A FEW FACTS:
La Paz is the capital of Bolivia which is a land locked country next to Peru in South America. It is one of the poorest South American countries but this I no way detracts from its charm as a country to visit.
Strangely in La Paz the wealthier you are the closer to the bottom ... Read review
excl. Breakfast - HRS Rating: 7,23/10 - Our family-run Hotel La Paz is situated in a quiet ... more
side-street in the city centre of Dortmund. Our aim is to offer you an individual service paired with familiar hospitality and warm atmosphere in the heart of Dortmund. Our hotel is situated in the heart of Dortmund, just a one minute walk from the famous Reinoldi church. The Stiftstraße is a quiet side-street, which is closed for traffic after 19:00 h.
incl. Breakfast - HRS Rating: 5,24/10 - 35 rooms and 2 Suites . The ideal location ... more
provides maximum comfort for both business and pleasure stays. Our Restaurant offers a wide variety of Bolivian and International dishes, fully equipped meeting rooms, parking and all conveniences, right in the Down Town of La Paz city. Right in the Down Town of La Paz city,located 500 mts. from Plaza Murillo in front of the Hernando Siles Stadium.
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moon walking, political demonstrations and women in bowler hats
Advantages: unique capital city, cheap, friendly people Disadvantages: high altitide can cause problems
...FACTS:
La Paz is the capital of Bolivia which is a land locked country next to Peru in South America. It is one of the poorest South American countries but this I no way detracts from its charm as a country to visit.
Strangely in La Paz the wealthier you are the closer to the bottom of the valley in La Paz is where you live. The poorer people live higher up the mountain sides and so get the best views, I'm not sure why ... ...You can fly in to La Paz airport in El Alto which is where we flew out from. They have flights from several South American countries. I'm not sure if you can fly direct from Europe, you may have to go via the USA.
We had come by the Andean Express to Puno near Lake Titicaca and the driven over the border to Copacobana in Bolivia. We then went across Lake Titicaca to Huata Hatta where we stayed for one night.
La Paz is the capital of Bolivia which is a land locked country next to Peru in South America. It is one of the poorest South American countries but this I no way detracts from its charm as a country to visit.
Strangely in La Paz the wealthier you are the closer to the bottom of the valley in La Paz is where you live. The poorer people live higher up the mountain sides and so get the best views, I'm not sure why this is whether they were closer to the river initially or what but I found it quite odd.
GETTING THERE:
You can fly in to La Paz airport in El Alto which is where we flew out from. They have flights from several South American countries. I'm not sure if you can fly direct from Europe, you may have to go via the USA.
We had come by the Andean Express to Puno near Lake Titicaca and the driven over the border to Copacobana in Bolivia. We then went across Lake Titicaca to Huata Hatta where we stayed for one night.
We left on our way to La Paz from Huata Hatta via Tiwanaku (see previous reviews on these topics) hoping that the demonstration and road closures would allow us to get to our new hotel – the Radisson which was away from the main square where the people were demonstrating (This was in November 2008).
LA PAZ AT LAST:
The first view of the city of La Paz is breath taking. Quite literally as it is about 4,000m (12,008 ft) high and is the world's highest capital city I believe. It is built in the valleys surrounded by hills within a huge valley in the mountains. To get from one part to another requires driving up and down twisting roads and hairpin bends with deep drops down the sides. As we went from one side El Alto to the area of our hotel we passed a big garden cemetery which ran round a strange clay eroded mountain. It was strangely beautiful with lawns and flower gardens curling round this strange mountain. We did arrive safely and decided as we were quite exhausted that we would eat in at the hotel that night and just relax and unpack in our room until dinner.
THE RESTAURANT IN THE RADISSON HOTEL:
The restaurant of the Radisson hotel is upstairs on the 15th floor offered almost 360degree views of La Paz at night with all the lights surrounding the city in a huge circle. The windows were constructed so that the angled outwards from the floor so that your view was completely un - obscured, it was truly a wonderful sight.
The staff didn’t speak a lot of English but we managed to understand enough of the menu to order our meals. The starters were huge, I had coquille St Jacques but it was rather different from the usual. It was seafood in a pastry tart but quite tasty. My husband had cerviche (raw fish ‘cooked’ in lemon juice) which he enjoyed. We both chose the Chateau briande as our main course and it was huge, well cooked and so tender you could cut it with a bread and butter knife but unfortunately I could only manage half of mine, a few chips and a nibble of the steamed vegetables. My husband managed a little more but even he was defeated. This, with drinks came to about £7 each which we thought was amazing. In fact we were so impressed that we ate in the restaurant again the next night and ordered the same meal but without the starters and still couldn’t finish it!! The waitress even managed to organise separate bills as we ate together with some others in our group we really appreciated this and thought this was wonderful service.
MOON VALLEY:
The next day we had a tour of the Moon valley which is a park in a valley within the city of La Paz which is strangely eroded because it is clay rock. It gets its name as the eroded rocks look a bit like the surface of the moon or so they say. They have carved steps and made a circular path through the area so that you get a really good look at all the rock formations. They also have an odd looking rabbit with a long tail a bit like a squirrel’s tail. We were lucky enough to see one perched on a rock but it didn’t run off so we were not able to see the long tail. I wanted to clap my hands so that it might hop off but I wasn’t allowed to by my husband. It was rather like a wild rabbit, sort of brownish in colour but larger than British wild rabbits.
