Riots, Risky Roads, and Ruffians

La Paz is nuts. The city itself is built in a valley, thus from the main road there is only one direction... up. La Paz may not be the countries most logical, largest, or prettiest city, but it has uprooted Sucre as the countries capitol. Thus, a lot takes place in La Paz. The city which is notorious for cocaine, is also home to a largest amount of indigenous people who stream to the city looking for employment. The city center looks just as rich as Santa Cruz as most of the impoverished live above the valley in La Paz's sister city called El Alto. Most significantly, La Paz is the governmental center. So on the day I arrived in La Paz and the taxi drive told me about the government overnight deciding to stop subsidizing gasoline, I knew it was trouble. The price of gasoline increased 79% overnight; making it impossible for almost any industry in the country to run. Word of protests,violence, and riots spread. The buses effectively stopped running and on December 30th, the city turned into a protest zone.

The riots, burning cars, and stones whizzing by my head in no way stopped me. I still did the stuff that everyone goes to La Paz. The most thrilling, Adrenalin pumping experience is biking down the "World's Most Deadliest Road." It starts at a whooping 4700 meters and ends at a tropical 1100 meters. With 63 kilometers length with only an 8 kilometers section uphill, the road rightfully earns its name. There is no guardrail, and not paying attention during one of the many turns could make a person E.T. there way to the afterlife. With good bikes, a little skill, and as my guide instructed "not being a fucking idiot" its a technically easy ride and an experience of a lifetime.

The riots quieted for the new years holidays as people spent time with their family, so La Paz turned back into a tranquil city and its natural beauty increased as the sun came out. The government square including the congress and the presidential palace was lively with people visiting the city center. The ancient San Francisco Cathedral shined in a colonial part of town. Most interesting is to see the city scaling the valley walls behind the colonial buildings.

The cities markets stretch beyond the Cathedral up the hills and valleys. It starts in the way too tourist witches markets were one can buy a dried llama fetish for good luck and moves up through a walmart type collection of different stands acting like departments. Similar to the Latin American way of doing business all types of one store group together, but Bolivians take this to a new meaning, putting 90 of one type of store selling identical products right next to each other. They generally all charge the same price making the one you pick largely arbitrary. The city also takes a quick turn towards poverty within a few blocks of leaving the Parada or maindrag.

La Paz's most notorious landmark is the San Pedro prison. A lot of people "know" a lot of stuff about this place, but its mysteriously functioning makes it so that even those that have entered seem to know little to nothing. Made famous by the book Marching Powder; claims have been made that it produces 75% of the worlds cocaine, the prisoners can leave when they choose to with enough money, and that it contains the world's most notorious drug kingpins. The scary part is, it could be true. Tours are illegal, but so is a lot of daily activity in Bolivia. This prison is a serious money venture for those inside and those associated. It is something one should take with caution, but intrigue may be a little too much to avoid.

Another tourist activity in La Paz is a local form of professional wrestling called Cholita Wrestling. It is famous because large amounts of actresses dressed in the fully traditional dress. It is awesome to see the locals throw popcorn at the bad guys and chant for the heroes.