Eldorado Hotel La Paz

... died each year on this road.<br><br>So, we offered some more of that ridiculously strony Potosi-style booze to Pachamama and set off. Started off grand again - some reasonably sized stones were all over the place and it had been raining since we set off so it was a little slippery. There was sufficient grip for a reasonably speed though and I resumed my position among the leaders.<br><br>Then something went a little bit wrong on anther corner and Pachamama decided to stab my back ...

... of action was to join the parade for a few blocks. So we did, made it back to our hostel and watched fireworks from the roof. The next day, Evo Morales came! It was very exciting. And that day, the parades went on even longer! At least 4 hours. I didn´t even realize there were that many people in Potosi! We saw Evo Morales, he waved, people made speeches, we wandered around climbing on things so we could see ...

... to bed feeling very bloated.<br><br>The following day involved shopping and much delibrating as tour agencies for Rurre kept changing there prices and availbility. We have finally made a decision and are planning to leave La Paz in the morning by jeep.<br><br>Once you get down into Nuestra Señora de La Paz (it´s full, glorious name) it isn´t as impressive as that first sighting but has a lovely atmosphere and as of yet we haven´t had any problems. Final night, then hopefully onward tomorrow.

... a bus from Oruro to La Paz and arrived at Loki hostel which is just amazing. Some massive old building with old decorations and the best beds. Had a sleep and went out that night with an english couple I knew in Buenos Aires that I met coincidentally.<br><br>Went around the markets the next day to the 'witches market' which is just a normal market really but they have dried llama fetuses they sell and you are meant to bury them ...

... were into skull-lengthening and mis-forming. Look it all up on Wikipedia.<br><br>I think, though, that despite not having a guide I managed to experience the place to a greater extent than most people. I was outraged that I was charged about $13 for entry to two sites and two museums... despite one museum only having one monolith on show! The place wasn't finished yet they were charging full price! I got round this, however, by bribing the ticket man to let me go "backstage" and ...

... to the ring to come to a friend´s aid against one nefarious cheater or another. We whistled and jeered as &#8220;El Cobarde&#8221; (The Coward) begged for mercy before jumping the valiant Yolanda from behind with an empty 2 litre Coke bottle. We rushed from our seats in panic as &#8220;El Hombre de Lobo&#8221; (The Wolfman) charged the crowd in a blood frenzy (we assumed, it was difficult to read his plasticky features).<br><br>All in all, a cool experience ...

... danger outlined was the traffic, the road had been closed in recent times since they built a new, tarmac road to take the trucks nad buses more safely but today it was under repair so the road was very much open.<br>We set off in a group of about 15, mostly English and Canadian with an Australian girl and a couple of Brazilian maniacs, proper tourists waving their cameras in everyones faces as soon as they got on the minibus, funny guys though. One was kitted up with a helmet ...

... are plenty of little resorts along the way.<br><br>Then we settled down to the business of getting to Bolivia. After the excellent journey from Piura with ITSSA it was always going to be downhill. The ormeno bus was quite tatty, we had no pillows or blankets, the water in the loos didn't work and there was no toilet roll. We did get fed though, and the food was fine, but, wait for this, the journey took 7 hours longer than anticipated, a total of 31 hours. So while I ...

... just after midnight, walked off the plane and was hit by the cold... and after about 20 steps &amp; running to the loo, was out of breath...oh dear! Al had his normal loo visit after finding his bag, and I looked hopefully at all the bags being passed through the window.... and just as I was about to give up and go and log my bag as lost... it arrived!! I was so excited, I was short of breath again, not sure if it was the excitement or the altitude - el alto ...

... on. It takes me ages to find my way round the one way street system.<br>I catch up with young Graham later, he found the top entry to the death road but they would not let him on because of the poor visibility. He took the main road to the bottom but by then it was even worse and had started to snow, he returned very cold.<br>In the evening we met up with Alex the Dutch motorcyclist we had met in Peru for food and a pint.