers and some serious accidents. From a Swiss couple we had on the way back from the Isla del Sol a recommendation for Tupiza Tours get and therefore went straight to her office in La Paz. The offer for the four of us, together with Kim and Rune, Klang super. We had but a few days time to consider, for the next few days and I spent Seppel first in the Amazon jungle…
La Paz – the highest seat of government in the world
Created by Nicole Mueller on February 28. April 2014 / No comments