A Day in La Paz - the Valley of the Potato - Day 24

 I was starving when I got up because I hadn't had any breakfast so off I went to stuff my face with toast and jam which is pretty much been my breakfast for the last few weeks.  I do miss Charlie's white toast with beans and mushrooms - my daily breakfast whilst on Case Histories!  I think that will be what I have for my breakfast when I get home on the 16th - a huge plate of white toast with mountains of beans and mushrooms!  Its funny the food we crave when we are not at home and can't get what we normally have.

Off I went to meet Guido who was taking me on my half day tour of the city.  We headed straight out of the city, which is a good thing because the traffic is absolutely MENTAL!  its worth than Edinburgh and I never thought that was possible! (Sorry Edinburgh folk, you know I can't help but have a dig whenever I can!!!).

Guido explained to me that La Paz used to be called the Valley of the Potato as this is mostly what was grown here but then the Spanish arrived and changed the City's name to The Virgin Mary of Peace to which the locals have shortened to La Paz which apparently means the Peace.  Sorry there is no peace in this city, it is pretty much non stop - the noise outside my hotel room went on till about 3am then started again at 430am!

We went all the way up into the mountains surrounding La Paz to the Valle de la Luna - what a spectacular place, it really makes you think that this is what the moon looks like.  Its a weird place that has been formed from years and years of rain!  The mountains are sand and clay based which is why this erosion happens in the heavy rains.

It was actually quite hot and sunny here - hard to believe 2 hours later it was pouring with rain and freezing - its a bit like a Scottish summer.

Here is an amazing carving out of the clay/sand soil - whoever the model was never made it to the Sacred Fountain of Eternal Youth did she?!

After the Valley of the Moon we visited a local ceramic gallery and workshop - I loved this place!  It is owned by Mario Sarabia - he is a ceramics specialist and his work is beautiful - have a look at his website www.ceramicsarabia.com - I love the big bulls - but they are not going to fit in my suitcase - well actually they would if I left all my clothes behind!  That thought did go through my head!!  but the chances of any Ceramic surviving the next 2 and half weeks where I still have 6 or 7 flights still to do are slim but as I walked around the Gallery I found some really beautiful jewellery pieces - his two daughters work with jewellery design so there was very different designs to look at.  Now Jewellery I know will make the trip so I shopped!!  They had some really beautiful pieces of jewellery made from Ametrine which is a crystal only found in Bolivia - it is a cross between Amethyst and Citrine and together these crystals are a really important Power Crystal able to heal many ills, one of its main healing properties is to treat depression.  The Ametrine mine is in Santa Cruz which is 300 miles from La Paz - my flight tomorrow stops off there on its way to Sao Paulo.

Next time I come to South America I have to come back to Bolivia as I really haven't done it justice with just a few days and 2 of those being on the Sun island.  I have missed so much and I would love to visit the Ametrine mine in Santa Cruz and also visit the salt flats which are supposed to be amazing with lots of energy.

So after my shopping spree with Mario - who only gave me a 10% discount - come on Mario, don't you know my middle name is 80% discount?!  we headed to another important monument for La Paz but for the life of me can't remember its name - probably because it was pouring with rain and blowing a gale when we got out of the car and Guido was telling me all about it - probably couldn't hear him.

There had been a landslide at the site in the last few days so it was all cordoned off so Guido asked if I was ok to climb over the fence?  What break the rules?  oh yeah bring it on!  so the pair of us climbed the fence and had just enough time to take the picture below before we were chased by a security guard so we had to skip back over the fence pronto - I turned to the guard who had chased us to the fence and said Muchas Gracias with a cheeky grin and he replied 'pro favour' with a steely gaze in his eyes and made an action with his hands to get over the fence.  Brilliant fun in the rain!  Mind you I look like the Michelin woman in this pic - what the feck is going on?  I only had my fleece on under my rain jacket!

We headed back into town to the Witches Market - ah saved the best till last....  It was full of lotions and potions for every human disfunction there is.  There were lots of talismans and other lucky charms you could buy for long life etc.  Guido left me here at the end of my tour so I very happily wandered around for a couple of hours boggling about in amongst all the medicines and the witchy people.

Really enjoyed my day here half of it guided and the other half just wandering about - its not a difficult city to navigate but you need to beware of the ever moving traffic - you take your life in your hands crossing the road.

Off to Rio tomorrow, via Santa Cruz and Sao Paulo so a long day of travel - Mark is already in the air and lands tonight at about 10pm Rio time - he has a night and a day to ogle the girls on Copacabana beach before I arrive tomorrow night - he reckons he will just be watching the kids play football on the beach - oh yeah I believe that!

Looking forward to seeing him but will be a bit weird travelling with someone else now I have got so used to being on my own but I am sure I will adapt quickly!!  Well he better hope I do.....

suzxxx