TravelFeedTravelFeed Logo
WELCOME TO LA PAZ - THE HIGHEST CAPITAL IN THE WORLD ! (part one)

WELCOME TO LA PAZ - THE HIGHEST CAPITAL IN THE WORLD ! (part one)

May 2018 · 5 min read · La Paz

Enriched with many unforgettable moments and invaluable experience, we bid our farewells to the wonderful land of Peru.

After several successful Perviam treks (Rajucolta laguna - Churp Laguna - Vinicunca - Machu Picchu) we gained some climbing confidence...and we were steadily heading to a land where some of the most challenging and highest peaks in the Southern Hemisphere were waiting to be conquered and marveled upon - Bolivia!

Welcome to La Paz !

However, Bolivia isn’t just famous for its high peaks...

This country hosts the higest capital in the world, La Paz, which stands at an impressive 3640m (some parts reach almost 3900m).

If you were to fly from, let’s say, Lima to La Paz, you would definitely need a few days to acclimatize before you strat exploring and enjoying this intriguing and unique city.

Fortunately enough, we have spent most of our time in Peru usually above 3000m so we were more than prepared for La Paz.

We have arrived to La Paz in the evening so we didn’t quite get the feeling and the proper impression of it’s natural surrounding. But after we woke up, boom:

1Q6A6727.jpg

No matter if it’s in Peru or Bolivia, the Andes never cease to amaze us.

These mountains constantly evoke inspiration and after each climb we feel as if we have matured in a certain way.
In this respect, we consider the mountains to be great teachers...and we have certainly learned a great lot from the Andes.

9.jpg
Exploration of the Andes was the greatest trekking adventure we've had so far.

I usually don't like to over analyze and do a detailed search of an upcoming and unknown destination, but we just had to look into several portals and blogs about La Paz, as we were really excited to see how the highest capital in the world will look and feel like.

Needles to say, we were blown away by the immense natural surrounding of La Paz.

1Q6A6322.jpg

1Q6A6722.jpg
Some of the surrounding mountains look almost unreal...

1Q6A6729.jpg

However, I must admit that the city of La Paz is one of the strangest cities that we’ve ever been to.

For those who didn’t read some of my previous articles from Peru, I’ve talked about the unusually “unfinished” architecture that we came across during our time in several Peruvian cities.

La Paz takes the grand prize of being “the most unfinished of them all” - by far.

IMG_2649.jpg
The most "unfinished" city we've ever been to...

In all our previous travels, no matter the country or the continent, never have we witnessed a town so big (1mil. population) and yet so unfinished.

Literally 90% of the town is made out of “naked” and unpainted buildings.

IMG_2667.jpg

IMG_2648.jpg

IMG_2625.jpg

IMG_2636.jpg

It’s like being at mega construction site, with 1 million workers that never finish but constantly expand the site.

Some of the buildings did have their front side finished, but they looked so bizarre that it was quite interesting to imagine how the whole city would have looked like, if it ever got finished...

IMG_2676.jpg

IMG_2679.jpg

IMG_2677.jpg

IMG_2658.jpg
We literally had no idea where did the architects get their ideas from...

To make things even stranger, among all these strange looking and unfinished buildings, La Paz hosts one of the longest cable car systems (10km long) in the world, called Mi Teleférico.

IMG_2597.jpg
The absolutely best way to explore La Paz!

IMG_2600.jpg
Hop on!

This system was put in motion in the spring of 2014. and the whole project had costed about 500 million dollars.

It was very interesting to see this high-tech transport system standing in such strong contrast with it’s undeveloped and somehow chaotic urban surrounding.

1Q6A6472.jpg
High tech VS No tech

Once we discovered these cable cars, we just couldn’t get of them.
They offered the absolutely best view of the entire city and “flying” from one neighborhood to another was loads of fun.

1Q6A6434.jpg

1Q6A6440.jpg

We could easily spend an entire day in these cable cars...

We remember thinking “How come this kind of transportation isn’t used more globally and frequently ?” - especially because it took only 30min. to go from one side of the city to another (which would take at least 60min. by car and much more if it was in the middle of the busy day).

Ok, building this kind of transportation isn’t cheap...but if you were to compare this cost with the amount needed for building a metro (almost a billion dollars per mile!)- than 500mil. doesn’t sound too bad...

In our opinion, this was the most elegant version of public transport that we’ve ever came across.

The system is almost noiseless, cheap (0,5 $ per one way ticket !), fast, traffic-jam free, and it offers the wonderful view of the entire city.

IMG_2683.jpg

Just look at that view...

IMG_2688.jpg

IMG_2628.jpg

IMG_2662.jpg

I realize that I sound like the cable car salesman, but honestly, this beats all kind of different public transportations by a long shot.

Isn’t it better to enjoy a wonderful view and enjoy some fresh air instead of the dark and somehow morbid underground feeling of the metro ?

As we were cable car “jumping” from one part of the town to another, we have noticed a strange rock formation located in the nearby mountains.

1Q6A6325.jpg
Those hills looks interesting...

The formation had looked quite unusual and we have quickly found out that it also had a name, Valle de la Luna - the truly magical and authentic natural wonder in which we’ll dive into in my next article! 🌍🔍👣

Ready to Blog & Earn?

With TravelFeed, easily start your own travel blog and earn as you go. It's the smart platform for travelers who want to profit from their passion. Create a free account

See you out there !

baner za steemit.jpg

All presented content (photography, text, etc.) is my original work.
I hope that you've enjoyed reading this article as much as I have making it.

I really try my best to provide my readers with high quality content.
If you consider it useful or interesting feel free to comment, resteem and upvote.

Follow me for more great adventures from around the world !

Don't Forget: Get Travel Health Insurance!

To make your trip a worry-free experience, TravelFeed recommends SafetyWing Nomad Insurance. It provides comprehensive health coverage while you travel, so you can focus on exploring, not the unexpected. Get a quote here

Love,
Damijan

KEEP EXPLORING HERE

cusco1 copy.jpg

cusco.jpg

Travel Resources for your trip to Bolivia

Recommended by TravelFeed

Flights: We recommend checking Kiwi.com to find the best and cheapest flights to Bolivia.

Accomodation: Explore the best places to stay in Bolivia on Booking.com, Agoda and Hostelworld.

Travel Insurance: Medical emergencies abroad can be pricey, but travel health insurance is not. We always use SafetyWing for affordable and reliable coverage.

Transportation: Use 12go and Omio to find detailed bus and train schedules, making travel planning easier.

Car Rental: For hassle-free car hiring, DiscoverCars is our trusted choice with a wide selection of vehicles.

Internet: Got an eSIM compatible phone? Airalo is perfect for reliable internet access during your trip. Just install it before you go, and you're set!

Day Trips & Tours: We recommend GetYourGuide for a variety of well-organized and enjoyable activities.

Tickets: Save on entrance fees in Bolivia with Klook and Tiquets.

Travel Planner: Need a hand planning? Our free travel planner chatbot is your personal guide to Bolivia. Chat now.

Disclosure: Posts on TravelFeed may contain affiliate links. See affiliate disclosure.


Share this post