The cable car system was a wonderful way to get the first impression of La Paz and we would greatly recommend it to anyone who decides to visit this unique capital.
As we "flew" from one part of the town to another, we have noticed a unusual rock formation in the nearby hills. It turned out that this formation had a name, Valle de la Luna, and we decided to check it out.
There was cable car stop relatively close to Valle de la Luna but we decided to skip this ride and dive a bit deeper into the somehow chaotic downtown of La Paz..
During our time in Peru, we have witnessed some pretty amazing moments and Cusco was a town we fell in love with.
After we came to La Paz, we were shocked by it's unfinished look (you can read more about this here) and weren't so amazed by the looks of the town as it had seemed a but dirty, busy and too loud.
However, we did learn that every city always has it's own and unique charm, even though it's sometimes hidden and a bit hard to discover. And were happy to learn that La Paz was definitely not an exception.
Due to the lack of time for thorough exploration of the city, I must admit that we browsed through some of the "top 10 things to do in La Paz" articles (and we checked out most of them).
From a tourist point of view, some of these "top 10" moments can be interesting but we were looking for a bit more authentic and domestic experience.
In this respect we did menage to find several spots we would highly recommend to those who plan on visiting La Paz:
Museo de Coca
Coca museum, for instance, was a really nice experience.
Here you can learn about the complete historical timeline of the ways in which the coca leaves have been used over the centuries all the way to our modern days.
It was quite interesting when we found out that one of the most prohibited plants in our world was and still is being used by the prohibitors for most of their products. Coca Cola anyone ?
It's very unfortunate and sad that when we hear the word "coca" we almost instinctively relate it to it's horrible drug and criminal misuse...even though it was considered and worshiped as one of the most sacred plants in the entire continent for many ages and even today.
Sorry guys, cocaine recipe must remain a secret...
Coca's medical benefit to a human body and mind is well known and absolutely incredible. Many scientific studies have shown Coca's nutritive benefits and it's use in the domain of anesthetics has been revolutionary.
We have learned, through our own experience, just how much can chewing some coca leaves help the climbers in high altitudes...especially against the altitude sickness.
Oh yeah, if you ever happen to visit the Coca Museum, be absolutely sure to buy some coca candy ! Exploring the museum will be more interesting while you enjoy this candy...just don't freak out when your tongue goes a bit numb. 😜🌿🍬
Feeding the pigeons at Plaza Murillo
Better give them some snack, or they will cary you away...
Though we went through several articles about La Paz, nobody has mentioned that Plaza Murillo offered a somewhat unique experience.
This square is famous for hundreds of pigeons who swarm around and fiercely approach all those who are eager to offer them a snack or two.
They are so used to humans that they don't mind hopping on ones body as they scan for anything eatable.
At one point, there were so many of them that we though that we were gonna get carried away...
If you become "snack-less" have no worries as there are a few ladies, located right at the square, that sell corn and sunflower seeds. Buying some of the seeds isn't such a bad idea, especially if don't want to personally test if human beings can also become pigeon snack, lol.
NOTE: The cover shot of this article was made at this square 😊
Enjoying the wonderful view at Mirador Killi Killi
The view !
If you decide to take a brake from an incredibly vibrant and busy downtown of La Paz, Mirador Killi Killi is a great place to do so.
Mirador Killi Killi is actually a hill, located just a 15 min. walk from the city center.
Besides the cable cars, Mirador Killi Killi offers one of the best views of La Paz and it's impressive natural surrounding.
Even though being located almost in the center of La Paz, this spot is is like an oasis of peace which stands in strong contrast with it's "loud" neighborhood.
It's also a perfect place for a picnic and drone enthusiasts will absolutely love it here 😉
Tasting the fantastic Bolivian street food !
It's pretty hard to miss some of these little street food "shops" as they are scattered and found in almost every street of La Paz.
The most famous type of street food is Salteña, and we have tried two versions of of this incredibly delicious meal (the regular and the "soup" version.)
The image above was taken from: http://keeprecipes.com/recipe/howtocook/salteñas - beacause we ate ours before we managed to make a photo, lol).
The mentioned "soup" version means that the pastry filling isn't solid but rather a chicken or beef soup.
Salteñas are a favorite pastry in this part of the world and they usually filled with pork, beef and chicken meat, but their also exists a vegetarian version.
The next really good type of street food is some kind of traditional and really delicious burger:
Sometimes the sanitary conditions may seem a bit risky, but what we learned from our previous adventures is that most of these type of street food is actually quite safe and we would greatly regret if we didn't try most of it.
What we really loved about La Paz were its small street shops that offered an incredible variety of many strange and absolutely delicious snacks, herbs, potions, etc..
It was kinda funny when we noticed that the local ladies sold their stuff not by the road but AT THE ACTUAL ROAD.
Cars would go around them like this was something completely normal and nobody was saying a word to them.
Some of the ladies even looked like they were "merged" with their merchandise...
Valle de La Luna (Moon Valley)
If you go to Mirador Kill Kill you will be able to see a part of this absolutely breathtaking natural work of art.
There isn't a cable car that goes directly to Valle de la Luna but there is a line that that can take you relatively close.
Taking a taxi is a much more simple solution...just be sure to bargain because the local taxi companies and drivers don't use taxi meters at all !
A taxi ride from the city center to Valle de la Luna should cost about 5-6$ max.
Of course, you can always hop on one of the local minivan taxis called "colectivo" with several other (usually local) people and ride to Vall de la Luna for just 0.5$.
The entry fee per person to Valle de la is about 2$.
In spite of it's name, Valley de la Luna (Moon Valley), isn’t actually a valley.
It rather looks like a giant maze of canyons and cone shaped rocks.
Constant erosions have shaped clay and sandstone formations into a scenery so unusual that the name "Moon Valley" fits it perfectly.
We have always dreamed about space travel and the possibility to visit other worlds...and we have wandered just what it would be like to visit our Moon.
If it was possible to reduce a portion of the Earths gravity, it wouldn't be necessary to go all the way to the Moon...you could simply come to Valle de la Luna !
Upon entering, it's possible to pick between two circular walking tracks, the longer (about 45min. walk) and the shorter (about 15min.) track. Devil’s Point is located near the end of the longer track and it is the best view-point of the entire valley.
Both tracks all well marked and safe but one should be careful because some parts are narrow and covered in sand - which can get quite slippery.
We were simply enchanted by the Moon like scenery that had surrounded us...and we still remember the strange absence of sound as we made our way through the "spike labyrinth".
As far as local authentic moments go, Valle de la Luna is a perfect example of what we usually strive do discover and share via our blog.
It's really not necessary to fly halfway across the planet just to go to a shopping mall and by souvenirs which are usually "Made in China".
We believe that traveling should be about the pursuit of the moments and the experience which will expand and make the knowledge about ourselves and about this wonderful world more deep and complete.
It's indeed an never ending journey...but the one definitely worth living for.
See you out there !
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