La Paz
Labels :
Bolivia,
La Paz,
Valle de la Luna
The two last remaining posts from my South American trip will cover the capitals of Bolivia, La Paz, and of Peru, Lima. Following the itinerary, I will start with La Paz.
Actually, Bolivia has two capitals; La Paz is the administrative capital where you will find the Presidency, the Government, the Parliament…, but Sucre is officially the constitutional capital.
Bolivia was established as a republic in the beginning of the 19th century (Simon Bolivar, first president), the country lost access to the Pacific after a war with Chile in 1884. Totally the population is about 9 million, whereof some 1 million in La Paz (2 millions, suburbs included). There are three official languages, Spanish, Quechua, and Aymara. It’s still the poorest of the South American countries, has suffered from frequent coups d’état, but seems now to have a stable government, with an Aymara as president, Juan Evo Morales Ayma. We have all heard about the eradication of the coca crops (but the local coca leaves consumption will not be abandoned), the domestic control of their enormous gas and mineral assets…. OK, this was a sightseeing visit.
La Paz is the highest capital in the world and has also the world’s highest golf course (a place to beat your driving length record, thanks to the thin air). Actually, the city is a valley and it starts on a level of about 4100 meters (13500 ft) – the industrial suburb El Alto with its international airport - and reaches its lowest point at about 3300 meters (10800 ft). Wherever you go, it means climbing or descending. The average temperature is quite cool and it hardly changes from one season to the other.
The city centre can be said to be limited to two major points:
- The central place, Plaza Murillo, where you find the Cathedral, the Presidential Palace and the Parliament (the Congress)… and thousands of pigeons. Around this place there are some well kept, restored colonial style buildings, including the building of P.D.Murillo, a martyr of the independence revolution, and some museums.
- The main street, El Prado, a park-like avenue, surrounded by a mixture of old colonial and modern office buildings, restaurants, hotels, cinemas...
The rest of the city is a multitude of more or less narrow streets, with a very heavy traffic - basically taxis and local buses -, markets, shops, people… and an enormous amount of electric and telephone cables in all directions.
The further you go down the valley, the higher the standard of the housing. Some 10 km down from the centre you will find an astonishing landscape, Valle de la Luna (the Moon Valley), full of canyons and pinnacles (with a flute player staying on top of one, for the pleasure of the relatively few tourists).
Please note the fashionable hats used by the ladies – and the “hat shop”. Obviously the fashion was brought in by the British when the rail track between La Paz and the Pacific Ocean port Arica (Chile) was built during the 19th century.
The city corresponded very well to what I had imagined, full of life - in a certain disorder – and with, again, smiling and nice people!
Once more, if you wish to see the photos in full, please go to my photo blog!
Bolivia was established as a republic in the beginning of the 19th century (Simon Bolivar, first president), the country lost access to the Pacific after a war with Chile in 1884. Totally the population is about 9 million, whereof some 1 million in La Paz (2 millions, suburbs included). There are three official languages, Spanish, Quechua, and Aymara. It’s still the poorest of the South American countries, has suffered from frequent coups d’état, but seems now to have a stable government, with an Aymara as president, Juan Evo Morales Ayma. We have all heard about the eradication of the coca crops (but the local coca leaves consumption will not be abandoned), the domestic control of their enormous gas and mineral assets…. OK, this was a sightseeing visit.
La Paz is the highest capital in the world and has also the world’s highest golf course (a place to beat your driving length record, thanks to the thin air). Actually, the city is a valley and it starts on a level of about 4100 meters (13500 ft) – the industrial suburb El Alto with its international airport - and reaches its lowest point at about 3300 meters (10800 ft). Wherever you go, it means climbing or descending. The average temperature is quite cool and it hardly changes from one season to the other.The city centre can be said to be limited to two major points:
- The central place, Plaza Murillo, where you find the Cathedral, the Presidential Palace and the Parliament (the Congress)… and thousands of pigeons. Around this place there are some well kept, restored colonial style buildings, including the building of P.D.Murillo, a martyr of the independence revolution, and some museums.
- The main street, El Prado, a park-like avenue, surrounded by a mixture of old colonial and modern office buildings, restaurants, hotels, cinemas...
The rest of the city is a multitude of more or less narrow streets, with a very heavy traffic - basically taxis and local buses -, markets, shops, people… and an enormous amount of electric and telephone cables in all directions.
The further you go down the valley, the higher the standard of the housing. Some 10 km down from the centre you will find an astonishing landscape, Valle de la Luna (the Moon Valley), full of canyons and pinnacles (with a flute player staying on top of one, for the pleasure of the relatively few tourists).Please note the fashionable hats used by the ladies – and the “hat shop”. Obviously the fashion was brought in by the British when the rail track between La Paz and the Pacific Ocean port Arica (Chile) was built during the 19th century.
The city corresponded very well to what I had imagined, full of life - in a certain disorder – and with, again, smiling and nice people!
Once more, if you wish to see the photos in full, please go to my photo blog!
