I flew into the highest airport in the world in La Paz, Bolivia yesterday morning. The airport is at 4000m, about 12,ooo ft, and overlooks the city. The city is built on the slopes and is truly amazing. I spent yesterday wandering the streets of La Paz. There was many a time that I was out of breath, because everything is sloped and I am not accustomed to such high altitude. I went to the Coca Leaf museum, where I learned about the history and importance of coca to Bolivia and the world. Apparently, the United Nations blames the coca leaf for Bolivia and Peru´s poverty. After visiting the museum, I walked around in el mercado de Hechicheria-the Witches market. There, I saw all kinds of interesting things, but most notable were the llama fetuses hanging from the stalls. Here in Bolivia, when building a house, it is good luck to bury a llama fetus in the foundation. I also saw all kinds of herbs, foods, and weird looking trinkets. Also along the streets were many stalls selling costumes for carnaval, which starts on Saturday. After all this walking I was exhausted and had to take a nap back at the hostel. I think that the altitude really affected me and I ended up sleeping yesterday and last night for over 12 hours.
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