La Paz

Greetings from the highest capital city on Earth--La Paz (out of breath just typing that). I now find myself here after spending 2 nights in quite possibly Bolivia´s prettiest city, Sucre. It is just wrapping up the rainy season here and many roads are in bad or unpassable condition, limiting my destinations. My current predicament involves trying to book a flight on a Bolivian military transport plane to get into the much sought after Rurrenbaque jungle area. Reports of travel by bus there is that the 18 hour trip can take 3 days and has induced delirium in those unlucky enough to attempt it. The alternative--flying in, is not much better with supposedly a 80% cancellation rate on the commercial service and a slightly better percentage with the military transport. Gonna shoot for a Wednesday departure if possible. If not, we´ll see where to...

Since my Salar trip I have been travelling with an Aussie named Tom and a Londoner named Ollie. Hooligans and BS-ers in the highest degree--I don´t think there has been a serious topic of conversation since meeting in Sucre. Unfortunately, my comprehension of Ollie´s version of the King´s English is about at the same level as my Spanish language comprehension so I usually have to have Tom translate the English. Many other backpackers have been questioning how such an odd trio began to travel together. They're certainly no Petro, but are gonna have to do in his absence.

La Paz has been a little interesting to say the least...the hostel we found ourselves at is unlike any I´ve stayed at so far..a huge renovated mansion packed with dorms and an almost round the clock bar filled with people who haven´t seen a 9 to 5 in quite some time. I keep waiting for some parental figure to walk in and scold everyone. For some amongst those flocking there, La Paz is a city of unbridled debauchery--reports of nightclubs with mounds of cocaine littering the tables and falling from strung up pinatas are routine. From the sounds of it, it appears somebody packed up Studio 54 and relocated it to a more welcoming city. The participation of some backpackers in this sort of lifestyle here is quite contradictory to their daytime "save the earth with this cause" rhetoric as you can't possibly do more harm to your visiting country than to promote their community poisoning drug trade. But, for the most part, they are in the minority and for more rational minded visitors, La Paz still provides ample opportunity for more responsible extremes.

Don´t ask the "hows & whys" of this story but last night Tom, Ollie, and I found ourselves in a warehouse-turned-gymnasium in the outskirts of La Paz after hearing promises of being able to witness sanctioned womens fighting and wrestling. It is against my ethics to pay to watch women fight as I very well can just watch it on YouTube for free but this experience seemed like something not to pass up. A little disappointingly, much of the fighting was a little WWF-esque but regardless the show proved bizzare in many ways. First, during a break in the bouts, the announcer pointed to a man in the crowd who was rumored to have flashed a knife at one of the wrestlers--he was thrown out to the boos of the crowd. I do not doubt this really happened as during the bouts the crowd often threw various objects at the wrestlers. Also, in every bout the "bad guy" won the match which may have some interesting learning repercussions on the masses of children present at this "family style" event that included wrestlers routinely giving the middle figure to the crowd. I snapped this short movie of the main event--yes, that is a midget you see.

I have an exciting few days coming up. Today, if the weather improves a group of us is going to try and play at the "highest golf course in the world." Not much of a golfer myself, I only pursue this experience to have a leg up on my Uncle Joe. On Tuesday, I am taking a mountain bike down "world´s most dangerous road," which should be a real treat.

Well, that enough superlatives for one blog. I´ll check in with you soon.

Brakes are for sissies,

Q