"La Paz fascinates me. It is the same concept I have experienced dozens of times all over the world: a city. Many, many people living in the same area. But here it feels so different. It feels crazy, exciting and dangerous. New York never felt so tame. These days, you can walk in plenty of areas of New York while being lost in your head. You can be absolutely clueless of your surroundings, as most New Yorkers seem to be. But here I feel like I need to be awake and aware. Not sure if it's because La Paz is excitingly different or simply new to me.
Either way, there is a level of chaos I find comforting. I tend to dislike police officers more than the average scofflaw on the street. It is liberating to know there is such a lack of order that you can get away with so much without law enforcement even batting an eye. They seem prepared to move for nothing less than a full scale riot, despite their constant presence.
This city has the most intimidating police force I have ever seen. Around nearly every corner is a machine gun or shotgun toting man in a dark, earthy green army suit with the entire hat, boots and sunglasses get-up. They also carry an expression that says "yes I'm corrupt and fire my gun at will." There are also a strangely high number of unmarked randoms walking around in full bullet proof gear. Yes, they are prepared. But for what?
Traffic and pollution in La Paz is insanely high. In the time before my body could adapt to the thick exhaust, smoke and smog filling all main streets I couldn't help but imagine how much this must effect your health after years of inhalation. Poorly maintained, old cars recklessly speeding around, combined with La Paz's position in a valley that doesn't allow car exhaust to properly escape, makes for some horrid air quality.
The pedestrians in La Paz are just as aggressive as the cars. And you have to be to get anywhere. When it's common for drivers to completely ignore red lights, driving lanes and the pedestrians have the right-of-way mentality, you have to be brave. You have to carry the confidence that the driver will eventually stop. Won't he?
It's not uncommon to see groups of old women slowly making their way, lane by lane, across eight lanes of zig-zagging cars. And darting past them is middle aged men in full sprint. On the narrow sidewalks stocky, bull-headed women in traditional garb, trek on with no intention of moving for anybody. They have days of dirt in their sun-pruned faces, silver teeth and a colorful sack on their back filled with salable items, food and maybe even a dead llama fetus (for good luck). Children play real-life games of Frogger with reckless abandon. While tourists simply stand there thinking back on how they thought crossing the street in New York was tough.
As fast and crazy as this city seems to be, there are an excessive number of people who walk obnoxiously slow. Most sidewalks are thin and have tons of people spilling into the streets with traffic whizzing by. And there is always, always somebody clogging up the flow. Walking a block here is work in itself. So much time is spent looking at the ground because it is rarely smooth or stable. There are holes, puddles and eight inch wide cracks between cobblestones. Maintenance, upkeep and order is practically nonexistent. One orange cone may warn of a 30 foot area of wet cement or sketchy, block long construction sites. There will be little to no sidewalk, dead ends and absolutely no advise on the safest route."
All being said, I think this city is awesome.
View of the Andes off in the distance
Vendor at El Alto Mercado
Street Vendor
Mother and daugthers
More notes to come! And if you missed my first set of notes on Bolivia check them out here.
