Cheaper than Cheap Chips where Chips are Cheaper than Chips

It was no great surprise when instead of being dropped off at the central bus terminal (as heartily promised by a surly ticket saleswoman) we were unceremoniously dumped at 6am in the El Alto district (Lonely Planet kindly describes this area as "a poverty plagued sprawl") some 10k short of La Paz centre. Of course, every cloud has a silver lining and by the time we found our bearings and made our way to the centre, it was fully light and we were able to view the full majesty of the approach to the city. La Paz´1.5 million inhabitants live in a perfect bowl-shaped canyon with their red bricked houses clinging precariously to the steep sides, filling the bowl from rim to rim. First view of the world´s highest capital city (at 3660 metres) is absolutely breathtaking as you peer down into the canyon below.

It also fails to disappoint once you´re fully encompassed in it´s bustling, friendly folds on the canyon floor. La Paz is perhaps our favourite city we´ve visited in the last 11 months - or could that simply be it´s "cheap as chips" nature appealing to our inner Scottishness and Nornirishness. Many an hour was spent trawling the hilly streets searching for the cheapest passable meal. Our best effort was a tasty, filling 3-course Cuban(go figure?) meal for around 50pence.

Two days vanished in a fevered frenzy of shopping; for guitars, padlocks, juggling balls, cocaine, mini saxophones and assorted Bolivian artesania.

To recover from the excessive trauma brought on by 2-days of nonstop shopping, we took a gentle wee spin on the pushbikes, 65 kilometres - and 3600 metres of vertical descent - down the innocuous sounding "Death Road".



Cribbage Update: Jools is proving to be quite elusive and full of excuses whenever I suggest bringing out the old cribbage board. I may have to award myself a default victory or three. Jools 31 Kev 29