Final Days in La Paz, Bolivia

Pedestrian filled streets of La Paz

La Paz.  The final city of our Peru/Bolivia trip and as such, the place to simultaneously witness the gathering of our selves (not to mention our increased bulk of stuff) in preparation for home as well as to give us our last flavor and impression of life (for our specific experience) in South America.

And to those who might write off La Paz as a destination city to visit?  Maybe in the classical sense of there not being a huge number of historic sites, museums and colonial-tinged squares that must be visited.

But for us?  A fine place to end our journey south of home.  La Paz with its own densities of narrow market-filled streets (translate:  Sagarnaga and Linares with their fill of tourist hostels, travel agencies and handicraft stalls), to its simple squares filled with Pacenos sitting, feeding pigeons and eating ice cream or jello cups under the partial shade of trees, governmental buildings or statues.  The unexplored neighborhoods of the poorer city residents lining the upper reaches of the city’s hills in distance and the wealthier areas of Zona Sur with its wider main avenue–and location of our final diner of Italian food at the recommended Casa Nostra.  And our final evening hours at our hostel, the Estrella Andina, packing our things, writing last minute postcards and saying goodbye to the city and the populated Illampu street below us.

Bright colors and market sellers in the city

Traffic zebras on the streets of La Paz

Un fuego que no se apaga

Volkswagens all over La Paz

Plaza Murillo, formerly the Plaza de Armas

A Paceno making friends with pigeons

From the Musical Instruments Museum on Calle Jaen

Too early of a wakeup to be decent in order to catch the first leg of our flight home (think of a groggy 3:30 AM), but something good about moving through the emptied streets and cool fog of a La Paz winter pre-dawn.

Bye, La Paz and to an unforgettable South America trip experience!

Waiting in La Paz