Today i head off to the Yungas for my two week volunteer stint ar Senda Verde animal refuge. I dont know if Ill have wifi access so dont worry if you dont hear from me in a while. Ill be back here at Hostal Sol Sandino on the night of 3/12/14 before heading my way north to Peru via Lake Titicaca on 4 Dec. My love affair with Bolivia and La Paz grows continues. Its a good thing i can string a few words together cos i sure cant take fantastic photos, and im also reluctant to photograph people without their permission. Ill be gazing admiringly at something before realising i should take a pic, and viola, the scene or moment has passed. This city is glorious. Colour, energy, life, contrast, movement, old, ancient and a little new, the older or traditional Bolivian women do wear those enormous wide skirts, shawls and top hats as a matter of course. The authenticity of the streets is intoxicating and exciting as well as amazing. The cost of the truly beautiful artisan crafts and clothing is embarrassingly inexpensive, in particular for genuine alpaca woolen everythings. I dare not look at jewellry however for lovers of silver and beads and earings the sheer range is mind blowing and the visuals are as enticing. I have no doubt you can get anthing you want right here in La Paz. Oh, except shoes to fit me (and im not complaining). I just want a pair of thongs, the universal shoe of exceptional comfort. Heres a travel tip - no matter where you travel on the planet, chuck your thongs in your bag. Theyre sure to come in handy :-) As much as thought i was aging discretely, being called Babushka by an ancient looking Bolivan stall holder (who could well be my age or younger) dispelled any egotistical yearnings i might secretly harbour! I had my atacama desert encrusted hiking boots polished by a young street shoe shiner who magically returned them to looking good as new. He was really sweet with beautiful brown eyes his only visible feature as he was completely swathed in full face balaclava no doubt for protection from the dust and vehicle pollution (vehicle emissions are gross and sickening when you get a face full of exhaust fumes. Its a big problem here some days). He even managed to impress with his friendliness two young backpackers who for their age seemed quite surprised. It cost 7 BOB (bolivianos) for 2 lts water, 10 BOB per kilo for laundry, 15 BOB for a double cappuchino, 30 BOB for a delicious Cuban ron (rum) in a cuban restaurant and 20 BOB for a thinggy of Pringles (i was craving salt as my legs were starting to cramp-thats my excuse anyway). I must away for the journey ahead to allow plenty of time to get lost and figure out how to ensure i end up at the correct bus station. Chao for now
Posted on: Wed, 19 Nov 2014 14:38:06 +0000
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