Bolivia (1st stop La Paz)

We arrived in Bolivia 3 weeks ago and are finally setting up this blog, so apologies for the catch up.

Flight was great, flew over the Alps and Africa and thought Spiderman 3 was pretty good apart from the dodgy dance moves. Stopped over in Sao Paolo in Brasil for a night, and the city really has banned advertising. You can have your own branding on your shop etc.. but it isnt possible to buy advertising space in the city so blank bill boards etc. Really refeshing, will add photos later as it takes an age and the sun is busy beckoning.

We spent the first 4 Days in La Paz trying to get used to the altidude and food. Couldn´t walk up on flight of stairs without feeling like we´d run a marathon+ you get weird pins and needles in your hands or feet intermittantly. Fine apart from that as took precautionary drugs in advance after hearing stories of migrain blindness.

La Paz: a crazy city surrrounded by mountains, we had a great view of it all from our hotel.
Drank Coca leaf tea, which does nothing we found out later at the Coca museum, you have to chew to break the leaves and store them in the side of your cheek (like a hamster) for 15 mins to release the goodness, apparently you get a proper kick, havent been arsed yet though.
Coca Leaves contain more Vitamins and minerals than most other food sources, so there you go a very useful plant alround, its a shame we in the west deamonised it . Coca Cola is v cheap here as they get their leaves for flavouring from Bolivia.

We stayed in the middle of the market district surrounded by tiny indiginous Cholo paceña ladies (in there bowler hats, not sure how they keep them balanced so precariously) selling everything from batteries & potatoes, to dried glittery frogs and llama feouteses (for witches spells).. mmmmmmmmmm! nice.

Have been cautious travellers so far and not blatantly taken photos of them but will be braver next time we go back.

Went to see a football match between the two main La paz teams, it cost a pound, one team was called "The Strongest" and ofcourse they won!!! we backed the underdogs but didnt see much of the match as hordes of Bolivians get in the way trying to sell crisps coffe and ice cream.
there was amusing live music and dancing at the start (lots of high cut glitzy costumes),and we made concord like paper airoplanes for the kids as theirs were rubbish, we could still see one boy playing with his at the end of the match.

Daves supposedly cast iron stomach faltered on day two , due to unknown sources, we had a tv and watched iller people in "House".

There are very few traffic lights/road signs in the city, however they get by just fine with friendly beeping (a lot of it). Less rules better behaviour and courtesy on the roads. Not really a city for cyling though+ its so rediculously steep.

We are enjoying cheap Almuerzo´s (salad, soup and mains course) which are very filling & the cheapest thing you can buy for lunch, had one for 50p. However most food in the city has been rubbish including the special Andean sauce, made with Sage and Rosmeary, difficult to know what our lama steaks tasted like though that.

We have come to the conclusion that there is an 80´s mountain ( similar to a sugar mountain food surplus ). Bolivia has tapped into this big time. We went into a locals restaurant and its like a scene from Dynasty, lovely peach wallpaper and white/gold chairs, the clothing is the same.

more photos of La Paz