To dizzying heights: 'Rest' day in La Paz

Wednesday 11 May
Well actually, it WAS a rest day: we slept in until 8:40 a.m. and had a leisurely (late, for us) breakfast. Put in washing to be done - a bag cost about 18 Bolivianos (= $US2.50). Generally stuffed around.

We walked across to the central part of town - the old historical centre, casco viejo - to the Calle Jaén museums. These four small museums are clustered together along La Paz’ finest colonial street, Calle Jaén, where we walked with Edwin on our first day in La Paz on 4 May. We felt very relaxed and more at ease with our navigation as we had had a full day here before going to Uyuni.

We bought our tickets at the Museo Costumbrista Juan de Vargas where we parked our back-packs in a locker. And then spent a couple of hours trawling through this museum and then the others: this museum contains art and photos, as well as some superb ceramic figurine dioramas of old, and a fascinating photographic exhibition of women wearing traditional costumes "Antecedentes de la classe social 'La Chola'".

These photos showed the blends of dress of the original Chechuans with the later Spanish colonial influence. The mestizo social class of the 'elite chola' emerged after the revolution in 1952 and recognized the female as the centre of the family. The old dress of the mestizo women in the 16th and 17th centuries was distinguished from the other social classes by the use of silk, taffeta, velvet; and jacket and boots were in vogue in Spain at the time. The paceña bowler hat came in the 1920s of the Borsalino type (this was an Italian hat company established in 1857). Interestingly, well to me anyway, the position of the hat on the head indicates marital status: straight = married, at an angle = single. Watch how you wear those bike helmets!!!

There is a wonderful article about bowler hats - or the sombrero de la Paceña - here:
http://www.port-magazine.com/fashion/bolivia-sombrero-de-la-pacena/

There were dioramas too of Pedro Domingo Murillo who was hung in 1810 in La Revolución Paceña.

There were some great old historical maps too of Bolivia before the Guerra del Pacifico of 1879 in which Bolivia lost the war to Chile: the Museo del Litoral. It was interesting to see the bit of coast south of Chile which Bolivia lost. As said before, Bolivia is emotionally charged regarding its claims to the port of Antofagasta and Chile’s Segunda Región.

The Museo del Oro (Gold Museum) was impressive: the gold found in tombs was under tight security in a room with a huge metal door - there were some wonderful pieces.

The Museo de Metales Preciosos houses impressive salons of pre-Columbian silver, gold and copper works and pieces from Tiwanaku.

The Casa de Murillo was once the home of Pedro Domingo Murillo, a leader in the La Paz Revolution of July 16, 1809: collections of colonial art and furniture, textiles, medicines, musical instruments and household items of glass and silver that once belonged to Bolivian aristocracy are on display.

We returned to collect our bags and were very fortunate indeed that we arrived just as they were locking the doors: we had not realised the museums close at midday and did not re-open until 2:30 p.m.! I must admit I would have had a panic to return and find the doors locked with my bag inside!! Anyway, we’d had a good morning; the museums were useful in helping consolidate some of the things we have been learning along the way; and filling in some gaps.

We spent the afternoon wandering streets, re-visiting the central Murillo Plaza with its fine buildings - the Palacio Presidential and the parliament building (the Palacio Legislativo).

And the markets: again returning to the Mercado de Hechiceria or Witches' Market with weird and wonderful stalls which sell everything from potions to incantations made from herbs, seeds, dried llama foetuses and unidentified bits and pieces to cure any ailment.

Of course, there are plenty of the more conventional markets of ponchos, gloves, hats and many other products made of alpaca wool, leather and other traditional materials.

Bewildered, we saw this ENORMOUS queue of older people: the building had the word 'jubilado' on it which I know means 'retired'. Apparently, after a certain age, retired people receive 200 Bolivianos (= $US. 28 approx.) a month from the Government. Here, they looked like they were queuing for bread ...

Talking of Bolivianos, I needed to get some more Bolivianos from a casa de cambio because I had forgotten to allow for the laundry cost! It is our last day in Bolivia so we just need enough Bolivianos to pay Ismael (our driver) a tip in the morning and the tax at the bus station.

We had a wonderful meal at Sol y Luna just around the corner from our hotel - a fusion of Dutch and Bolivian, family-run. Really nice meal including a course of black quinoa risotto with a Chilean cabernet - I know, we shouldn't at this altitude (over 3500 m). Tried a local beer (Paceña) also; I'd heard it was good - and it was. Our waitress had very passable English; she said she had done 6 months of classes but couldn't afford to continue them as the cost is 800 Bolivianos a month (= $US 115 approx.) and she only earns about 160 BOBS (= $US 23 approx.) a month!