Today (14th August) we left for La Paz. The guide book only recommends doing this journey in daylight hours due to the high risk of hijackings on this route.
We started around Lake Titicata until we reached the ferry point. We all had to get on the people ferry while our bus got taken across on little more than a raft.
Our ferry wasn't much better with random unattached planks of wood for the floor and 6 life jackets hanging up proudly...to service all 28 of us!
With us and our bus safely across we continued our journey.
As we entered the antiplano region a scattering of houses appeared attached to farms.
Over the next couple of hours their density and complexity increased. The farm houses were single story mud brick houses. Then two story houses became the norm, the ground floor made of mud brick and the first floor of hollow red bricks.
As we got closer to La Paz compounds were becoming common with high gates. Many were unfinished yet already had political graffiti all over them.
In El Alto, the town just before La Paz, the buildings were more ambitious rising 4 stories, the walls bowing inwards due to their thinness.
Then we got to just outside La Paz. The sight was breathtaking. The city goes on for as far as we could see with little to no space between buildings. The city is reminiscent of Cusco but on a much grander scale. Buildings everywhere beautiful mountains in the background!
I tried to get a picture from the coach using my mobile...it's not great and only shows a small fraction of the city and without the snowy mountains. However it hopefully gives you an idea of what it looks like.
Tomorrow we're exploring the city and I'll try and get a better picture!
Before I finish this post, for those of you wondering, Sparky was waiting outside our lodge this morning and was excited to see us again.
It was sad to say goodbye but it seems he must have an owner as he looked as though he'd been brushed. And before you ask, we're sure it was the same dog as we checked our photos and compared to make sure!
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