Last days in La Paz

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My last days in La Paz were spent with the sweetest people. There was this lovely Haitian girl who worked at my hostel. She took me to buy a simcard which turned out to be a very long process in an office with long queues that resembled the queues in Government offices in Nairobi (though with no one trying to jump the queue.) When we finally got to the counter, the whole process had to be done in Spanish and I realized I would have been completely lost on my own. Who knows how to ask in Spanish how to top up data bundles on the line? Not me. After buying a sim card we took a "matatu" to another part of the town to eat pork. The matatus in La Paz are like matatus back home - Nissans actually. I was quite amused. We got to the pork place, but they were closed for the day. We went back to my usual eating place called "Alaya" on Murillo street. They had the largest food portions of traditional Bolivian food. I only needed one main meal a day when I was in La Paz. That food would keep me full all day. 

In the evening I was picked up by a wonderful Lebanese/Palestinian friend of a friend and her fiance. We went to the newest and largest mall in town and had huge pork chops for dinner. They were such great company. Both had been born and (mostly) raised in Bolivia and they tried to explain the interesting religious elements I had noticed in Bolivia. They told me stories of people making 300km pilgrimages on foot to religious sites and going up hills on their knees to pray. I spent the next day with the same friend at La Paz's first mall that her grandfather had built in his youth. Her family was really warm and we ate a huge lunch with her family at her aunt's restaurant at the mall. She took the day off to help me plan the rest of my South America trip. I was really touched by her kindness. We spent hours looking up train tickets, printing maps, buying warm clothes to prepare me for the Siloli desert and the Uyuni salt flats (http://www.thekenyanexplorer.com/blog/2014/4/27/traversing-the-bolivian-salt-flats-and-desert-day-1, http://www.thekenyanexplorer.com/blog/2014/4/28/traversing-the-bolivian-desert-and-salt-flats-day-2 .)

During the process I realized that my sense of direction was even worse than I had ever known. While in Kenya, I had booked hostels in Argentina in the following order - Buenos Aires, Bariloche then Mendoza but when I looked at the map well, I realized that entering Argentina from Chile by road I would first get to Mendoza long before getting to Buenos Aires. Yes, yes. I know! Dumb plan:-)

I noticed a few oddities before I left La Paz -

1. You could withdraw dollars from the ATM (which I was quite happy to do given that in Argentina dollars were in very high demand and there is the "official rate" and the "blue dollar rate" which differ by 30% i.e. if you change your dollars on the streets in Argentina (which of course has its risks) you can get up to 30% more Argentinian pesos than if you change them at an official place. I withdrew as many dollars as I thought I would need in Argentina so as to never have to use the bad exchange rate given at the ATMs.

2. Strikes were almost a daily occurence in La Paz. I had heard of a few, but only witnessed my first the day before I left La Paz. It was peaceful but  made me realize that Africa and South America have lots in common when it comes to taking to the streets to express discontent with the Government. 

3. Bolivian internet was an all time low. I initially thought the horrible speed was hostel specific, but my Bolivian friend assured me that this was the norm countrywide. I will never complain again about internet in Nairobi. Ours is operating at the speed of light compared to what I experienced in Bolivia. 

4. Safety belts are not common in Bolivia. My first time to belt up in the country was when my friend and her fiance picked me up. Prior to that I had gotten used to saying a silent prayer every time I got into a taxi in La Paz as none had safety belts. I did love how cheap cabs were though in La Paz. I used to pay between USD 0.50 to USD 2 for most rides. 

The world's highest capital - La Paz, Bolivia

Having had a fair bit of "challenges" starting with leaving Brazil for Peru only to be told I couldn't go to Peru, and then having to change plans and fly to Bolivia, I was quite pleased days later to finally land in Bolivia. There was quite a bit of time when I thought that my South America trip was going to have to unceremoniously end given my visa issues...(Mini-rant alert: VISAS are the last form of widespread state sanctioned discrimination! Why should people assume that because I come from A: Africa and  B: A developing country that somehow I am going to run off into their country and never be found? On the other hand, why do people assume that because you come from "The Developed World" you should just be allowed to get into our countries without any questions asked because you obvioooously would not be coming to do anything dodgy (Wildlife trafficking, sex tourism) and we should just be honored by your royal presence in our unworthy borders...anyone feel me??) Ok. End of rant.) 

