La Paz is the highest administrative capital city in the world at an elevation of almost 12,000 feet. Originally, we plannted to spend two nights in La Paz, but we were so tired that we decided to stay for nine nights. We had to move Airbnbs during the say, but we stayed in the same area in the south of the city.
Outside of our first Airbnb was a construction zone. We had to walk a plank to get to our apartment. The apartment is beautiful, and it has the best shower and toilet flush of all of our stays in South America. It also had a common space and garden. Our second Airbnb, located in a high rise, is more institutional but still comfortable. It also has 1.5 bathrooms, which is a luxury for us.
On our first day in La Paz we went to Parque Mirador Laikakota. It is a park for kids that costs about $0.50 per person. The boys played giant chess. The pieces are real metal and heavy. They also slid down a long slide and jumped on a trampoline. Lucas has perfected his back flip.
After the park, we took a ride on the cable cars. La Paz has the longest system of cable cars in the world. The views from the cable cars are striking. You can see the moonlike landscape of La Paz. You also pass over houses. It is humbling to see how packed in the people are. The cable cars are a great way to get around the city.
We discovered Las Torres Mall early in our visit. The mall has an entertainment center with a trampoline park, bowling, and arcades. The boys went several times to jump, and I won at bowling!
Michael and I explored on foot one day. We walked to the central square and saw the government palace. We had lunch at the Mercado Lanza. Two meals and a smoothie for $5.
We also took a walking tour of the city. We like to do walking tours of cities because it gives us a good lay of the land. We also learn a lot of history and culture from the guides.
Our guide Mauricio took us around the central part of La Paz. We saw the street where the witch doctors are located. They read fortunes and use herbs for curative purposes.
We walked through a market and saw people selling fruits, vegetables, fish, flowers and many other things. Lucas and Henry tried some traditional corn snacks, and we ended up buying two big bags for Bs 8 ($1.20).
We saw the changing of the guard at the Palace of Government. We learned about the political instability of the country in the last several years.
Our tour ended on Calle Jaen. It is a colonial street known for its bars and nightlife. It is said to be haunted by ghosts.
While we were in La Paz, there was a protest to highlight the difficulty of foreigners getting into Bolivia. The people were protesting the lack of tourism because of the hefty requirements, and they were petitioning the government to ease up on entry requirements and fines levied on tourists upon exit. We saw several marches while we were in La Paz.
La Senda Verde
We decided to take a trip to La Senda Verde Animal Refuge. It was founded in 2003. The wild animals rescued by La Senda Verde are victims of illegal trafficking, cruelty and habitat destruction.
We spent one night at the refuge. The set up has the people in cages to give the animals more space to roam.
We visited with baby howler monkeys. We saw turtles, aardvarks, parrots, and more. We hung out with Maruka, an older monkey who gets to hang out in the dining hall.
They offer volunteer opportunities for individuals and even for families. We could not extend our stay there, but we would love to come back and volunteer someday.
