No headache, no dizziness, no shortness of breath. When we land at the airport of La Paz at 4100 meters (13,450 ft) altitude, we are feeling well. It is the highest international airport in the world. The almost two months that we have spent at high altitudes pay off. I feel a bit like I’m full of energy, especially compared to the tourists who enter directly from lower altitudes. Well, I still prefer to take the luggage cart for our two backpacks (Conny can’t carry hers yet).
The airport is located in El Alto (in English “the high”), an independent town, which has grown together with La Paz to form a huge city. Now more than a million people live up here, where it even snows occasionally. The runway in El Alto is extra long, because the air friction is lower and therefore airplanes need longer to take off and land. Pilots need additional training for this kind of undertaking.
We live down in the center of La Paz, on the 10th floor of one of the many skyscrapers. The taxi driver calls it “little New York”. And in fact the atmosphere is much more international here compared to Sucre. Immediately after taking office, President Morales had plans to make La Paz the capital. But the inhabitants of Sucre took to the streets and protested. The conflict escalated so that Evo Morales discarded his idea and La Paz remained merely the seat of government. Not far from our AirBnb apartment there are some embassies, and there are also restaurants of various international cuisines. We try Chinese and Mexican and are not disappointed.
For our first activity it takes us back to El Alto for the infamous Cholita wrestling. Cholitas are indigenous women with traditional clothing in Bolivia. In order to prove that they are in no way inferior to men, once upon a time they started fighting each other. Nowadays, Cholita wrestling is an extremely bizarre show for locals and gringos. When the male referees start to get involved in the fight and attack one of the women, you really have to keep telling yourself that this is just an act. In the end everyone is in a good mood and the spectators are yelling.
The next morning we ride the cable car for the first time. We are immediately taken with President Evo Morales’ favorite project. There are now eight colored lines and three more are under construction. On the steep slopes of the city, this is an ingenious subway replacement. An Austrian company is responsible for the construction, so we board the gondolas without any worries. (Not like in Iran, where there were also Austrian lifts, which, however, appeared to be more than 50 years old). The locals are a bit more skeptical and thank God for the safe arrival at the summit station. The views of the “Linea morada” (purple line) on the way to El Alto are magnificent. In the background you can marvel at snow-covered 6000m peaks, below the ocean of houses, often in brick-red without plaster. Later we also take the green, yellow, red, light blue and dark blue lines. Each time there is a different view and different things to discover on the ground. The ultra-modern stations remind us of ski resorts in the Alps and are clearly out of place. Only the piste map is missing. 🙂 Taxi drivers confirm to us that especially during rush hours, when many workers have to go back to the cheaper El Alto, car traffic has significantly decreased since the gondolas exist.
Apart from this project, most of the people we talk to are disappointed by Evo Morales. On the one hand, they had hoped for a faster economic upturn. On the other hand, he does not take democracy too seriously. Next year presidential elections are due in Bolivia and actually Evo Morales should not be permitted to run again. According to the constitution, which he passed himself, the president is only allowed to rule for two terms. But the current term of office is already his third and the second under the new constitution. That is why Evo, as he is commonly called here, held a referendum on whether he could run again. 51% voted NO, but that doesn’t matter to him. Of course, the question was difficult, badly formulated, people actually want to re-elect him. In Europe one would probably call Evo Morales a populist, with his tendency towards nationalization and his very broad interpretation of the truth. Hugo Chavez sends his greetings. Many Bolivians are afraid that Bolivia will end up like Venezuela.
But Morales must also be credited for having achieved a great deal, especially for the indigenous population of which he is a member. In the past, indigenous people were denied access to certain places. Today there are signs everywhere saying ‘Todos son iguales ante la ley’ (All are equal under the law). It is understandable that especially indigenous people want to vote for him again. However, it is at least questionable whether it is a good idea to fill the chief posts of state institutions with representatives of the indigenous population who cannot read or write properly.
Even if individual Bolivians cannot feel it that much, Bolivia has moved forward economically. Poverty has been reduced enormously, and the partial nationalization of the extraction of raw materials has led to a significant increase in government revenues. There are new highways and the gondolas in La Paz. Some foreign companies, however, have withdrawn from Bolivia because of the threat of nationalization, Amazon, for example. Of course, these conditions do not create a good investment climate.
Since Bolivia produces almost nothing itself, there is a big discrepancy between the prices for goods that have to be purchased on the world market and the wages in the country. A visit to the hairdresser, for example, costs only 20 Bolivianos (2.50 euros). In contrast shampoo has a similar price as at home with three euros and more. How can there be anything left for the salary of the hairdresser? Although “my” hairdresser did not use shampoo at all, because he cuts generally without washing. But there is a fire show with flame thrower with which the cutting utensils are disinfected. Fortunately my hair did not catch fire, and a little bit of beard treatment was also included.
On our last day we discover by chance a “witch street” where healers use their witchcraft to get you more money, better health, more success in business or love. As our last activity in La Paz we ride the dark blue and red line: from the sunset above the streets of El Alto back down over the roofs of La Paz. We find every city, not only in Bolivia, should have such gondolas. Watching the hectic street life from above, we are a little grateful to Evo for his prestige project.
