City Calling Me out into the Night

Wednesday 21 April
Uyuni – La Paz

It was a pretty uneventful journey to La Paz, I slept fairly well despite having to go to the toilet a couple of times. We arrived in La Paz at about 6. I took a taxi to the hostel and had to wait for reception to open at 7. I hadn’t booked in advance but they had space. I managed to get a bed in a small en suite dorm which was sweet. Although I couldn’t check in until 1.30. So I killed time by having a much needed shower (the first in three days), breakfast and faffing around on the internet.

I checked into my room and met some of my roommates who were pretty cool. I started downloading the Doctor Who and Formula 1 episodes from the weekend given that I hadn’t been near internet access for a few days.

I went for lunch at a place a few blocks away and had a chance to look at the city properly for the first time. La Paz is situated in a valley, and the main road through the city is in the floor of the valley, where the river once was. It is as Jeremy Clarkson once said, “the world’s highest capital, and also the worst.” I’m not sure if he’s been to Asunción and I hear Port-au-Prince isn’t that great right now but he’s probably right. It’s remarkably nondescript and there isn’t much to look at. It’s very similar to the new town in Quito in that respect. An unruly collection of modern buildings put together without context.

In the afternoon I meet a new roommate called Debbie. I go to the bar and have a drink with her. We have a conversation about national pride and I explain how it’s possible to be proud of being British without (a) having to go on about it and (b) having to put other countries down. I mean, after all, you just have to say “Empire” and the conversation’s over. It’s that simple.

Anyway it was clear I was winning the “discussion” as Debbie started to go pale and spoke about feeling ill. She asked me to find the nearest toilet and so I went off to do that. But it was too late. By the time I had returned she had been given a bucket by the barman and had already thrown up. I like to think I have that effect on a lot of people. Though the altitude probably helped.

She retired to her bed and luckily I noticed my other roommates in another part of the bar. They were with a few other friends that they had already made and I joined them while they were in the middle of some drinking games. I took part and thankfully had the benefit of being less drunk than they already were. There was also one member of the group who was that rarest of beasts – a nice Israeli. (Just to remind you in case you’ve forgotten but the majority of Israelis that travel in South America at least are disgustingly rude and universally hated.)

After the hostel bar turfed us out we went on a hunt for bars that were still happening. One was full of Israelis. The other two were empty. After the third the others called it a night. As they were leaving so were a group of randoms who were going to the fabled Route 36. Well, I had to go once while I was in La Paz so I went with them. I did what everybody does there and then, when it was over, I went home.