I finally landed in La Paz around 4am. True to their word I was able to pay for my visa at the airport. The airport seemed quite porous - some people waved me in, told me to get out of the main terminal and get some cash for the visa (only accept Bolivianos.) I then walked back in through security (without actually being checked), paid for my visa and left. When I got out of the airport my first thought was "Waaaaah! Are those temperatures for real? It was freezing. Brazil had made me forget that there are places in the world where 40 degrees celsius by 8am is not common. Given the hectic nature of my arrival in Bolivia the only place I had been able to get online was a really swanky hostel called "Estrella Andina". I later learnt that it was owned by the former Minister of Tourism. It was really well done. It was more like a hotel than a hostel. It was definitely above my price range, but I was so exhausted after my hectic trip that I stayed there 3 nights before I finally started looking for a cheaper place.

I got to the hostel from the airport at 5am and was up at 9:30am to make sure to get breakfast. It had been many days since I had eaten a proper meal. Estrella Andina did not disappoint. It was breakfast fit for a king - eggs, yoghurt, all sorts of fruits, cereals, fresh juice etc. There was also lots of tea - I am a tea addict. I saw one called "coca mate" and didn't think much of it. I was drinking that for 2 or 3 days before I realized that this was coca coca. Strange but true. The consumption and sale of coca leaves is legal in Bolivia and is protected under the UN convention of narcotic drugs because of it's historical role for indigenous communities. It is also really good for altitude adjustment. La Paz is the highest capital city in the World at 12,000 feet above sea level (for some context, Mt. Kilmanjaro stands at 17,000 feet above sea level.) I had been warned that I would have headaches and issues breathing in Bolivia, but I was actually quite fine, until I got to Potosi (http://www.thekenyanexplorer.com/blog/2014/6/10/the-mountain-that-eats-men) The one thing though that was difficult was walking uphill in La Paz. Even a small incline on a street felt like a mountain. I felt quite embarrassed heaving and panting all the way up such streets. 

I spent the first few days idly exploring La Paz, and eating - A LOT! Bolivia is the poorest country in South America and food was really cheap. Actually everything was really cheap - it made me realize how expensive Kenya is. I would pay USD 2 for a decent length taxi ride, USD 3 for a 5 course meal in some places, USD 3-USD 10 for different hand knitted winter gear etc.  On day one I ate Fritanga - a huge spicy pork and egg meal.  I loved the food in Bolivia - big, meaty, great prices! Yum! 

Those first few days in La Paz were spent in total relaxation mode - I was so happy to have taken 2 months for my South America trip because this allowed me to have such lazy days when I needed them. 

Miscarried baby llamas and ancient gods

Bolivia was a fascinating country on so many levels. One of the first things that struck me on getting there, was that majority of the people were indigenous. They had a particular look to them that made it easy to tell them apart from foreigners. Majority of them were short, slightly plump and wore their own traditional clothes. Of course there were loads of younger people on the streets in western clothes, but one had the feeling that the general population was still closely tied to an older culture. 

I planned a day trip to lake Titicaca - the world's highest altitude lake and also to the town of Copacabana and the island Isla del Sol. Copacabana is best known for it's 16th century shrine that houses the "Lady of Copacabana" - the patron saint of Bolivia. She is to Bolivia, what the "Virgin of guadalupe" is to Mexico. I had read a bit about Lake Titicaca and Isla del Sol a bit before my trip, but nothing really prepared me for its beauty, magic and splendor.

I had a Bolivian English speaking guide for the trip and he definitely earned his money. I was the most inquisitive tourist. All the questions I had been holding in my head, were finally asked that day. He came to pick me up from my hostel at 7am. We got on a bus, and he started off a great history lesson on Bolivia. Bolivia has close to 35 tribes with the Quechua, Aymara, Guarani and Chiquitano being the largest tribes. Despite 55% of the population being fully indigenous and another 30% being part indigenous, it is only in 2006 that the country finally had an indigenous president - Evo Morales. Ever since the country's independence from Spain in the mid 1800s, the country had been ruled by a Spanish minority.  

Though the country is mostly Catholic, the version of Catholicism practiced here is a mix between regular Catholicism and traditional religions. People believe and respect "Pachamama" - Mother Earth. I remembered my first day walking down a street called "Witch's street." I saw all sorts of strange paraphernalia, but the strangest one was definitely the hundreds of dried llama carcasses. At first I wondered if someone had killed grown llamas and dried their bodies, but my guide informed me that those were the bodies of miscarried baby llamas. It turns out llamas have lots of miscarriages and the fetuses are believed to be good luck charms. People buy them and bury them in front of their homes or keep them for other purposes. I also recall that later in the day when we went to the  basilica at Copacabana, all the images depicted a devil who looked more like a villain in an Antonio Banderas film than the usual devil images I am used to seeing. Also the images of biblical characters all resembled indigenous Indians. It reminded me of seeing images of Jesus in Ethiopia with a huge afro and disciples who looked very Ethiopian. Bolivia, just like many other countries had been compelled to take on modern religions and had customized them as much as they could.

