Arcabucero Hostal Inn La Paz

... the maths) . But here I am behind the computer so all is good. We´ve kind of been floating around the airport, our feet and minds not totally landed - again due to the altitude. Santa Cruz is basically at sea level, so the altitude difference is large, and we didnt go progressively, but a large bag of coca leaves and we are surviving.<br><br>We are waiting on our next flight which is in an hour to ...

... We then passed round a bottle of 100% proof grain alcohol, pouring some on our front tire and on the ground then taking a sip to appease primeval Inca Earth Goddess Pacha Mama! <br><br><br>Setting off down the tarmac section most people were a bit nervous as there are a lot of horror stories going around most true of people really messing themselves up badly.. <br>Just the day before a guy went over the cliff and broke both arm and leg, while<br>a month ago a guy died going off a ...

... Halloweén garb. Who knew? <br><br>We were dropped off around the corner from our hotel - the Diamante Azul (Blue Diamond), a nice little place that would be home for the next 2 nights. Of course the first order of business would be to clean up and change...and then we would hit the town to see what La Paz has to offer!<br><br>We had a bit of free time before meeting back up with the tour group, so I decided to brave the crowded ...

... s well-known for having "the world's most dangerous vindaloo" (you'll understand the reference soon) and anyone who finishes said curry receives a t-shirt delcaring this feat. I've met a few people (not many!) who've managed it and they said it was painfully hot and unpleasant... So I opted for llama tikka masala instead! It was ok... not the delight I was expecting and hoping for but still not bad. <br><br>I was supposed to take it easy in the bar that night for reasons which ...

... like VW Bugs - you would be in heaven there! Some are VERY original and others have been updated/modified. <br><br>I found out La Paz is NOT the official capital of Bolivia - it is the administrative capital and the city of Sucre is the historical and judiciary capital. So much for visiting capital cities of South America =) Who knows...I may return to La Paz and Sucre. <br><br><br><br>

... canyon, ringed by snow-peaked mountains is literally quite breath-taking. The vista of the city opened up and we thought "'wow&#8217; look at that!"<br><br>The Spanish chose this odd place for a city on 20th October 1548 to avoid the chill winds of the plateau and because they had found gold in the Rio Choqueyapu which runs through the canyon. As a result, the rich live in the bottom of the canyon where it is warmer and the lower altitude has more oxygen and ...

... meals to keep them going, normally between 1 and 3 in the afternoon when everybody else is digging in to their set lunch.<br><br>Almuerza- The standard lunch time meal which is probably enough to sink a sumo wrestler is rapidly demolished by many and comes at a price you cant refuse. Normally comes in either 3 or 4 courses beginning with a salad buffet, followed by soup and a choice of extremely filling mains. This is why my belly is now rumbling, and Im envisaging a toilet ...

... guide (as I don´t like going downhill), Jim was frustrated that he wasn´t allow to pass and therefore had to follow at what he deemed to be a rather sedate pace. We later found out that the brakes on the guide´s bike weren´t working properly and this was the reason for the slower speed!<br><br>After the 24km point, we drove another 10 or 15 minutes in the minibus to reach the Death Road proper. Here, the road was much narrower and changed to gravel and in some parts ...

... the bloke entrusted with getting me up and down in one piece. To be honest, I think his colleagues back in the office did him a dis-service as he spoke at least 25 words of English. <br><br>After checking our gear, we set out after lunch to trek up to the advanced camp at 5,300m where just Felicio and myself were staying that night. There is one other camp on the mountain where about 20 people normally stay. It snowed all the way up the mountain and by the time we reached the advanced ...

... said she`d come into the office specially. In light of this general Domingo shut-down, we were now quite worried that we wouldn`t be able to book the World`s Most Dangerous Road bike ride for Monday. Feeling a bit disconsolate we were wandering back to the hostel when we spotted a little agency that was still open called Coca Tours. The bloke in there was really nice, and he recommended a company called Free Bikes, who would do the trip for 300 bolivianos per person. He showed us lots ...