La Paz and local tips

The city is 4000m above sea level. Imagine yourself living on the highest peak of the Rockies mountains. Imagine a city skyline with snowy mountains in the background. La Paz, Our Lady of Peace, one of the highest altitude cities in the entire world. The city is in a ditch, the rich and financial district at the bottom, the poor and poorer situate higher up the hills. At night, the concentrated house lights and street lamps sparkle half way up the sky. The sad part, the city is dirty, heavily polluted and often dangerous thus they have securities and polices everywhere in the business zone.

Slow, slow, slow. The locals walk so SLOW. Geezus, I was so annoyed with their slowness but it’s actually their intelligence. Almost everyone arriving have altitude sickness. Some people have headaches, some lose appetite, some struggles on bed for 4 straight days. One thing to definitely avoid here is running. Walk slowly, even if you’re walking on flat ground. If you move too fast, you’ll quickly run out of breath. There was once I ascended fast up the steps and within 10 seconds, less than half a block, I was panting hard with a spinning head.

Drinking wise, one must drink slow. I find myself easily tipsy with one drink. Reason one, the altitude makes you easily drunk, something to do with the pressure difference. Reason two, the bartenders are generous, none of those non-sense watered down drinks. They honestly and sincerely want to get you drunk. Drink slow, my dear, drink slow.