I woke up at 7:15am, packed up my stuff, returned the rental car, rode the train to the airport, checked in, and ate a delicious (and well presented) avocado toast with poached egg. I then boarded my flight which took off at 1:30pm, 30 minutes later than scheduled. I am currently sitting in row 52 next to the window. When we took off, I could see the most amazing view of Sydney out the window. It was like taking a private helicopter ride over the city. I saw the Opera House, the Harbour Bridge, all the beaches, and the many skyscrapers on ether side of the harbour. I was in awe. We are due to land at 11:15am in Santiago! 5 more hours to go (out of 12 hours).
I am currently in the Airbnb in Santiago! Christian (friend from Virginia Tech) will be joining me in a couple days. The apartment has so much space and it’s very clean. I’m loving it so far. Especially allowing my suitcase to explode everywhere. We have a small balcony with views of the mountains in the far distance behind the skyscrapers. It’s incredible. I got my passport stamped (YAAAS) and walked to customs after grabbing my bag. At customs they asked me where I was from and I said United States and they let me skip customs completely. It was strange. I guess they really trust Americans or something. I then took Marion’s advice of using Transvip which is the airport shuttle service. It only cost $10 (7,000 pesos) vs $50 for Uber or a taxi! It took longer because the driver needed to drop everyone off before me, but it was worth it because I couldn’t check in until 2pm anyway. I was immediately thrown into speaking Spanish and I loved it! The Transvip driver didn’t speak English, nor did any of the other passengers. It was fun to converse with them all. I was the last to be dropped off so I had a pleasant conversation with the driver. He was impressed with my Spanish. I walked up to the concierge and told him my name. He and the other worker also did not speak English. I still had an hour before I could check in so I walked to a nearby bar/café. I am finding it difficult to understand what everyone is saying because they talk so fast. But I think after I day I will catch on. I ordered a beer and fries at the café and chatted a bit with the waitress. So far everyone has been very nice to me. Also, half a liter of beer was only $3 O_o. At 2pm I walked back to the apartment and got the keys. I took a 1.5 hour nap and I have literally just stayed in the apartment since then being lazy. It’s been wonderful. I re-organized my suitcase, caught up on all soccer highlights, researched things to do this week, and took a long shower. It was long overdue. I discovered that there is a soccer match this Sunday! I’m really hoping we can go. And I could add another scarf to my collection. I’m going to bed soon (midnight) and I plan to do the 4 hour Free Walking tour tomorrow at 10am. Then we’ll see where the wind takes me after that. Buenas noches.
March 7, 2019
I left the apartment at 9am to head toward Plaza de Armas for the walking tour. The guide’s name was Felipe and he was very animated. Right as Felipe kicked off the tour, a dog came up behind us and nipped at the Asian couple next to me. It was frightening! My heart pounded for a couple minutes. Thankfully the lady wasn’t hurt. Facts I learned during the tour:
Santiago has the most earthquakes out of any city in the world. Café con piernas (coffee with legs) were coffee shops in the past where rich men went to buy coffee for girls in short skirts. When the owners closed the doors for the day, the rich men and young ladies would stay a little longer and the girls would strip for the men. There are still a couple places that do it. On September 18 and 19 everyone in Chile must show patriotism by displaying the Chile flag in their window or yard otherwise they will be fined. In Brazil, Norway, Italy (all members of our tour group) university/college is free. In Chile it used to be free but now public university is $200 per month. There is a street in Santiago that was inspired by Wall Street in NY. The dessert drink of Chile is Mote con Huesillos. It has a bunch of barely in the bottom with a peach placed on top and it is veryy sweet.
Throughout the day I kept walking into people because I was still in Aussie mentality - I had to re-train myself to walk on the right side of the sidewalk. My mind is so confused! We first started at Plaza de Armas, then moved to Palacio de Moneda, then Cerro Santa Lucia, then Barrio Lastarnia with a stop for lunch at Mulato, then Parque Forestal, then Barrio Bellavista. During the tour whenever we were walking to the next spot, I took advantage of asking Felipe some questions. Some were about futbol, some about salsa dancing, and some about transportation to Isla Negra. He mentioned the futbol match on Sunday will be fun and it should be safe. Side note: after each stop Felipe said, “Now we will go that direction. Yes!” and did heavy arm movements/pointing and a fist pump. It was his defining trait and it was hilarious. During lunch I sat at a table with two girls from America and a guy from Norway. One of the girls was really chill and awesome and we clicked. Her name was Megan. She lives in Minnesota and she’s currently doing a 3 month sabbatical in Chile alone. Dang! So much time in one country. After lunch the Norway guy and I really hit it off. We constantly talked about futbol. He is heading to Buenos Aires tomorrow and bought tickets to a Boca Juniors match. He mentioned he also paid for a security guard in case it got rowdy. For those who aren’t familiar with the two top teams in Argentina, Boca Juniors and River Platte, their matches can get out of hand and hooligans (die-hard fans) can cause a lot of damage/injuries. So it’s smart that the sporting organization offered a security option with the ticket! I joked with Norway guy that his security guard would probably be some dinky dude who is half his height. He laughed. He paid $200 for the ticket. Geez! It wasn’t even a championship match or big match - just a common league match. He said I should totally go to a match and he looked up the schedule for when I would be there. He showed me that there is a match March 29! I think I will try to go with a coworker who lives in Buenos Aires. Side note: Free walking tours are a great place to meet people!
March 8, 2019
Before Christian arrived, I walked to a nearby coffee shop called Café Triciclo. It was lovely and I understood everything the baristas told me. It was a nice space with many different rooms. I stayed for an hour with my Keep Cup and my Tablet. I then walked to the nearest post office and dropped off my postcards. I left and strolled through a park called Parque San Borja. It was a wonderful, unrushed morning. The phone rang in the apartment at 1pm and it was the concierge asking if I knew Christian. I showed him into the apartment and he unpacked his stuff. Bienvenidos! We then hiked up Santa Lucia Hill which provided astounding views! The massive mountains could be seen much more easily at the top of the tower on the hill. It was a little hazy so unfortunately the mountains didn’t show up very well in the photos. The city surrounded the hill and skyscrapers could be seen for miles. Beyond that, the mountains created a border around the city. It was very impressive. During our hike down I told Christian how amazing the Free Walking Tour was yesterday and convinced him to do it today. We walked to Plaza de Armas and I dropped him off there for the 3pm tour. I wandered through the Central Market area on my way to Barrio Londres. I decided to order the Huisilllos drink from a street stand as Felipe had suggested yesterday. It was very sweet from the peach juice on top which tasted ok. After the peach juice came the barely which was not tasty. I checked it off the list, but I would not order it again. It was a challenge to find a café/bar during my exploration in Barrio Londres because there were just stores and shops. As I walked through I thought about how cool the layout was. It was mainly cobblestone streets with buildings similar to those in Europe. It really captured the European essence. I dropped into a restaurant called Marmaduque that seemed promising, but it was just ok. The best part was that the bartender allowed me to taste all the beers on draft. I ordered the Kross lager and then some ceviche. I was feeling light headed all day which worried me. I tried to drink more water and not think about it and figured some food would help.
