Friday, November 30th, 2007 Speed tour of La Paz and escape to Peru

Friday, November 30th, 2007 Speed tour of La Paz and escape to Peru

We woke up early at 8 pm to aprovechar (to take advantage) of our little time in La Paz
First we walk ½ a block to the main square in La Paz with the Cathedral, Capital building, Supreme Court building. Full of police b/c of potential for protests. Looked like a bunch of ninja turtles hanging out. We were standing out side the capital building when a long line of cars and motorcycles pulled up with the lights flashing. A bunch of men in dark suits with sunglasses were standing outside talking into walkie talkies when 4 men came out of the capital and got into the BMW. Nick asked a random Bolivian man and found out that it was Eva Morales, the controversial Bolivian president. That was probably one of the most exciting, random events, even thought I didn’t even recognize Morales.

Next we walked to the Coca Museum, which is well known as a great museum about the evolution of cocaine. We got there at what we thought was 9:45 and decided to wait till 10 am when it opened. A woman outside the museum was selling jewelry and while waiting we found earrings made out of coca leaves. One side shows the leaf and the other side is colored weaving. We all bought a couple pairs since they were so cheap. By 10:30 the museum still wasn’t open so we walked over to the famous Witches Market, where they sell tons of Incan figurines, herbs, and other religious artifacts and most notably, dead baby llama fetuses. Chris decided to buy a fetus to give to his 13 year old host brother. So for the rest of the trip, we had an extra travel buddy who we lovingly named Eugene Fredrick Cummings, shortened to EF.

We headed back to the museum, which was finally open. We spent almost an hour walking through the small museum reading all the info while we learned about the evolution of the ancient practice of chewing coca leaves to the current day war on drugs focused in South America. I learned a lot and it reinforced a reoccurring theme I’ve noticed throughout of South America: the ancient practices were healthy, effective and appropriate for the culture. Then white man came, stole the practices, abused it and turned it into something harmful and destructive. Then they turn around and blame the indigenous culture for the harmful effects of the previously harmless product. Two highlights of the museum:
1. The statue of the cokehead sniffing coke:

2. The motivational sign to warn against the dangers of drugs:

The successes in life are the sources of constant pleasure that permit us and orient us towards a constructive and pleasant life.
A well adapted individual is capable of feeling pleasure to achieve healthy and fruitful interpersonal relationships, succeed in studies, obtain good work, make a stable and caring family, raise healthy children, maintain enjoyable sexual relationships, obtain social prestige and economic stability. The pleasure is the ? Example that directs el path to a healthy life.

We spent the rest of the day walking around La Paz. Bolivian women have a very typical dress which includes a long, full pleated skirt, a blouse, a brightly colored blanket wrapped around a bundle of whatever they are carrying on their bag, all topped off with a black bowler hat covering their 2 very long, thick black braids.

We walked through a huge market selling all types of food and fruit, then to the famous Church of San Francisco. We first walked to the wrong church which was small and closed but eventually we found the right church. Of course, it was beautiful and full of alters and saints statues. After completing everything we’d wanted to see in La Paz, we headed back to the hotel, ate for lunch what we bought for breakfast the day before while we watched a horrible US movie that happened to be on the TV. We got all our stuff and took a taxi to the bus station to catch our 2 pm bus and waited outside the gate. When 2 pm arrived and no one else was there I walked over to the ticket counter to find out if we were at the right gate. The lady said we were correct and that we would start boarding in 30 minutes. I didn’t understand because we were supposed to leave at 2 and she told me that it was only 1 pm!! So apparently there is a one hour time change between Chile and Bolivia and we didn’t know it! We’d been hanging out this whole time thinking it was an hour later!

Since we had an extra hour we took a walk around the bus station and had a photo shoot with EF, the baby llama. Finally we got on the bus at the correct 2 pm and spent the rest of the day driving to Peru. At the border we got off the bus and exited Bolivia after we were warned that if we had left the next day, we would need a Visitors Visa. Good thing we left when we did!! Then we walked across a bridge and entered Peru. I couldn’t believe how chaotic it was and we could have easily entered Peru without passing through customs. The rest of the evening was a tumultuous bus ride while I attempted to sleep.

We arrived in Puno late in the evening and first arranged to take a boat tour of Lake Titicaca the next morning. Then we went out to check out Puno and decided that we wanted to try the famous Peruvian delicacy Cuy. Aka Guinea Pig. So we found a nice looking restaurant and ordered one for all of us to share. To our surprise, it came out as an entire guinea pig, buck teeth and all. It was disgusting to look at and not too much better to eat. It tasted like chicken but with a lot less meat. After dinner we headed back to the hostel where the 4 of us were sharing a room. We kept trying to go to sleep but with all of us together we couldn’t stop laughing, especially at Chris’s absurd insults and Nick’s obliviousness at the female anatomy.