THE WITCHES' MARKET:
After the Moon valley we went to the old part of La Paz to visit some of the colonial streets with balconies which were quite narrow and rather European looking. We also walked to the Witch’s market where you could buy any variety of herbs, potions and strange looking objects including llama foetuses which are supposed to cure ills. I was rather concerned about these foetuses but apparently the llamas abort them and they are collected up for this purpose – I was afraid that they were encouraged to abort them. I am not sure how much they sell but it has become a must for every tourist to visit. After our experience of the witch doctor and the museum at Huata Hatta we were beginning to be able to recognise some of the bits and pieces and understood more of what this market is actually about. Following this we continued through to a more traditional market which sold alpaca wool items, bowler hats and other typically Bolivian souvenirs at incredibly low prices.
THE DEMONSTRATION:
We decided that we would like to walk from here towards the main square where the demonstration was taking place as it was supposed to be a peaceful demonstration in favour of the government and more like a party. A group of four of us went down. There were people everywhere dressed in local traditional costumes, groups from different villages dressed in similar style carrying placards and playing instruments and dancing. On the steps around the square were many local people and a few foreigners watching the procession of these marchers around the square and then down one of the side streets. The president sat on a balcony overlooking the whole performance. It was chaos but in a strange sort of way quite organised. People were selling food and drinks as well as propaganda posters; some were lying at the edges of the streets sleeping or were just sitting quietly while in the square this huge throng of dancing singing people snaked its way round. The side streets around the square were also full of people but they were just milling around have marched or waiting their turn. There was no violence at all and nobody gave us a second glance. Once you were a block away from the square everything was as usual except you heard the occasional firecracker let off which made you jump.
SUMMARY:
We enjoyed La Paz and found it an amazing city. The views of the whole city valley from the view points are stunning. I don’t think there is another city that can compare to the beauty of the city as a whole. In part there are obviously nicer areas in other cities and there are definitely cities that have more interesting things to see but the spectacle of the city as a whole looking from outside it truly an amazing sight.
Although Bolivia is a very poor country we found the people very pleasant and welcoming and never felt uncomfortable anywhere. We were at a high altitude for the entire time so it did make everything a bit of an effort and it certainly made me want to eat less but it did not restrict us much. La Paz is a fascinating place and the fact that the city is spread across mountains gives you the most amazing views as you enter the city and also from viewpoints within the city. It is noisy, busy, a bit grubby in places and very chaotic but it seems to work and there is always something to see that is different from ladies in bowler hats to dried llama fetuses and much in between. Food and souvenirs were very cheap, I'm not sure on the price of our hotel as were on a tour with it included - we were supposed to stay in a hotel on the main square but because of the demonstrations we were moved to the Radisson further away from the area of activity.
Thanks for reading and hope it has been of interest to you. This review reflects my experience and time in La Paz and as such does not cover all possibilities in La Paz. It may be published on other sites under my name.
Advantages: A lively and exciting city Disadvantages: Thieves all over the place
La Paz - Bolivia's capital - is an incredibly lively, colourful, bustling city with loads of character. From around 4060m at its highest point to 3100m at its lowest (the better off you are, the lower down you live), the city sprawls across a huge valley surrounded by massive snow-capped mountains, and it looks amazing. Because La Paz sometimes seems to be so full of bustling people and honking taxis and in-your-face street-sellers and things going ... ...such a buzz to it La Paz is a great city just to have a wander around - past all the street-sellers and salteña stands and traditional women wearing colourful Aymara dress, who in turn walk past the trendy businessmen wearing suits and sunglasses, and the markets and witchcraft stalls and the little minibuses on the main road, which constantly holler their fares and destinations as they drive along. And the people dressed up in zebra costumes who ...
butimba 26.02.2008
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of La Paz
Advantages: Amazing sights, very cheap, unique city, great shopping Disadvantages: Altitude sickness, hard to get around
...a smaller plane bound for La Paz. You've no idea what time of what day it is in what part of the world. You get the feeling it's going to be one of those days........
That is until the captain comes on and asks you to fasten seatbelts, as you're preparing for landing. You do so almost mechanically as you have done with every other flight. But all of a sudden you realise something's wrong. Something's very wrong. The planes going UP. Turning to look ... ...times during your time in La Paz you're going to be truly speechless. looking out the window, you can see a vast volcano below, thousands upon thousands of buildings spreading from the very centre up the walls of the crater, and the plane is soaring above them all, heading for the highest point of the volcano where the airport lies. This was how our trip to La Paz began as has so many others, and it is certainly worth visiting the city just for this ...
Garth87 28.02.2006
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of La Paz
Advantages: Unforgettable scenery and people Disadvantages: Very basic living standards
Arriving at La Paz by bus is somewhat of a shock to the system. This is in part due to the altitude (particularly if arriving by plane which is meant to be harsher). I am (reasonably) fit, young (25) and healthy, and found it a little difficult and therefore anyone travelling here will be well advised to take it very easy at first. I can't tell you about the airport etc. 'cause I didn’t come that way!