March 9, 2019
We are currently on the bus back from Valparaiso! And I pronounced that correctly in my head! I have been having difficulty pronouncing it because I always say Vala-parasio. We have about an hour and a half until we reach Santiago. Today turned out to be much warmer than we both anticipated. I only wore my long pants for an hour or so.
We started the day by catching a local bus to the main bus terminal. We hopped onboard and the driver TOOK OFF. One thing we discovered is that Santiago buses are very punctual and do not dilly dally. We barely had a chance to walk a few feet. It reminded me of Brazilian buses in Manaus but to a lower degree. I was very impressed with the Santiago bus system. There were stops everywhere and there were two designated bus lanes. Two! They also came frequently and were very fast to pick up/drop off. The driver dropped us off at the University of Santiago stop and we walked to the main bus terminal to buy a ticket to Valparaiso. We stood in line for about 5 minutes total. They were super fast at serving people. The station was bustling with people. I didn’t realize how many people go to Valparaiso! So many that a bus comes every 15 minutes. And this was just one bus brand, Pullman. There was another one called Turbus. We bought our tickets which ended up being only $7.50! So cheap. It was originally $8,0000 pesos, but for some reason we got a $3,000 peso discount. We’ll take it! During our ride, we passed through a tunnel in the mountains and when we came out the other side it was like a different world! In Santiago it was sunny and clear, and now we were surrounded by mountains and it was very foggy/misty. It was eerie. It felt like we had entered a graveyard or something. I was hoping it wouldn’t be like that in Valparaiso. We drove though another tunnel and again the conditions changed. It was partly cloudy and there was no fog in sight. Phew! We pulled up to the main station and then took a local bus to the museum of Neruda’s House, La Sabastiana. This was on Christian’s must-do list while in Chile. Neruda was a famous poet who won the Nobel Prize. This bus was even more strict about being punctual! There were a few people queued up to pay at the front and the driver took the money while he drove around. Also, people would get off as the bus was still slowly coming to a stop because the driver opened the door. So sometimes, the bus never really stopped! A well-oiled machine. The bus ride was only $380 pesos which is like 50 cents. So cheap! Again, I was impressed.
We hopped off at La Sabastiana and purchased tickets for a self tour. The views from the patio were astounding. There were layers upon layers of colorful houses with the ocean as a backdrop. Some of the houses were merely supported by small, wooden beams at great heights. Christian and I mentioned how we would be nervous living in those ones in fear that they would fall with a gust of wind. The staff handed us our self guide devices and we explored the house floor by floor. It was really fascinating. I’m not much into poets and architecture, but I was really enjoying learning about the house. It had 5 floors if I recall correctly. Neruda wanted a house away from his Santiago one where he could have a place of solace. He had a list of requirements and eventually he moved into this house that was partially built by architect, Sebastian Collado (hence why he later called it La Sabastiana). Then Neruda finished the design 10 years later. Each floor had it’s own character and by listening to the self-guide, it was apparent that Neruda was a very peculiar guy. He sounded like a lot of fun because he threw house parties and would serve guests in different outfits. As we walked around the 2nd floor, the floorboards creaked and I imagined it was from all the weight of the party guests day after day. The next floor was the bedroom and I really like the beige green and baby blue tiles in the bathroom. The final floor was the study. This is where Neruda would write his literary work. We weren’t allowed to take photos inside the house, but we could take photos out the windows to capture the views. Each floor had a wall made of mostly windows, so the view was always surrounding us. It was beautiful.
March 10, 2019
Today was awesome! In the morning, Christian and I walked to Barrio Lastarria to have breakfast. It felt like we were in a ghost town because there was hardly anyone around and most of the stores/restaurants/bars were closed. I think people go out partying until the wee hours of the night on Saturday nights and so the city doesn’t come alive until around 10am. We walked around for a while until we found a place that was open. It was called Le Fournil and we were the very first ones there at 9:15am. We were the only customers until about 10am. They had a menu filled with many wonderful options. Crepes were even listed. I ordered a crepe with fruit and yogurt and it also came with coffee, fruit juice, bread, and avocado. All for $14! Amazing.
We walked back to the apartment and began our “solo” days. I met Daniel at 11:30am and we only spoke in Spanish! It was so thrilling. Also a little frustrating at times, but overall I loved it. We grabbed pizza and beer at a place in Barrio Bellavista. There was one point where I was trying to describe something to the waitress but I couldn’t figure out how to say it. I turned to Daniel to help me translate but then remembered he didn’t speak English! It was such a natural habit for me to turn to Christian to help me out. Daniel looked at me confused and then we all laughed. It was hilarious.
At 1:30pm I met Cesar at the metro station for the futbol match. He asked if I wanted to speak Spanish or English and I said we could do a balance but I would like to use Spanish more. Sometimes Cesar would say something to me and I’d ask him repeat it not because I didn’t understand the Spanish, but because he was so tall I couldn’t hear him! He was 6’5”. We arrived at Estadio Nacional and walked up to the staff members at the gate. Cesar did all the talking and they told us that the only way to buy tickets was through the website. Well the website required a local identification number. Hmmm. How are we going to get around that? The two bouncers let us through so we could discuss our dilemma with a higher authority. We spoke to many workers and the main guy said we could enter my Drivers License number online as the “resident number.” Cesar tried to submit the form but it would not accept my Drivers License ID. Now what? We motioned to the main guy to help us and eventually he told us just to use a fake number. Cesar used a website to generate a random number. He entered it and voila! It worked. I don’t know how I felt about being “fake” but hey I got a ticket to the match and that was the goal. Plus the main guy told us to do it so there was some approval in it. By the way, because it is International Women’s Month, the futbol club was doing a mujer (woman) promotion and my ticket was free! Fan-freaking-tastic. I was very pleased with Chile for that. I bought a scarf to add to my collection and then we found our seats in the stadium. They were near the center in the lower section. The sun was FIERCE. My gosh. I was wearing long pants which was a mistake. I used my scarf as a hat by placing it on top of my head. Cesar joked that I was starting a new fashion trend. Before the match, the supporter section filled up very quickly. It was situated behind the goal and they were extremely spirited. They were chanting loudly and waving hundreds of flags. It was impressive. Especially since this wasn’t a huge rivalry. After the match started the supported section went wild. It was like being entertained in two ways: the futbol match and the fan section. Universidad de Chile (home team) wasn’t too impressive but they did score a nice goal. At halftime, César and I found some shade to relax in. They announced over the intercom that 30,000 people were in attendance for the game. And this match wasn’t even a big rivalry! Pretty impressive. We then returned to our seats to watch the second half. The fans were going NUTS. It was awesome. Unfortunately, the match ended in a loss. Union Español had two goals in the second half. It was a good game overall. I’m so glad Cesar was willing to go with me so I could experience it!
