I come to Bolivia suddenly. I see many different people in La Paz. I think La Paz is the most interesting capital in Latin America.
I find people are carrying onions with a hand cart on an altitude of 3,800 m (12,467 ft). It would be very hard to work on high altitude. It is sad that they might not get enough money.
I didn’t know that I must go to Bolivia in 30 days after getting Bolivian visa. I just found that info on 32nd day. So I took the bus to Bolivian border. I exchange all of money and get Peruvian stamp. If Bolivian doesn’t let me go inside, then what do I have to do? But thankfully I didn’t get any problem to get Bolivian stamp
After getting Bolivian stamp, they say to me that I have to copy three pages of Passport. It is a little bit embarrassing, but I can’t complain about it because the building is too old to ask why they don’t do for me.
Anyway it is not a problem. I am so exciting that I get stamp without any problem. I sleep at near hostel for 20 Bol (3$).
The next day I talk with owner who envies Korea. He says Bolivian will be like Korea, Japan or China after 10 years. I hope so that Bolivia gets better in 10 years. Who knows that Bolivia will grow like Brazil?
Today is my first day to ride a bike in Bolivia.
On an altitude of 3,800 m (12,467 ft) I cycled beside Lake Titicaca. I stop to have the break time. People are getting gas together.
I thought dragonfly died. But it is still alive. I think that I should feed it as killing ant. But I don’t do it, because killing is not good anyway. I just move it to safe place.
The high altitude road is not hard, but strong windy makes me riding dangerous. There is cloudy that I ride with rain for half an hour.
But it is okay that I pass cloudy.
It looks like Peru.
I have to go up to an altitude 4,000 m (13,123).
Yeah, I push my bike for an hour. The above the picture, it can become like Grand Canyon after some year.
There are too many dogs. Are they patrols? Later I get why many dogs are on the road. From many cars, people throw bread to them.
When I reach to the top, I am so impressed of scenery.
It is my first time to see much snow mountain. How amazing scenery here is. Is there some mount which I can climb?
In the morning I thought that I could only ride 40 km (25 mi) because here is Andes Mountain. But I ride over 70 km (43 mi) today so that I can find a little bit big town. Where Can I sleep today?
I think it is cheap to stay at the hotel in Bolivia, but the hotel I found is closed.
Bolivian police kindly lets me stay at their place.
Empty room
The town is called Loja. It seems that the town is very quiet.
The next day I surprised that time is changed. One hour is now faster than Peru. I wake up 5 in the morning, but in Bolivian time I wake up 6 in the morning. I feel like I lose my time. I can’t find the breakfast so that I buy some bread from her.
Before getting to La Paz, I see small market.
Breakfast is 7 Bol(1$). I do not like the black one which looks like potatoes on the plate. Black potatoes (?) are disgusting to me.
Although I don’t arrive in La Paz yet, traffic is terrible. As buying water, I see people are selling orange juice. It is 2.5 Bol (35 cents) and taste is awesome. Child keeps crying so that I give her my snack, but she doesn’t stop crying. Oh I am sorry about her.
There are many houses in La Paz. I have to go down from now.
But it is steep and are curves so that I have to hold brake very carefully. When I ask people where the center is, I see small bread. It is called Saltena. It is interesting that there is soup at inside.
I visited many hostels and got one of the hostels near the main street. It is 50 Bol (7$) for one night. There are hot water and internet at the reception, but the problem is noisy. The first floor is the gym and the second floor is bar. On the weekend it is terribly noisy. My new laptop has problem that the touch pad is too sensitive. I go to Service center. (Later they change front one, but it is still problem. They say they don’t know why it is sensitive;;;). Going back to hostel, I see people type for other people.
‘Please, call to only cell phone’ is written on that. When I was in Colombia, I had seen that people having many cell phones lent their cellular and then got money. Some people tied their cell phones to their body that people cannot run away.
It is Cunape which is mixed with Yuca(similar to potato) and cheese. It is awesome tasty that I love it.
There is Snow Mount.
During getting info at travel agency, I heard that there is the easiest Snow Mount to climb. It is called Huayna Potosi which is at an altitude of 6,088 m (19,973 ft). Agency said that it is 90 % to succeed. Two nights and three days is only 150$ that it is really cheap price. I can’t stand my curiosity of Snow Mount. I am so excited ever. But I already have failed experience. So I research about it and I get frustrated that it is not the easiest mount. I can’t climb it so that I give up. My bucket list is to climb high Snow Mount like around altitude of 6,088 m (19,973 ft). Hope someday I can make it. Maybe one day…
It is really crowd around hostel, but it is really interesting to look the people.
It is Park of the San Francisco. It is just 5 minutes from my hostel.
Pizza is 13 Bol (1.8$). Taste is so-so, but size is big.
It is a hamburger that price is very cheap. A big hotdog is 3.5 Bol (50 cents) and bigger hamburger is 6 Bol (1$).
The cheapest Cola is in Bolivia.
Cola of 190ml is 1Bol (14cents). But there is the rule that I must to drink at that place. I can’t go with bottle of cola. The first time I didn’t know so that I didn’t buy it, because I wanted to drink at the hostel. But later I am used to drinking cola on the street. The cup of beer which is in front of cola is called Mocochinchi.  It is made with peaches that have been peeled and dried. The fruits are left in water overnight, then boiled with sugar and cinnamon. The drink is served cold.
There are many street venders.
It is around 9 pm to 10 pm, but there are still many people.
Many people, cars and street vender are in La Paz.
There are shoeblacks.
There is not only Juice of Orange but also Juice of Pineapple. Juice of Pineapple is 1.5 Bol (20cents). (6.95 Bol is one dollar.).
There is much hair shop in front of hostel.
It is busy street.
I like it. It is 2.5 Bol (35 cents)
Is this for tourist or are fire officers training?
People wearing zebra take care of traffic.
I think La Paz is really the busiest capital in Latin. So it is the most interesting capital in Latin America.
The sun is going down.
It is called Tucumana.
It is called Relleno de Papa.
There are peppers for spicy. People can put vegetable on their food. It is only 3.5 Bol (50cents).
Later I go to valley of the moon. As arriving, it starts raining. The local people lend me his clothes.
The way to go valley of the moon is taking the bus to Mallasa at the park of San Francisco. It is around 2.5 Bol (30cents). Entrance fee is 15 Bol (2$) and it takes just one hour to look around.
I’ve stayed over 6 days to write delayed journal. The day before I leave, I have a stomachache again. Since I left Korea, I have had the problem with enterospasm. Anyway I almost finish writing every delayed journal!! Yeah!
