La Paz

Well not alotto say about La Paz really. We had heard alot of scare stories about La Paz and Bolivia in general (none of which we´ll worry nye about now...we´ll fill ye in when were home!). So we were bit anxious going there but it was quickest route to Puno so we went. We were bit over cautious there and never broughtout our camera, so we´ve no photos of La Paz. If ye want to see what its like google it!

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It was extremely poor and pretty dirty. It has population of over 1million and its very cramped, just like the favella(shanty towns) back in Rio de Janerio. There wasný a whole lot to see there apart from the bustling markets and the San Francisco Cathedral.

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The market were just crazy, loud, noisy,hectic, hustling and bustling...Enda prefers to describe La Paz as ´fucking madness´! The cars never stop beeping their horns...never! Most of the market stalls were selling everything from sweets, drinks, to toilet roll & nappies, to sunglasses and hats, to handicrafts, to freshly squeezed juices (which didnt look clean nor safe to drink!).

Then the witches market had more crafty style stuff...jumpers in local lama wool, shawls, wall hangings etc. But it gets witches name due to the eerie stuff it sells...voodoo dolls, other strange carvings for putting curses on people, and the most disgustibg of all.... Lama Foetus´yup, wee unborn lama foetus were hung all around the place. The belief was if you buries one under your house beore you build it, it will give you health and protection in your lives. We were tempted to bring one home for our futúre ´tent´but then thought the radon protection layers would prevent the lamas good will protecting us!

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That was La Paz really...stayed 2 days then got bus to Puno. Was just a really poor city, full of disease. Kids were dirty, unkept and unhealthy looking...wee girls crouched on footpaths weeing and asking you for money, guys missing parts of legs trying to cral around looking for money, just really sad. If you gave a Boliviano to one there was still a line of 20 more ahead looking for money too so you had to pretend they werent there. Thank God we were born in Ireland to the families we have. 

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