March 11, 2019
Side note: I just booked my hostel for La Paz! I’ll be there in 3 days.
Christian and I woke up mega early for our Cajon del Maipo adventure. We rode the elevator down to the ground level and then waited at the corner. The van was scheduled to pick us up at 7:20am but didn’t arrive until 7:35am. We drove through Santiago traffic for about an hour and a half. It was horrible. All the kids were being dropped off at school and our guide said that we left so early to try and hit the least amount of traffic. Apparently it gets worse than what we experienced! We then stopped in a small town after getting out of the city limits. We chatted with some of our group members and discovered which country each person was from. Two girls were from California, one guy from Canada, one guy from Spain, an older couple from England, and two people from Colombia. We hung out in the town for about 20 minutes and then hit the road again.
We had to go through a police checkpoint and our guide asked us all to fill out some information including our personal ID number. He mentioned we could just make up a 9 digit number if we couldn’t remember our passport number. Aha! So this fake number generation is not such an uncommon thing to do. First the soccer match, now this. After we passed the checkpoint, the road paralleled the Maipo River and the canyons that surrounded us were immense. It was a gorgeous sight. The road was paved for the most part but then it turned to dirt/rocks for the last third. It was very bumpy, though not as bumpy as the road Brittney and I took to our backpacking adventure near Missouri Lakes in Colorado last summer! The road along Maipo River was very narrow at times. It felt like Ireland all over again. We eventually came to the reservoir and the teal blue color was out of this world. The van pulled off at an overlook and we all went nuts taking photos. The guide mentioned that the color changes over the course of the day due to wind. He kept mentioning that later it got even more blue, but it was hard for me to believe him because it was already SO blue. The mountains next to the water were very large and some in the distance had snow on them. The water was in such a state that the mountains were reflected in it. It was like a mirror it was so clear. Absolutely stunning. We stayed here for about 20 minutes and tried to soak it in as much as we could.
March 12, 2019
We departed the apartment at 10am for Cerro San Cristobal and we stopped for breakfast along the way at a place called Original Green Roasters. It was awesome. I ordered eggs benedict. We then walked by Parque Bustamante on our way to Cerro San Cristobal. I love how many parks Santiago has! We walked 15 minutes to our destination and the line for the funicular to get to the top was sooo long. Ugh. We waited about 10 minutes without moving. We both contemplated what we should do and decided to do Neruda’s House, La Chascona, first. La Chascona means tangled-haired woman - Neruda named it after his wife. It was a 5 minute walk and we picked up self-guided tour devices like we did for the other house in Valparaiso. This house was SO COOL. I liked it better than the other one. Mostly because it had so many more aspects to it. It was horizontal instead of vertical and between the different rooms were small gardens and patios. The beginning section was covered with grape vines that provided shade and there were real grapes growing! Visiting each room was like an adventure. First, because the room itself had its own character, and second because you had to go outside most times to access a different room. It was so original.
After he left I walked to Paulistano Restobar to watch the Atletico match at 5pm. At 7pm I met up with Daniel and we walked toward Plaza Italia. He said he had never been before so I was designated the tour guide. “La guia.” We first went to a jazz bar that didn’t have music until 9pm. Darn. So we just sat and had a beer. Again, we only spoke in Spanish throughout the night which really helped me practice. After the jazz bar we went to a place called Pepperland Bar that served many different types of beer. The place was busy! People sure do like their beers. One of the waiters was even wearing a Stone Brewing shirt! USA represent. I checked out the list and I couldn’t find any I liked so I just ordered one with low alcohol content. I was feeling more lightheaded than normal and I didn’t want to push things. It was around 10pm and he noticed I was getting really sleepy. And my Spanish brain was shutting down haha. We paid for our beers and walked about 25 minutes back to the apartment. It was a fun time!
March 13, 2019
Today was a lazy day and I loved it. I feel like I have been spending a lot more downtime in the apartment here in Chile in comparison to the other cities. It has been really nice. It also helps that the apartment is big and well equipped. I woke up at 7am because my body’s natural clock decided it was time to get up. I did my laundry and at noon I headed toward Cerro San Cristobal hoping that the funicular wasn’t as busy as yesterday.
I arrived around 12:30pm and there was no line for the funicular! This came as a great surprise since yesterday it was so long. I bought a ticket and wasn’t too sure what each option meant so I just copied what the lady in front of me said. It ended up being the perfect option because it gave me a ticket to the funicular and the teleferico. Today I felt uneasy/light headed again. Similar to the after stages of my extreme vertigo spell 2 years ago that sent me to the hospital for a few days. I’m hoping the high elevation in La Paz (next stop) won’t make it worse. I rode the funicular up and it was so amazing to watch the city below get smaller and smaller and see the mountain peaks come into full view. I didn’t realize how big Santiago was! Tall buildings and skyscrapers could be seen as far as the eye could see. It was incredible. I exited the car at the top, took heaps of photos, and wandered around. I forgot to grab a map so I just walked around aimlessly. Apparently this park is one of the biggest in the world! On the hill were many religious statues, buildings, and fixtures. The views were astounding the entire time and I could see why it sparked religious sentiments. I then walked to the teleferico (similar to a cable car) station. I waited a couple minutes for some other people to get in line so that I could ride with them. My fear of heights was going to kick in for sure and I didn’t want to be alone when it happened. Also, in case I did pass out it would be nice to have people to help me. However, I must not have said my Spanish correctly because they didn’t ride with me. “Es bien para mi a juntar ellos?” “Tenemos cuatro personas.” I thought, “Ok great. The car holds 6 people. That’s perfect.” Well I walked on and they did not follow. *Gulp* The attendant closed the door and off I went. I keep telling myself to breathe, relax, and not look down. I clung to the seat as my hands sweated profusely. Overall I thought I was doing extremely well. Then, the worst thing happened. The system stopped an the cars swung. OMG I’M GOING TO DIE was the first thought that entered my mind. The speaker in the car turned on and someone started talking through it. I couldn’t hear what they were saying but I was hoping to God they said that it would start back up shortly. About a minute of mental destruction later, the cars started moving again. I was breathing very heavily at this point and couldn’t wait to get off. After 5 minutes of riding I calmed myself down and started to enjoy the views again. I then exited the teleferico and wandered around that area. There were even more stunning views of the city surrounded by the mountains. I could have stood there all day. Unfortunately there was a haze over most of the view so it wasn’t super clear, but it was still breathtaking. There were even a couple mountains in the distance that had snow on them. I jumped back onto the teleferico to ride it down the hill and finish my San Cristobal adventure. This portion wasn’t as scary because the ground was closer to the cables. From the window I saw a huge building, the tallest in Santiago, with the mountains as a backdrop. It was insane! Absolutely marvelous. I exited at the last station near Providencia and walked back to the apartment. It was 2pm at this point and it took me about an hour to walk back home. Along the way were many restaurants with outdoor seating and rows upon rows of trees lining the streets. It was gorgeous. This neighborhood/district was definitely more modern and had a cool natural vibe mixed in. I dropped by where the Jacobs office was supposed to be, but I didn’t see it listed on the directory. They may have already moved due to the Worley Parsons acquisition of the ECR branch. I also stumbled upon numerous parks. It was incredible how green Santiago was. It definitely doesn’t feel like an impoverished city like some others I have been to in South America.