We started our two and a half hour journey to Lake Titicaca. Once we were on the bus leaving La Paz for Copacabana, I saw very curious characters who kept on jumping on the road. Some were dressed as zebras, some as donkeys and some as pigs. I initially thought that they were advertising one thing or the other, but it turned out to be a national campaign on road awareness and good citizenship. The people dressed as zebras, stood at zebra crossings and showed people that this was the right place to cross the roads. Those dressed as donkeys, taunted drivers who were making an "ass" of themselves by breaking traffic rules and those dressed as pigs grabbed people throwing trash on the road.....Wonder how this would work in Nairobi:-) I can imagine criminals getting their own costumes and using this as an opportunity to steal side mirrors, pickpocket pedestrians etc....

We had a great discussion about "Death road" during the journey. This is some extremely dangerous, steep road that cyclists (especially tourists) toured. I don't know how to ride a bicycle and I think there are many opportunities to almost get killed in Kenya (tribal clashes, terror attacks, matatus.....), so I never need to seek additional ways to risk my life:-) My guide seemed to think that it was a perfectly safe thing to do. "Only three tourists died last year." Part of the road to Copacabana made me think we were on our own "Death road". Bolivia has the most beautiful and rugged terrain I have ever seen. It is quite common to be on a bus that is driving on a narrow road on the edge of a cliff and continually overtaking other buses on blind corners. At some point I just stopped stepping on my own brakes and decided that the bus drivers must surely know what they are doing as they always drive on dangerous roads. 

We finally got to the narrowest part of Lake titicaca and stepped off to get on a boat for a 15 minute ride to Copacabana. Our bus also got on another boat/ferry. The bus was much larger than the ferry. I have no idea how these boats don't sink. Copacabana was a beautiful coastal town, but was quite empty on the day I visited it. It turned out, weekends were the time everyone came there. My guide amused me with stories of all the great Bolivian druglords who would throw parties every now and then for everyone in Copacabana, donate millions to the Basilica and feed the masses - sort of like CSR for drugdealers. He said sometimes these feasts lasted days. The main attraction at Copacabana was the church. I loved the artwork in there depicting indigenous angels, dramatic looking devils etc. 

We had lunch in a really cute little place. One of the things I loved most about Bolivia was just how cheap it was. We had a three course meal with a beer included for less than $3 (KES 270). My guide told me that a few years back, we would have had the same meal for $.80 (KES 70). I was simply amazed. After having survived on one main meal a day in Brazil (to keep costs down.) It was amazing to know that I could eat all I wanted in Bolivia and not run out of money. 

We got on a boat to begin our 1.5 hours journey to Isla del Sol (Sun Island). There was something so magical and serene about being on Lake Titicaca. I found myself feeling overwhelmed with emotions of gratitude for how lucky I was to be at such an amazing place. Without planning to, I found myself closing my eyes and praying. I felt very peaceful. Even as I think back to that moment, I can almost feel that tranquility - a feeling like I was at one with the world and all of humanity and nature. At that moment, I felt Pachamama. I opened my eyes and found the guide looking at me. I told him what had happened, and he told me that the lake had always had great spiritual significance to the Incas and that what I was feeling was not uncommon. I know I felt something when I was on that boat on Lake Titicaca. 

We got to Isla del Sol and got off the boat. The island was believed by the Incas to be the birth place of the sun god. We began our great trek to the temple in the island. We came across a lovely young girl with an alpaca. It was my first time to see an alpaca and I was beyond thrilled. They are different from llamas (though I don't quite see the difference), but the first thought in my mind was the line "Bad llama! Bad llama!" You will only get this if you watched "The Emperor's new groove." It was a 45 minute walk up the mountain to get to the temple. Bolivia is the highest altitude country in the world, and I definitely felt it during that hike. In general, I am horrible walking up inclines (Mt. Longonot almost killed me), and in this case oxygen was in short supply. I was panting for 50 people. My guide told me of a delegation of Tanzanian politicians he had brought there recently. Apparently one of the ladies had passed out. In retrospect, he shouldn't have been telling me such stories as I was struggling to get up the mountain. The views from the mountain were spectacular! It made all my panting worthwhile. The temple was a bit anticlimactic. It looked like a one storey building under construction. The views though on our way there, made the trip very worthwhile. 

We got back down the mountain and took a boat back to Copacabana. We were the only two people on the boat. I lay down, basking in the sun, feeling the water rocking the boat. I didn't realize I fell asleep until I was woken up by the guide once we got to Copacabana. I had another 2.5 hour bus ride back to La Paz, got to my great hostel (Hostal Republica - used to be a former President's home), had a great steak dinner at an amazing price. I slept like a baby.