I arrived in La Paz, Bolivia this morning. It is the highest elevation capital on earth at about 12,000 feet. But since it is fairly near the equator, the weather is usually crisp and clear without being cold.

The women dress in their native costumes.  All the streets are packed with open-air markets and women sitting there on the sidewalk selling pretty much anything you can think of. They all carry their little infants in a sort of  “papoose” on their backs, and they wear a sort of derby hat. It is colorful.

The government is way the hell to the left, so they are seemingly forever protesting this or that, marching down the main street in costume. All the people are easy going and hospitable.

The town is VERY compact. Almost everything of interest is within a fifteen-minute walk from my budget hotel.

The hotel gives you a private room and bath together with cable TV including CNN and HBO together with in-room wifi, and it is situated in the tourist center — all for $12 a night.

There is a five star hotel down the way where I have an all-you-can eat buffet including grilled steaks and chops for $10.

Since it sits in a steep valley, when you look in any direction there are the hills rising above the town, and so at night they are sort of lit like a Christmas tree…

It’s good to be back in La Paz.