March 14, 2019
I successfully made it to La Paz! I’m currently writing this as I hear numerous car horns. It’s not so quiet of a location after all. It’s an interesting hostel. It’s definitely a much older place and has its quirks. For instance, I had to request a heater to be placed in my room, the key to the room is an old-fashioned yellow key with a hole in it, the key needs to be angled in a certain way into the door for it to even work, the floorboard creak and move, the sheets look old, on and on and on. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind. It’s just interesting that so many people gave this place a high rating. Maybe it’s because it’s dirt cheap and no one expects much when they book it to begin with. I do get free breakfast every day which is a huge perk. I also have a TV and the WiFi is really good. It’s just a slight culture shock from the apartment Christian and I had which was so spacious and so clean and so amazing.
The day started at 5am which my body was not happy about. I hailed an Uber and quickly gathered my things. I left the keys to the apartment on the counter as requested by the host, so I was really hoping I didn’t leave anything behind since the door locks itself. I walked outside and saw the Uber parked out front. I placed my suitcase in the trunk and then got in. The driver asked (all in Spanish) if I was paying with card or cash. I thought it was strange because I always just pay through the Uber App. Then he asked if I was going to the airport. I said yes and he got all riled up and said he couldn’t take me to the airport. I couldn’t understand his reasoning so I kept trying to get clarity but he was very short with his responses and kept pointing at a device on his windshield. I was getting pretty pissed because I didn’t see why he was allowed to refuse to take me to the airport. Eventually I gave up and exited the vehicle. Thank God I paid for an international plan because I wouldn’t have been able to call another Uber otherwise. The concierge was very nice to me and tried to help me. I don’t think he understood that I was using Uber. He kept saying taxi and metro. Anyway, I called another Uber and the guy was very nice. He put my suitcase in the trunk and told me “adelante” so that I would sit in the front. I immediately asked him if he could take me to the airport (because apparently it’s a question I should be asking). He responded with “si.” Christian didn’t have this problem when he went to the airport. My first driver must have been having issues or something. I told my new driver about my troubles and he explained to me that Uber is illegal and usually there are many police at the airport trying to catch people using it. He said you can get in big trouble or get beat up. Ohhhh. So maybe the other guy didn’t want to risk it. But I still don’t understand why he kept pointing to the device on his windshield. It looked like a small E-tag for tolls. I asked the new driver why he was willing to drive me to the airport if there are lots of police. He said that he works at the airport and knows the system and that at 5:30am there aren’t as many police there. This guy was turning out to be my hero. We left the apartment at 5:30am (I got in the failed Uber at 5:15am) which made me a little nervous because it would get me to the airport slightly after the 3 hour window. My flight was at 8:40am. Anyway, as we drove I could have sworn the driver fell asleep several times. He was making snoring noises every so often. He even swerved a little between lanes which made my theory even more valid. Maybe he had narcolepsy? Each time he “snored”, I looked over at him to make sure his eyes were still open. They were. Interesting….Once we approached the airport, he turned his phone’s display off. I guess this was another measure of precaution in case the police saw the GPS running. We actually passed a police van with its lights on. They didn’t come after us. Phew! After all that stress and adventure, I arrived at the airport at 6am. Check in was a piece of cake. I was impressed with LATAM. I was feeling really proud of myself this morning because I took care of everything by speaking in Spanish. Hanging out with Daniel multiple times really helped my Spanish. As I went through passport control, I noticed many men dressed in nice blazers with matching bags. I looked closely and saw emblems similar to those of futbol teams! I then saw a couple people in line asking for photos. These guys must be famous! I asked one of them if they played futbol and which country the league was in. He responded that they are an Argentinian team called Club Atletico Rosario Central and they just played against Universidad Catolica in Santiago for Copa Libertadores (I actually didn’t understand anything he told me. I later looked up the CARC symbol online and discovered all that above information haha). I thought about asking for a photo but thought it would be weird since I really had no idea who they were. After passing through security I bought two bottles of water from a vending machine to prepare for the extreme change in altitude I’d be experiencing in La Paz (after that purchase I had successfully gotten rid of all my Chile pesos!! Big win). La Paz is 12,000’ which is a 11,000’ difference from Santiago. Many people have advised me to take it easy the first day or two to acclimate and to also take some anti altitude sickness medication.
As soon as I saw La Paz come into view from the plane I was flabbergasted. There was so much green!! There were numerous mountains around and a bunch of them had snow. And many of the buildings had colored rooftops. Blue, red, and orange were the main ones. It was like they painted them for a specific purpose. After landing, I bought some sorojchi pills to combat altitude sickness. They were only $1 per pill which was neat. Then I sat down and ordered an arepa. As I was eating, a guy nearby was receiving oxygen from a paramedic. INTENSE. The altitude was no joke. I messaged Mom a bit and we determined the pills didn’t have sulfa which meant I was given the green light to take them. I then took an airport taxi to the hostel and it cost a whopping $12 for a 40 minute ride. Dang. My bank account is going to love La Paz. As we drove from the airport down to the city, the road curved all around. At each bend I was given a view of the magnificent area below. It was amazing. All the buildings were sitting within and throughout the hills/mountains. The brownish red of the buildings’ exteriors really popped and the building were in tiers. There were even bigger mountains in the distance. It was like a Sci-Fi world. Once we reached the center of the city we hit extreme traffic. It took 20 minutes just to go 10 blocks. It was nuts. People were walking all over the place. We eventually made it to the hostel at 12:45pm. I checked in and then relaxed for a bit. The front desk people liked practicing their English because every time I spoke in Spanish they responded in English. But their English wasn’t very good so usually we reverted to Spanish to get the message across haha. I walked to a nearby mercado in hopes to buy some groceries. I found a very very small one, so I only bought some snacks and water. I returned to the hostel and researched trips to Copacabana and Isla del Sol. I noticed that the weather was supposed to be the best tomorrow and Saturday so I needed to find a way to get there tomorrow. After an hour of searching, I booked a 2 day/1 night trip using Bolivia Hop. It was only $40 and it included the 4.5 hour bus ride, the boat to Isla del Sol, and the 4.5 hour bus ride back to La Paz Saturday! SO CHEAP. I was very happy to see that they still had seats available so last minute. This last minute planning stuff is really working out well for me! Maybe I should change the way I live and not plan so much all the time haha. The rest of the day I just took it easy. I am definitely feeling more light headed than I was in Santiago which worries me. So I’m taking things slow and drinking LOTS of water. In addition to researching Copacabana I looked up soccer matches. There is one Saturday which is at a stadium about an hour away and then another one for a different La Paz team on Sunday. I really want to go! I messaged Alejandro (Marianela’s nephew) if he would be interested and he said “ok.” Hopefully that “ok” means a yes haha. I’m excited for the 2 day adventure that starts tomorrow!