Arriving by bus is an amazing experience ... ...city, The main street of La Paz is level (more or less) - everything else is uphill from that point. It can make for tiring sightseeing, but on the positive side you will shedloads healthier by the time you leave!
On arrival in the main station, you WILL be tired and exhausted. Its best to time the journey so that you get there at about 10 AM - as the taxi drivers seem to be less cunning at this time. Here I was very lucky, as I had a nice Bolivian ...
bergmcberg 18.12.2004
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of La Paz
Advantages: Striking scenery, frenetic, lively pace, wonderful atmosphere Disadvantages: A little too hectic, an unfortunate combination of high altitude and lots of hills.
La Paz is occasionally dubbed the highest capital city in the world - this is partly true; lowland Sucre is Bolivia's constitutional capital, although 4,000 metre-high La Paz certainly plays the central role of the nation's cities. Its considerable altitude has hit the headlines of late after football's world governing body, FIFA, banned matches being played in the city, tired of the tendencies of Bolivia and its Andean neighbours, Ecuador and Peru, ... ...is the first sight of La Paz - the effect perhaps multiplied by the distinctly underwhelming approach all visitors will make through the sprawling city of El Alto which surrounds the canyon in which La Paz lies. It's truly a stunning, slightly surreal moment when the dusty, worn-down and traffic-jammed streets of El Alto ('the high one') open up at the lip of the great bowl and clear air fills your eyeline. Look down, though, and La Paz spreads out ...
Puggers 07.05.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of La Paz
Advantages: World's highest capital that's high on life. Disadvantages: Oxygen tanks are expensive.
...population of 1.5 million people La Paz has become an important stop on the gringo trail in South America. As well as being the capital of Bolivia (excepting Sucre of course, the constitutional capital) it is also the highest capital in the world sitting at a breath stealing 3,600 metres above sea level. La Paz can be a chaotic town at times and its people are often in your face (and in your pocket if you are not careful!) but overall there are less ... ...you blank them. La Paz has a maze of steep cobblestoned streets that are surprising slippy especially late at night (funny that!). The most popular tourist street is calle Sagarnaga which has many of the better hotels, souvenir stalls and internet cafes. Plaza San Francisco is as near a centre as you'll get. It's not exactly that much to look at aesthetically but the constant whirl of people, stalls, ornate buildings and the huge concrete head (with ...
indiecater 12.12.2002
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of La Paz
Advantages: Excellent location and fantastic value for money. Highly recommended. Disadvantages: Nothing stands out as being an issue.
Please bear in mind that Holidays in Tenerife are usually aimed at the 18-30 age group. The Parque de LaPaz hotel is located in Playa de las Americas on the south of the Island. It is situated nearby a supermarket and a mere 400m from the wonderful beaches. Tenerife's reputation certainly goes before it and I found many of my ideas surrounding the island were wrong. It is true that Tenerife accomodates a large number of english tourists, however, i felt that part of the culture of the island remained in tact and the standards were certainly not low. As for the hotel i thought it was excellent value for money. As a £200 package holiday I felt the rooms were a great standard. The rooms were a good size with a lovely balcony and all the appliances you need. The rooms are cleaned daily by a cycle of friendly maids. Despite having a large ...
Advantages: A unqiue experience of Andean culture Disadvantages: Very much on the tourist trail
La Cuidad de Nuestra Señora de laPaz (city of our lady of peace) was founded in 1548 by the Spanish as a centre of power in the Andes. Today the sprawling Bolivian unofficial capital, located down the slopes of a steep canyon framed by snow covered peaks, is an unusual city, where modernity and ancient traditions exist side by side. In the streets, Paceñas dressed in the latest fashions pass those proudly wearing the traditional dress of years gone by, of thick pleated knee length skirts, bowler hats and woven shawls. In the valley the flash mansions of drugs barons with Ferraris and tennis courts, are watched over by thousands of tiny mountainside dwellings where people hand weave for a living and care for the family llama. However, one of the most enduring traditions to be found in LaPaz is the practice of ancient Andean beliefs ...
Advantages: Interesting archeological site Disadvantages: You can only see part of the site as it is still being excavated
Tiwanaku is about 50 miles west of LaPaz and near the south-eastern shore of Lake Titicaca in Bolivia. Tiwanaku (Tiahuanaco or Tihuanacu) has the Pre - Columbian ruins which were the capital of the state for over 500 years and are in the process of being excavated. The city dates back as far as 1500BC but it is between 300BC and 300AD that Tiwanaku is thought to have been a religious pilgrimage centre. Today it is a UNESCO World Heritage site administered by the Bolivian government. Prior to this there have been a number of archaeological investigations, some more sensitive than others.
The price of entry to the site is much less for Bolivians than foreign tourists, It is 80 Bolivianos for foreigners and 10 for locals which considering how little local people earn I think is more than fair, it is certainly not expensive ...
