La Paz - The City of the Sky

Peace - the city of heaven, that's how it advertises itself. But it is also, at least for us. The location of the city could hardly be more spectacular, the houses stretch up to the top of the deep valley and in the background rise the mighty peaks of Illimani and Mururata. However, we live in the (former) slum of the city, El Alto, which is now larger than La Paz itself. Eva was here for three months back then. It was called: morning prayer every day at 6:15 a.m. and then mass. Today it is called: an adventure every day and a beer in the evening. Piety has therefore been seriously neglected.

La Paz in 3 words: spectacular, lively, authentic (Willem); altitude difference, Illimani, memorable (Eva).

Even if it is not the picture-perfect kitschy fairytale city, at least lively zebras guard the city's pedestrian crossings (which would otherwise be completely ignored) and you can admire them from above with the cable car for a few years now, because there is hardly a million city that is more spectacularly situated. However, the cable car is not just a tourist attraction, it is even quite small, its main goal is development. Soon there will be 11 lines in El Alto and La Paz, which will essentially take on the function of an underground train. Costs about 0.40 EUR. However, if you want to go to more remote areas, such as Valle de la Luna, you cannot avoid minibuses, micros, trufis or taxis. But you have to know where you want to go beforehand, otherwise you will quickly get lost.

The development of the last few years is enormous. The city/cities are constantly growing, in Valle de la Luna this leads to unsightly, new-build-like structures (just like Böhl Ost IV), which encroach on the beautiful landscape. In El Alto, new colorful facades adorn the bare brick buildings, designed by a self-taught architect named Freddy Mamani. But dogs and people still rummage through the garbage, and adventurous tangles of cables decorate run-down streets full of colonial buildings.

As always, you experience places best when you immerse yourself in the perspective of the inhabitants. All Saints' Day offered such an opportunity. Then everyone rushes to the cemeteries to care for the graves of their family members. Plastic flowers and grave offerings like beer bottles are renewed, music is played and tinkering is done. Altars adorned with bread for the dead decorate the city.

But the most beautiful thing is to see old friends again. Eloisa worked for Father Sebastián, a German patriarch, uh, priest, who has built up almost the entire social infrastructure of El Alto. However, many of his works have not been continued in his spirit since his death 2 years ago. Unfortunately, rather in the negative; for example, Casa del Niño (where Eva worked a lot) had to be closed due to mismanagement.