March 15, 2019
I’m writing this on March 16 because my head was throbbing too much last night to do anything but try to sleep. It was a rough day.
I woke up to my alarm at 6am. I had a HORRIBLE night’s sleep. The thumping music across the street went from 10pm to 3am and there was no way to block the noise out. I tried earplugs, no success. I tried listening to music through my ipod, semi success. It was so annoying. I’m very excited to be staying somewhere else tonight. It can’t be any worse than that. I gathered my things and waited out on the curb at 6:45am. The window of time for pickup was 6:45am to 6:55am. At 7am I got nervous so I called the company. They said not to worry and that the bus hadn’t reached my area yet. About 5 minutes later a guy in a red shirt named Carlos came by and told me to follow him. He also stopped by the hostel across the street. There were about 8 of us total. Only me from Hostal Republica. The whole bus was almost full. It was really neat because about 90% of the group was backpackers! People from all different backgrounds in one place. This Bolivia Hop was an excellent option for backpackers because it was cheap and it also gave you the option to jump on different buses along the way to continue to Peru or other cities in Bolivia. It was a great setup and whoever started the company was a genius! It was a well-oiled machine for sure. If I hadn’t been to Peru already I may have gone for it. The ride was 4.5 hours long with a couple stops. Halfway through the ride, a guy came up to me and asked if he could sit next to me. I said sure. He said he was feeling sick at the back of the bus. The ride was gorgeous. There were many rounded, green mountains and then ginormous jagged mountains in the distance that were covered in snow. Not just the peaks, the whole mountains!
About 3 hours into the journey, we crossed the Strait of Tiquina. Everyone on the bus unloaded and transferred to a small boat so we could reach the other side. The bus was ferried over separately. The bus took longer to be delivered so we had about 15 minutes of free time in the little town of Tiquina. Carlos suggested we buy an empanada from the small stand along the street. I was hesitant because it’s always a risk to eat street food in South American countries, but figured it was ok since our guide suggested it. It was DIVINE. It was full of rice, meat, onions, and sauce. I was in heaven. And it only cost 3 Bolvianos which was like 50 cents. We continued our drive and I got to know the guy next to me a bit. His name was Tiago and he was from Brazil. We chatted a bit and then he started calling me Sporty Girl due to all my hobbies. I liked my new nickname. He said he was staying on the island overnight and then continuing to Cusco, Peru. Very cool.
We stopped about 5 minutes away from Copacabana for a photo opportunity. It was incredible. Lake Titicaca was glimmering in the sun and the small city of Copacabana sat along the water with many orange-roofed buildings. There were also llamas eating grass right next to the pulloff! It was the iconic image I was hoping to come across. We unloaded in the city of Copacabana at 11:30am and had some time to eat/explore before our 1pm boat departed for Isla del Sol.
We all boarded the boat at 1pm and Tiago saw me and said, “Hey! Sporty Girl!” I was funny. I sat near the middle and took naps off and on during the 1.5 hour ride. The boat was very tiny and it was powered by a small motor. The views around us were stunning. Lots of mountains in the distance and we were traveling through gaps in rocks with peninsulas passing by every so often. It felt like a magical boat ride like Harry Potter took to Hogwarts. We arrived at 2:15pm and had until 4:30pm to meet the boat at the end of the hiking trail. The hike was beautiful. It was very steep in the beginning and I was feeling extremely light headed, so I took it very slow. There were llamas and mules wandering around and a few locals selling clothes/trinkets at points along the trail. In the distance was Isla de la Luna which was highlighted by the sun. We were fortunate all day to have great weather. It only sprinkled for about 10 minutes in Copacabana. At the highest point of the trail you could see for miles and miles. There was a mountain range with jagged peaks, part of the land mass that Copacabana was on, more mountains, Lake Titicaca below, and the terracing on Isla del Sol itself with a few orange-roofed buildings sprinkled in. It was postcard material for sure. You could even spot some of the boats leaving or arriving on the island. It was also very cool to be wandering around the village and seeing the families living their lives as small groups of backpackers walked by. The mixing of two worlds. I felt like there wasn’t too much available on the island so maybe it was a good thing after all that I decided to spend the night in Copacabana instead of Isla del Sol. Though I’m sure each has its perks. I think if I was feeling better, staying on the island would be preferable because I could hike all day tomorrow. My head was starting to throb which was a sign of a migraine so I figured Mate Coca would be the best solution for it (it was recommended by many locals and I have also seen it suggested online to combat altitude sickness). I searched for a place to sit down and order it. Each “restaurant” was literally a few tables and chairs set outside in a person’s yard. The lady was washing her clothes when I walked up to her. I sat down and she went inside her home to fix the Mate. She also had fish and other major courses on the menu. I was impressed. There were also local villagers walking up the stairs with their mules. The mules were carrying large loads. At 4:15pm I walked down to the boat dock. The boat took off early at 4:27pm! Thank goodness I arrived early! My head was killing me the entire ride back. There were beautiful vistas out the boat’s windows, but it was hard for me to enjoy. After docking, I walked in agony as I searched for the hotel Bolivia Hop recommended. It was about a 15 minute walk uphill which didn’t help my pain. I checked in and collapsed in bed. I didn’t even change out of my clothes. My head was on fire and I couldn’t wait to fall asleep. It was 7pm at this point and I was excited to sleep for almost 12 hours! Also, the bedroom is amazing. It’s large, quiet, and has a normal door lock.
