Stuck in La Paz, Bolivia

¡Hola a todos!

I spent about four days in La Paz, Bolivia with a friend’s friend, Eliana, and her sisters.  The family lives in the south La Paz.  Unfortunately, I arrived on a Sunday before nationwide strikes began.  I arrived in La Paz on Sunday night because I heard rumor of a national two-day transportation strike or “paro” and didn’t want to be stuck in Cochabamba.  Instead, I was stuck in La Paz for a few days.  

During my first two days, public transportation was on strike and the last day (and two days after I left), the medical workers and students marched and blockaded the streets, causing transportation difficulties.  On my last day in La Paz, I even had the experience of indirectly being gassed.  I did my best to avoid any real threat.

Transportation Strike

What?
For days, the entire country was marching or blockading.  The experience made me thankful for how far the US has come (although we have far to go!), but, it also made me think about how complacent we are.  We still march, but it takes a lot more to stir us to this level.

The strike shut down a huge percentage of the city and caused workers and tourists alike to walk long distances and/or miss work and tourist sites and museums.  The chauffeurs blocked bridges and major intersections, leaving rocks and wooden boards in the roads.  If any chaffeur dared to provide service to passengers, other chauffeurs would throw rocks at and/or attack them for not complying.

Buses blocking the streets, each with a protest sign

Why?
The government placed a new law into effect, which would regulate transportation (taxis, microbuses, and buses) to make sure that chauffeurs followed specific routes and rates.  An example is that currently, transportation would market a route, but could leave you wherever they wanted.  A specific example is that today a taxi trufi (small car of 5-8 people) doesn’t want to complete its route because there is too much traffic, so they decide not to go through the market. This means the customer has to find another ride that will take them to their destination and they pay double for the route.  (This happened to me all the time in Cochabamba!)  The transportation workers were protesting to have the law revoked.

Observations
- Honestly, I don’t understand how this country is able to function between the protests and the celebrations/festivals.
- Strikes and marches are not uncommon in Bolivia.  With all of this constantly in your face, you can’t help but learn about politics.  Nothing is hidden and every is, but blatantly.

My Experiences without Transportation
 

Cactus Garden

My first day, I walked 1.5 hours into town with my host, Eliana, to attend a meeting and to visit the city.  There were only a few places open (I stayed in a coffee shop and journaled and watched the news), but I was able to see a few building fronts and the Prado, main downtown promenade.

On my second day, I walked for six hours total with one of the sister’s son’s to Valley of the Moon and to visit a cactus garden.  The Valley of the Moon literally looks as if it were taken straight from the moon, like a desert filled with stalagmites.  

Valle de la Luna (Valley of the Moon)

San Franciscan cathedral

On my third day, I visited the San Franciscan cathedal and the coca leaf museum and avoided the medical strikes as best as I could.  I also had a fast food chicken lunch with a lawyer who was on his lunch break and helping the tourist, me, to avoid the gas meant to break up protests.  He gave me some more insight into chaotic life in La Paz, Bolivia.

The best part of my time in La Paz was spending it with Eliana and Veronica, the sisters.  I learned about their lives, their challenges, and their work.  Eliana is a biologist and has written two bird books for Bolivian students and birdwatchers.  She has extensively studied the habitats around Bolivia, especially close to the Uyuni salt flats where the flamingos live and she has fought for the environmental rights of these animals and birds.  She is an incredible person.  

We also shared a few breakfasts and dinners and she introduced me to some excellent Bolivian dark chocolate (75%).  My friend, Laurie, and I spent the next two weeks devouring this chocolate!

Next:  Copacabana and my adventures with Laurie in Peru!

Cheers,
Ashley