Small plots and hard work.

Farmers in the mountainous region south-west of La Paz have a hard life. High in the mountains (Altiplano) they scrape a living for themselves and their families.

The arable land consists of small plots and terraces scattered across the landscape. Farmers are working the soil by hand.

The people are poor and their houses are small and simple with tin roofs.

The crops are harvested; autumn is on its way.

Washed clothes are drying on the bushes alongside the road.

The countryside looks awesome, but the life is extremely hard.

More terraces.....

Some of these vegetables look like salad.

Higher up are even less possibilities for farming. Height and cold are taking their toll. 

Walking through an amazing canyon...

After visiting the "Moon" twice, we went for the "Spirits".... At least it isn't clear, the Valley of the Spirits is sometimes also referred to as the Valley of the Moon. There is a huge colourful canyon: Palca Canyon. An extremely beautiful landscape. This is also one of the best walks we took.

 We started a bit higher up the mountain (around 4000 m). In the Valley we followed the river. 

In the background Illimani (6438 m high) is lightly covered with clouds.

We are entering the Palca Canyon

(Here I "glued" two pictures together using "GIMP" and "FastStone" - "Stich"couldn't do it)

Inside the canyon

Part of the rock face looks like Bryce Canyon

At the end Illimani awaits us

Here, in red, you can see the route (from left to tight) we walked. The bus was waiting for us at the other end of the canyon.

Another Valley of the Moon....

We are welcomed to the Valley of the Moon by a woman in Bolivian traditional dress.

This is the second Valley of the Moon on our trip. It is just on the south-west outskirts of La Paz in the village of Mallasa. 

The Valley is not so large, but very different. It makes one think of Bryce Canyon (USA) and Cappadocia (Turkey). This landscape is the result of erosion. To walk around there are stairs and wooden bridges. Almost like a playground for grown ups. Even for people with a moderate fear of heights it is not scary.

Somehow this scenery reminds me of the old computer game  "Riven" (the sequel to "Myst"). Climb the stairs and walk around to search for clues to solve the mystery. Let's hope this isn't a labyrinth.

These eroded stairs were not so easy to tackle.

Even outside the park nature doesn't stop to impress..

In the center of La Paz

 La Paz is located on the sides of a very steep and rather narrow valley at the end of the high flat Altiplano of El Alto. At the deepest part there is a city highway running from El Alto to the south-east. The Plaza Mayor with the San Francisco church (started in 1548 as a convent) is located on the right side (when going down) of this main road.

Next to the Plaza Mayor is the market hall. A large concrete building with a lot of food stalls. No it is not a parking garage. From this market hall a colorful footbridge crosses the busy road into the city center on the other side.

Looking from the bridge to (more or less) the west......

...... and the other way to El Alto.

 

The road leading up to the Plaza Murillo is a walking area.

At the corner of the Plaza Murillo is the National Art Museum. A beautiful old building outside and inside.

The Metropolitan Cathedral built in 1835.

The presidential palace, the Palacio Quemado, is also situated on the Plaza Murillo

From the bridge at the market you have to climb some steep streets to go to Jaén street. As you have to stop a few times to get some air, look back and surprise yourself. The view to El Alto is amazing.

Jaén street is one of the few areas that have been restored. Here you also find many museums. 

On the corner of this arcade is a nice restaurant. Time to sit down and take a rest.

An ocean of houses......

La Paz  ... the highest (administrative) capital in the world.
Altitude 3650 meters.

The plane landed at the airport at El Alto; flat as a polder. Driving to the hotel in downtown La Paz we suddenly drove into a huge chasm. La Paz is built on the sides of this chasm all the way down to where the chasm becomes a valley.

Almost all the houses are built like cubes. Concrete pillars and walls of bricks in between. 

A wall of houses going up. Where the wall ends, the city of El Alto starts.  

A good looking neighbourhood in La Paz. 

La Paz, clinging to the "wall".

The city centre of La Paz. Left of the high rise building (one third of the left in the middle) is the presidential palace. 

In the background the mountain Illimani, the guardian of the city.
Illimani is 6438 meters high.

 

La Paz is a large city with almost a million inhabitants.

You can click here to see this panorama in a larger format.