March 16, 2019
I woke up at 6:30am after waking up multiple times throughout the night. At one point I was burning up and I felt sick. My head was throbbing. After laying there for a bit and thinking calming thoughts I fell back asleep. I kept waking up and thinking in Spanish. It was odd. Overall I think I am well-rested. I got almost 12 hours of sleep off and on. I really love this hotel. It feels very safe, the room is huge, the bed is comfortable, and it’s QUIET! That last bit is the most important to me right now. I am very impressed with this place. The $25/night here is definitely worth it. I am still very light headed but at least I don’t have a migraine anymore. My plan for today is to take it VERY EASY. I think the most extreme thing I will do is maybe climb the hill in the city, but other than that I planned nothing else.
I am sitting on a rooftop terrace near the water in Copacabana a the moment. It turned out to be a gorgeous sunny day despite the torrential downpours earlier this morning. After I checked out of the hotel, I walked to Casa Azul Cafe Restaurante Bistrot because it served trucha which is trout. Many people said I needed to try it while I was in Copacabana. I’m not a huge seafood person, but oh man was this dish delicious! It also came with rice, vegetables, and fries. They had several trout dishes available depending on how you wanted it cooked. I ordered the grilled one and it was amazing! Seriously, I was blown away. And that is hard to do for me with fish. It was so tasty and I didn’t even use the lemon they supplied. I felt very full afterward because I ate every bit of it. Hopefully a full stomach will help prevent my light headed spells. I also took a sorojchi pill to combat the future headaches. I didn’t want another headache to appear while I was taking the long bus ride back to La Paz.
March 17, 2019
Despite the leprechaun party music, I actually feel asleep quickly last night! I woke up around 8am, took a shower, ate some breakfast downstairs, and did a little work on my tablet. At 10:45am, I walked to a nearby plaza to meet up with the Red Caps City Walking Tour. Once I arrived, I felt veryyy light headed. So much so, that I ended up leaving the tour. But I did get to hear a little about the San Pedro Prison which was fascinating (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Pedro_prison). I walked around to find some food, but most places were closed today (Sunday). I landed at Alexander Café after taking many breaks. I ordered a breakfast taco and frutilla smoothie. I was feeling uneasy and thought maybe I should see a doctor. I called the World Nomads insurance number and asked if they could provide me with a list of doctors in the area. I then called Mom. I wanted to chat with her so she knew what was happening in case something bad occurred. I felt very unstable and a little nauseous at times. My tongue even went numb for about 10 seconds. It freaked me out! My phone was dying so I told Mom I would head back to my hostel. I was worried I may not make it back. I felt very odd, confused, and dazed. I got back to the hostel and asked the front desk if there were doctors around. They ended up sending one to my room! I figured it couldn’t hurt and it was only $70. I talked to Mom on the phone some more while I waited for the doctor. Before the doctor arrived, I texted Alejandro about what was happening because we were set to meet at 3pm for the Bolivar soccer match. I said I still wanted to go, but I may feel unbalanced. The doctor arrived at 2pm and he took my heartrate/temperature (it was normal), blood pressure (it was a little high, which I found odd because usually mine is low), looked at my eyes, tongue, and listened to my stomach. I told him everything about how I started feeling light headed back in Santiago, Chile but today was really bad. He looked at my tongue and said “Yes, it’s a little white” and listened to my stomach and said, “It’s very active. That’s not good. There is bacteria in there.” He let me listen as well, but it just sounded like normal digestion to me. He said I had salmonella and prescribed me a few drugs. I was a little weary of his diagnosis, but figured he knew what he was talking about. We left my room at 3pm and I called Alejandro to see where he was and to update him. He was at the hostel! The doctor gave Alejandro a run down of EVERYTHING. Oh my gosh it was so long-winded. What a GREAT first impression. I felt so bad that the first time Alejandro and I meet up is when I’m feeling horrible and a doctor rants on about all my problems. Alejandro couldn’t believe I paid so much for a on-call doctor. I tried to explain to him that it really wasn’t that expensive in US standards. He speaks English, but most of the time he only spoke Spanish to me.
I paid the doctor, bought my pills, and Alejandro and I drove to the soccer stadium. I bought a team scarf (of course) and then bought tickets on the street for 45 Bolivianos which is like $7. So cheap! Alejandro also bought us Styrofoam squares from a man selling a bunch of them outside the stadium. I was thoroughly confused. Alejandro explained that the seats in the stadium are very uncomfortable and usually wet. I was so glad I went with a local because I would have never known that and I would have been miserable! We sat in the Preferencia section which was at half field. There weren’t too many people in the stadium. The hooligans were behind the goal and very loud, but other than that, there was poor attendance. Alejandro mentioned that on Wednesday the stadium was full because it was their El Clasico with The Strongest. That would have been epic! But he also says it can get dangerous. I’ll opt for our peaceful, low-attended match please. I was so light headed that it was tough for me to focus on what Alejandro was saying and also to respond in Spanish. It also didn’t help that an older gentleman next to me held a radio that was broadcasting the game and it was SO LOUD. Alejandro mentioned that many old men bring radios into the stadium because they can’t see very well and want to be able to know what is going on. Hahah. Ok, but it was still annoying. Alejandro offered to switch seats with me which was a Godsend. Alejandro and I watched and cheered, but mostly talked about other stuff. It turns out we do similar things for our careers – civil engineering. Bolivar ended up winning by 3 goals and Alejandro estimated that there were 15,000 people in attendance. It was a fun match despite the low attendance!
March 18, 2019
Today was better than yesterday, so that’s a plus! My light headedness was still present but it didn’t scare me or hinder me from doing things. In the morning I went across the street to Wild Rover to ask if they had an oxygen tank (most hostels/hotels in La Paz have them on hand but mine did not). I was thinking that maybe more oxygen would help my head. They had a tank and pulled it out for me. Then a staff lady came over to personally help me. She asked me some questions and continued to monitor me while I was breathing. It was very nice and personable of her. She asked my name and I was worried she was going to ask for my room number. No one ever found out I don’t actually stay there. I think they would have helped me anyway. The staff lady was talking to some dude checking out and she mentioned, “Ah man, I’m still drunk.” Haha I guess even the staff parties at that hostel. I’m sooo glad I didn’t stay there. I breathed the oxygen in for a while and felt no different. Aw man. I was really hoping that would work. I told the lady I was going to walk around and she asked if I wanted her to join me. She asked several times if I was all right. I was very grateful for her compassion.
