Journey to the Andes: Uno mas dia en La Paz...

Tuesday, January 24, 2006

Uno mas dia en La Paz...

Buenas noches, mi amigos. I am currently in an internet cafe in downtown La Paz...there is so much to say, and many of you are wondering what it´s like down here...but I am short for words because there is so much to say. I went to dinner with Patricia yesterday, and we´ve become good friends. We spent some time together as well at the Festival de Alatistas (i think that´s the word) which is a traditional Bolivian festivle held in January where people sell very small things. As in tiny toy houses, cars, fake money, dolls, etc etc...there were thousands of people at the main plaza today, it was fascinating. It seems that it is a cultural thing for native people to burn coca powder (i think that´s what it is) in bowls full of charcole....it acts as a kind of incense, and it smells soooo good. Patricia and I ate llama today as well, obviously a first for me. It was really good. Anytime you have a chance to chow down on some llama, I reccomend it. The food here is pretty spicy...they add a spicy tomatoe sauce to pretty much everything, haha. And they eat lots of potatoes and maize, which is like corn. I´ve yet to try chicha (maize alchohol) and coca tea, but I am looking foreward to them both.

La Paz is a city where the new and the old mix...because it is a capital of Bolivia, there is a lot of business here, and a number of people with lots of money. There seems to be a large middle class here....depending on what area of town you´re in, anyways. And there is an obvious western influence, particularily in the clothing. A lot of the young people here wear very western clothing...but there are also many indigenous people that wear their traditional andean clothing....beautifully woven panchos, scarves and toques made from llama wool.

Though there are many middle class people here, the poverty is obvious....on my way here from my hostel I saw probably 6 kids, about 8 or 9 years old, curled up in corners with plastic bags over their head to cover them from the rain. And it is common to see young kids selling candy or shining shoes on the street...it´s heartbreaking...and tremendously moving when they smile and talk to you. The indiginous people are faced with a disproportionate amount of the poverty....i havn´t seen a poor latino yet. And from what I gather, El Alto (the giant slum) is almost exclusivly indigenous.

Patricia and I are hoping to travel to Lake Titicaca before she has to start her next semester of university. However, Bolivian culture is much more "family oriented" than Canada is. When you´re 18 you don´t do whatever the hell you want, haha. Sometime within the next few days she´s going to ask her parents and see what the verdict is. Otherwise I´ll likely head on down there by myself next week, or maybe with a few other people from my hostel (most of them seem to be from Austrailia and Europe, and speak english, thankfully) I hear it´s very beautiful.

No pictures as of yet, but when I take some good ones I´ll see if I can upload some for you lovely Canadians to peruse.

Havn´t found the Canadian consulate yet...I looked again today and I went to exactly where it said it was on the map and it was not freaking there. I asked people about it on the streets and they didn´t know either...for god sake. I got the address off the internet tonight, maybe that will work.

I must head off to bed now...I don´t know what I´m going to do tomorrow, perhaps the musical instrument museum, haha. Or maybe I might just practice my spanish. Whatever I do, I will have fun. Take care everyone, buenos noches!!!

posted by Ben @ 6:32 PM

3 Comments:

At 7:23 PM, Andrés Paz said…

Wow
At 11:36 PM, Anonymous said…

hey ben your bloge has been a great read so far but i read this one and realived that i know some one how lives on Lake Titicaca she is closley conected to the northcote family through my grandparents because she helps my grandad study the lake he has been there once or twice before it been a while thinse i heard anything about it but i beleve the lake isent in very good shape so dont expect anything to presten. if you are in need of a place to stay when you go to Lake Titicaca i could ask my granddad if he could get you in contact with her she is rilly nice but it has been abot a year since i have heard about her so imy memory my be of but i beleve that that is were she lives
At 10:36 PM, Anonymous said…

Greetings Ben!! Dad and I are learning to be baristas in Vancouver this week. The calling card is specifically for our home phone in Kelowna...just follow the directions on the back of the card. Sounds like you have started your adventure well!! I agree with your friends....a political figure, a date, eating llama, all in the first couple of days...what could be better. Is the hostel okay? How long are you able to stay there? And what's with the Canadian consulate?? And dad says "get some sleep". What's the weather been like? We are enjoying your website. Look forward to talking to you perhaps this weekend. Love Mom.