Bolivia is South America's 2nd poorest country (after Guyana) and like most poor countries, the wealth is centered in the capitol. Many parts of the city were clean, modern and very prosperous and wealth is clearly on display. However, outside of the city center, La Paz becomes more like the rest of Bolivia and the further from the center that you go the poorer the city becomes. On the top of the canyon is the area known as El Alto. We were told El Alto was a shanty area that stretched for miles and miles, but honestly it didn't look all that bad to us as compared to the shantytowns in Africa, India or Asia. There are real houses, paved roads as well as electricity and running water.

We enjoyed walking around the city with it's colonial architecture and numerous markets. The traditional witches market has largely been taken over by tourist shops, but there are still stalls where one can purchase a llama fetus as an offering for a new building. Apparently if you bury one underneath a newly constructed house the building will be blessed with happiness. However, this is only if you are a poor Boliviano. If you are wealthy, you're expected to sacrifice a whole, full grown llama!

We also enjoyed a trip to the unique (and a bit quirky) Coca Museum. Bolivia is the world's largest producer of Coca leaves, the key component in Cocaine. However, locally the leaves have been "chewed" for centuries first by the Incas and now by Bolivanos for numerous purposes such as stress or pain relief, nutrition, or sacred rituals. Despite foreign pressure (particularly American) to eliminate the coca fields, Bolivia continues to grow and consume this product without shame. And if you're wondering, the closest thing we came to trying coca leaves has been the coca tea that can be found everywhere from hotels to coffee shops. (It's really not very good.... it tastes sorta like the grass that grows in your garden seeped in hot water)

Tomorrow we head out on a grand adventure of the Bolivian Southwest... we travel by bus and train to the town of Uyuni where we will meet a 4x4 for a private tour of the world's largest salt flats and the Bolivian Antiplano.