I then walked to Plaza Murillo which was about 10 minutes away. It had a beautiful layout with many governmental buildings around it. Here is some more information about the plaza: http://www.lapazlife.com/places/plaza-murillo/ I had lunch at a hotel next to the plaza. It had a Menu Del Dia special for only 20 Bolvianos. SO CHEAP. Cheaper than Madrid’s Menu del Dias which were also cheap. I’m sad that I haven’t been feeling well because the US dollar goes a longg way here. I could have tried so many beers/food/drinks/etc. by now for dirt cheap and would never need to worry about going broke. After lunch (which was delicious), I stopped by the grocery store to pick up juices and water. Weather wise, it was spritzing off and on the entire day until about 6pm. I then met up with Carlos from my travel App at 4pm. Initially we were going to ride the Teleferico (cable car system), but I told him I couldn’t do the Teleferico because I was worried about my head. We met up and he was very cheery. We spoke in Spanish the entire time until dinner when my Spanish brain died. We walked to the Witches Market and other markets that were stationed in the alleys. It was neat to see all the different items for sale. The Witches Market had some odd stuff like dead llama fetuses hanging from the ceiling, potions, and dried frogs. Apparently rituals are still conducted there and are run by local witch doctors called yatiri. It’s easy to spot them because they wear a very particular outfit that includes a small black bowler hat. It was intriguing. We then walked to the University and then a pedestrian walkway called Via Balcon. Throughout the day Carlos would prep me the walking time and ask if I was ok to walk it. I felt pretty good so I kept saying yes. It was nice of him to do that. We had some fun conversation and lots of laughs. Via Balcon went above a couple of the major roads in La Paz. We walked the entire thing and at two points my fear of heights struck so I grabbed Carlos’s arm. It was pretty high! The views of the city were astounding and you could see some mountains in the distance. I’m really glad I had Carlos with me because I don’t think I could have walked it alone. We then went to dinner near my hostel at a place called, Hb Bronze Coffeebar. We switched to English because my brain was tired. It was about 7pm. It seemed like in Santiago my brain would switch off around 8 or 9. So I guess since La Paz is an hour behind it makes sense. We talked about many things and Carlos asked a lot about my trip so far. It was fun to re-live some of the moments. I ordered a potato cream soup with llama bits and it was MINDBLOWING. It was so creamy and flavorful. I got full before finishing it all (I had a strawberry smoothie as well), but otherwise I would have eaten that all day. We left at 8:30pm and Carlos walked me the 2 minutes back to my hostel. I had no clue it was THAT close! We said our goodbyes and planned to meet again on Wednesday since Carlos doesn’t work. He seemed excited to show me around more and even drive me to Valle de la Luna! I love making local friends! I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Carlos and it was comforting to have him around just in case something did happen.
March 19, 2019
I actually did a lot today! First on my list was to try saltenas at a place that Carlos recommended called Pacena La Saltena. It was a 25 minute walk from the hostel and I took it very slowly. I arrived and it was very busy! I ordered the carne and the pollo. It only took them 1 minute to give it to me. Very quick! I started eating it outside and it was HOT! But very delicious. It has onions and carne and the exterior breading was slightly salty. It was truly delicious. I saved the pollo one for later. As I walked to the post office, I came across a huge parade of protesters. It was madness! They took over the entire principal road and then a couple side streets. Traffic was stopped for hours. I saw a few signs for Libertad por Franclin somebody and then posters for many other things. I guess it was just a general protest parade.
March 20, 2019
Wow what a day! I had a fun filled day thanks to Carlos and Alejandro. From 7:30am to 11am I simply relaxed in my room and fiddled with my phone. My head was feeling a little worse today so I wanted to take it easy before I met up with Carlos. We met at Basilica de San Francisco at noon and walked around the plaza until our 12:30pm reservation at Popular Cocina Boliviana. We were called into the very small and intimate restaurant at 12:40pm and then given menus to select our meals. We had two choices for each portion of the meal (portions: Entrada, Segundo, Postre). It also included unlimited Marraqueta (the typical Bolivian bread), juice, and love (as listed on the menu haha). All of this was 65 Bolivianos which is like $7! I chose Sopa de pollo for the Entrada, Pacumuto for the Segundo, and Tojori for the Postre. The soup was AMAZING. So flavorful and delicious. Each of the dishes was presented very well and each was described by the waiter before we dug in. The next dish was Pacumuto and it was so pretty! The garnish on top looked like confetti. It was beef, green pepper, onion, and chicken on a skewer on top of a bed of caramelized rice. SO GOOD. The waiter brought us dessert spoons, but it was such a tease because it took like 15 minutes for him to bring the actual dessert! We were practically salivating by the time they finally arrived. It was called Tojori and it was a scoop of ice cream with warm corn sauce. It also had a piece of Huminta which tasted similar to the caramelized top of crème brulee. The whole experience was amazing.
We left around 6:15pm and headed toward the city. We were driving underneath the Blanco teleferico line when a policeman pointed at us to stop. “Dude, es verde!” shouted Carlos. He kept driving a little further but the policeman was running after us. Carlos pulled over and both of us were confused what was happening. We didn’t do anything wrong. The policeman came up to the window and started describing to Carlos that this was a restricted area. Carlos and the policeman talked very quickly back and forth and sometimes Carlos interrupted him which we would NEVER do in the States. I couldn’t follow everything they were saying because it was too fast. Carlos turned to me a couple times and started explaining quickly in Spanish but then switched to English after realizing my confused face. Do you remember that license plate restriction I mentioned earlier? Well APPARENTLY it runs until 8pm, not 6pm like Carlos thought. Ohhh snap. Carlos paid the officer the 20 Bs and then we had to park the car immediately. It was intense! Carlo apologized profusely and said he couldn’t drive me home. It definitely threw a wrench in everything! But things happen - there was no reason to get upset about it. We then walked the 20 minutes to my hostel. Carlos was worried that he couldn’t leave the car in a restricted area so he called his dad. His dad said it was fine and I thought the same. I mean, how do they expect you to drive it through the restricted area to get out? Won’t another police officer pull you over again? Anyway, we walked back and said our goodbyes. Thanks for everything Carlos! Sorry it ended poorly but it didn’t bother me! Shit happens and we just have to deal with it. At least now I can say I have experienced the license plate restriction personally.
