After a heartfelt goodbye to Giscard, we motored via bus (lux again) on to La Paz with our new Intrepid guide Wendy (she had a tough act to follow and we were only with her for an afternoon walking tour). Strange itinerary really, to spend one day in La Paz after over two weeks in Peru? In fact, it was a “let you down slowly” plan that we had already anticipated and enhanced by a three-day AirBnb-stay.
La Paz is in a big hole, geographically. Somehow, people decided to populate a deep valley that is now completely coated with bricks & humanity. The snaggles of electrical lines (similar to parts of India), the labyrinths of social connections to which they speak, added a contemporary splintering to a layout – a scene – much older. Snipets of colonialism, traces of older, eclipsing newness…
This clip of pix contains important murals in downtown La Paz, displays in a shop in the Mercado de Brujas (Witch’s Market) in the old section, Wendy our guide, pan-patterns…
The church, the mall, the plaza, the government buildings in our City Walk with Wendy…
This is the famous San Pedro Prison that used to be a tourist attraction in La Paz. Families live together (?!) and there’s a line of people coming and going in front all the time. Photography not allowed, but I was told after a few snaps, others are from our hotel room window which looked – lovelingly – upon the adjacent prison…
On the 4th of July, our 20th Wedding Anniversary, Mary Lynn & I & the kids said goodbye to our crew – Team GC. We’d had a great time in the English Pub near the Witch’s Market and took our leader Giscard’s decision to go to a nice restaurant near the center, the plaza, the public entertainment zone in front of the big church.
Special thanks to Giscard Condori, our fearless (intrepid!) leader.
Vicky from Australia, Mona from the UK,
Kirsten & Charlotte, and Andy & Paul (Pol?) from New Zealand.
What an experience? What a moment!
You are forever welcome to come visit us in California.
Much love, the Vail family.
Random Vail 