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El Alto
When most people arrive in La Paz the altitude hits them and they have a hard time breathing and getting around. The city sits at about 3,700 meters, I say about because it varies. The city is in valley, the high points get to around 4000, and the low parts to 3200. All that up and down wears you out, not to mention I was sick when I got here. I am going to have a tough first few days. Here is the count.
12-27-2003 Dumbos
We arrived in La Paz. I could feel the altitude right away. The beauty of the city, chizeled out of a rocky mountain valley, lights climbing and dropping over the sloped horizon, and our taxi hurling down the windy road hugging curves and mounting speeds bumps... Ah, La Paz. We stopped at Miguel's new apartment in Sopocachi for just long enough to drop off our bags and then we headed to the San Miguel neighborhood to meet our cousin Martin for dinner.
Walking through San Miguel brought back great memories. The small little village style neighborhoods present a unique style of created communities with their own everything. One found memory of this area was at the Dumbo ice cream shop when we ran into some of the Bolivian national soccer team. So when they mentioned that place to eat, I was all for it. Some Pique Macho, and coca tea and now I really am reminded of my previous trips here. Then we walked to Martin's house. Our tio Juan (abuelito's brother) was there and we said hello, he was on his way out. So we grabbed a few of Miguel's things he left there and headed home.
Tomorrow we will move the last of Miguel's things from his old apartment on the Prado. Then an afternoon asado at Martin's and some relaxing. We are planning a Monday trip to Oruro, which is one of the older and more untouched cities in Bolivia, and it is were my dad was born.
12-28-2003 Soroche
We woke up and headed to the Prado, which is the main downtown strip. That is where Miguel used to live and we went to get a few more of his things. Then we went to his wireless internet cafe right there and I had more Mate de Coca cause the altitude was bothering me.
As we started to walk towards the street to get a MiniBus to the San Miguel district we saw clouds moving in. The beauty of being in such a high city was that the clouds were barely above our heads. It was a great site, until it started raining. Then we hussled a little. We caught our mini and made it to San Miguel, from there on foot we went to the house. We hiked pretty fast. On arrival I felt terrible, but I sucked it up and just drank some mate de coca and went on with the day. They cooked a great feast, an asado, grilled meat, coclo (corn on the cob), salad, and little potatoes (seriously the little ones taste better). I, of course, ate a lot and it was awesome.
However the altitude made it worse. My head started to pound and now my chest was hurting. I had to lay down. After a long nap and more mate de coca I started to feel better. Miguel got me some Sorojchi(that is the name of altitude sickness) pills and after relaxing on the couch and talking politics and other world issues I felt better.
We decided to take off and head back downtown. I wanted something light, like soup or something to help get me adjusted to La Paz. We went to another cafe Miguel likes, and there we were met by Miguel's friend Daniel Bustillos. He studied at CMU with Miguel and they have remained friends. I had only met him the one time at our house and Saginaw and he was very nice. He met us with his wife and one year old little girl. It was a nice relaxing light dinner and coffee catching up on things. Then we drove around a little and saw some more plazas (La Paz has a little plaza on every other corner) and he dropped us off.
Tomorrow we will sleep in, the Oruro trip has been moved to Tuesday due to me probably not being ready for the high alto tomorrow. So we will do some shopping, see some sights and relax. My blogs will also be a little shorter, I had been using the computer my cousin Martin bought that I was bringing for him. Now he has his machine, and I am without a computer... very hard for me, but I will survive. I have my trusty jumpdrive and my digital camera and with internet cafe's costing only 3Bs an hour I will be fine.
12-29-2003 Sweater Weather
While Miguel is showering and getting ready I am taking the chance to write from his computer. Today is another sweater day, well actaully everyday in La Paz is sweater day. Everyone wears a sweater in the morning, it starts out about 4 degree centigrade. By afternoon it will be a nice calm 25 degree, big change huh. Then by night time you need the sweater again as it starts to cool down. Such a change from Santa Cruz were it is so hot and humid you wear no undershirt and buy the coolest polyester shirts you can to stop from sweating all day. Now I leave the house in 3 or 4 layers and carry a bag with me for when I need to remove layers. I need to get one of those cool little Bolivia auyao bags.
We walked to get Miguel's mail, all along the way I took pictures. We stopped to eat some tucumanas, which are a mix between salteņas and empanadas, very good. Then we walked some more on the what feels like always uphill terrain. I am quite the tourist with my digi cam. It was a good experience to watch Miguel get his mail. First we went to his post office box, he grabbed his mail and had a slip stating he had a package (comics for sure). Then he had to ask around at which desk to go for his package. They have desks for people with big packages, small packages, medium packages, international packages, etc. Miguel had to go to one desk, pay more money, and then was given his package to take to customs. They opened it, looked at, then stamped his four different forms he had for that package. What fun.
Now we are at the wireless cafe, I am using his laptop and waiting for our coffee. After I post this he will use the computer and I will sneak into the United Colors of Benneton store next door. Then for lunch we are going to this place called the Gringo Limon for some good Fricase. Yum yum.
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