Alejandro met me at the hostel at 7:45pm and then we drove in his car to the Verde teleferico station. We boarded the car and it was just the two of us. As it took off from the station my fear of heights kicked in HARD. This line was much higher from the ground than the others and I don’t think the darkness helped either. Alejandro found my reactions comical while I just kept talking to myself to try to calm down. I wasn’t sure I could do this whole teleferico night thing after all! Alejandro took a photo of my scared face as well. Thanks, dude. He also would point out things but I could barely look at them! For instance, one of the bridges was lit up in rainbow colors but I couldn’t look for more than 2 seconds because then I felt weak. As we approached the Amarillo station things got better. The car started getting closer to the ground. Alejandro asked if I wanted to turn back, but I couldn’t let that happen! I had to go through with this. I took a quick break at the Amarillo station before we hopped on. I was scared at first (and there were other people in the car this time to also enjoy my commentary) but then I just felt like I was dreaming. I was in a small daze. It probably stemmed from my head issues, but it helped. I then could appreciate the beauty of the city lights surrounding us. It was like we were hovering above a pool that reflected fireflies below. It was incredible. I seriously got lost in it all a few times. Some lights were bigger than others, but most were the same size which gave it some consistency. The lights sprawled for miles and some were in the valleys while other climbed the mountains. Pictures definitely could not do them justice. I couldn’t believe I was doing this!! Go me! I told Alejandro that no one would believe me when I returned because I am so scared of heights. I started feeling very lightheaded at the end of the Amarillo line, so we split an empanada and took a short break. Before entering the next teleferico car, I stood there for a second and took a deep breath in. Riding the Amarillio back down into the city was very scary! Then I was fine with it. We continued all the way to the Verde line and then took that all the way to the end which was in Calacoto. I didn’t realize we were going to ride it that far haha. It was beautiful. Then Alejandro suggested I get my photo with the La Paz sign that was lit up in different colors. I’m so glad he did because the photo came out great! We then rode the Verde line back to the car. At this point, everything had dulled down in excitement and it felt mundane. This must be how the local feel about riding the teleferico. It was such a magnificent experience! I’m so proud of myself for not bailing out.
I was very thankful that he was so accommodating. I was also very thankful for meeting Carlos. It was such a fun-filled day and it wouldn’t have been possible without either of these two guys. I feel so blessed that people are so friendly and helpful during my travels. Bed at 11:30pm and flight out at 1:20pm! Fingers crossed I feel better at a lower elevation. People kept saying I probably had altitude sickness, and maybe they are right, but I did start feeling poorly in Santiago, so I'm a little unsure. I think it also has to do with my severe vertigo spell 2 years ago. I wasn't fazed at all by the altitude when I visited Cusco, Peru 3 years ago. And Cusco (~11,000') is only 1,000' lower than La Paz. So I'm convinced my vertigo spell must have shifted something in my head to make me more susceptible to altitude.
March 21, 2019
I am currently sitting in my new hostel’s restaurant area listening to Spanish indie rock music. It’s very calming. I really like this hostel, Running Chaski. I was weary before arriving because the only communication I had for my reservation was through WhatsApp instead my normal Booking.com. They seemed a little disorganized through WhatsApp. But everything turned out great! I have a HUGE room with three beds in it. It’s labeled as a suite. I also have my own bathroom. And it’s only $30/night – mind blowing. I definitely needed a step up from my last place, and this did the trick. I also appreciated that the front desk lady only spoke to me in Spanish since I was speaking Spanish.
The flight was so short, only 30 minutes! But that didn’t stop the flight attendants from serving us chocolate covered nuts and soda! I was impressed. I requested a window seat on the left side of the plane as Carlos suggested so that I could see Illimani Mountain (the major mountain with snow on it that can be seen from La Paz). Unfortunately, it was a bit cloudy so I couldn’t see the entire thing, but I did see parts of it peaking out from the clouds! It was unbelievable. It reminded me of the photo I took of Mount Rainier when flying into Seattle. The lady on the aisle seat of my row was struggling. She held her head the entire time and even had the barf bag in front of her. Poor lady. I hope she feels better. I can sympathize in some way since I’ve been hindered so much during my time in La Paz.
I landed at 1:55pm, collected my luggage, and hailed a taxi. It was only 30 Bolivianos to the hostel ($4). I checked in and was amazed by the room (as I mentioned above)! I then walked to Tunari as Alejandro suggested and ordered Pique Macho. I ordered the half-size platter but it was still ginormous! There were fries, then heaps of meat, then cut up sausages, then tomatoes, then green peppers, then a hard boiled egg. I can see why many people like it – it fills you up and has a bunch of meat for very little money ($10). I walked back to the hostel and came across many beautiful parks. I like Cochabamba! It’s much different than La Paz and less frustrating. And it’s warm! Also, since I’m at a lower elevation now (4,000’ lower) I feel like I’m walking with super speed. I crashed in the room and fell asleep shortly after that at 10:15pm. I’m sooo excited to sleep. I plan to just explore the city tomorrow…wearing a tank top!
March 22, 2019
I used my travel App to meet up with Augusto at 10:30am at the teleferico for El Cristo. This teleferico operated differently than the La Paz one. It had a set of 3 or 4 cars that traveled together. It wasn’t a constant flow of cars. We rode it up and Augusto started speaking English to me. I asked him to speak in Spanish so I could practice but he said he wanted to practice English. Haha. We exited the car and walked around the top of El Cristo. The views were amazing! I didn’t realize Cochabamba was so big! The whole city was sprawled on the flat land below the mountains. It reminded me a lot of Denver. Apparently, this Christ statue is bigger than Rio’s. It’s hard to tell because they both are pretty big! We rode back down and we went to Recoleta (area of the city). He said I NEEDED to have the typical ice cream in Cochabamba so we parked and walked to a place nearby. The parking situation was interesting. There was a guy that was informally administering the vehicles. Augusto mentioned that many people steal things off of cars, so these informal guys help watch your car for a small fee. I started eating my strawberry and cinnamon scoops of ice cream and they were just ok. They were like a slushie. Alejandro let me try some of his which was made from a South American fruit called Chirimoya. It was BOMB! It was more creamy than mine and the texture was better. The Recoleta Boulevard area was really neat. It had tons of bars and restaurants to choose from and it was very well-kept. There were flower beds and trees throughout the boulevard. We walked back to the ice cream place and I ordered a Huminta because that was in my dessert dish in La Paz according to Carlos. It was essentially a mushed up ear of corn with cheese mixed in. I did not like it haha. It just tasted like corn. The cheesy parts were good. I am glad Alejandro was with me to eat it because it was wrapped in the outer “shell” and then tied off so I wouldn’t have know how to eat it. I probably would have eaten through the outer shell! We walked back to his car and then he dropped me off 5 blocks from Plaza 14 de Septiembre.
March 23, 2019
Today was my last day in Cochabamba. It is kinda sad actually. I’ve grown to like this city a lot. It has been a rejuvenation city. It’s very tranquil, sunny, lots of bars/restaurants, not too too much to do so no pressure to check things off a list, and very walkable. I searched for a massage place and eventually found one close to the hostel. It was a decent massage. It didn’t hold a candle to the massages by the little fuerte girls in Cusco, Peru, but it was only $15 for an hour! I figured I needed to take advantage of how cheap this city is. The lady mentioned that my neck was very tense. Tell me something I don’t know haha. It’s always tense. Especially the left side. After this I walked along El Paseo del Prado to find Los Castores for saltenas. I ordered a pollo one and another Mocochinchi. This one had the peach pit (which looked like an eyeball…) in it! So it was legit. I had difficulty eating the saltena. It was very messy! I watched how someone else ate it and she would basically take a bite and then drink some of the insides/juices. Brilliant!
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