La Paz

Much like its counterpart in Cusco, Loki is the place to stay in La Paz. Slightly overpriced, brimming with luxurious extras — e.g. bar, TV room, free Internet — and strictly gringos only. Definitely the place to go if you want to meet people, and if you want to party all night, every night. Loki La Paz is quite new (the Cusco one is the original and the biggest); but despite not yet being in any of the guidebooks, it's already fully booked out days in advance. It is in itself an attraction of the city.

After only three days in this country, it's already clear: "en Bolivia, no hay" (lit: "in Bolivia, there isn't"). "No hay" is by far the most common answer to all the many questions that I've asked people so far in this country. Dinner? "No hay". Change? "No hay". Internet? "No hay". Buses? "No hay". Cake? "No hay". Anything to drink, other than Paceña beer? "No hay". Welcome to Bolivia, the country where whatever the hell it is you're looking for, it's guaranteed that you won't easily find it. No matter how simple it seems, no matter how likely you'd think it is that they have it, nope: "no hay".

Good budget deal in the middle of La Paz, pretty close to all the action. The traffic is a bit noisy and can wake you up in the morning (the traffic is horrible in central La Paz) — and they have a strange habit of cleaning the bathrooms at 8am in the morning — but otherwise, no complaints. Not the most social place I've ever stayed at, but certainly better than Tambo de Oro, where I was last night (doesn't merit a write-up, as it's not worth going to at all). If you want the real party scene, then of course you have to stay at Loki.

After we finished our guided tour of the Tiwanaku ruins this afternoon, our guide told us that there was one more little section left for us to see, if we wanted to have a look at it. But we had to hurry, because it was 4:30pm, and all the ruins closed at 5pm. So Chris and myself (Pascale elected instead to sit and smoke) went to check them out. However, even at 4:40pm, we were too late — already shut. Closing earlier than advertised is a popular pastime, here in Bolivia.

For a nice, relaxed day of Sunday ruins, today Chris, Pascale and myself went and visited the ruins of Tiwanaku, which are just an hour's bus ride out of La Paz. Tiwanaku is the home of the Tiwanaku culture, an ancient people that built themselves an empire upon the altiplano of Bolivia, long before Inca times, and that were most likely the ancestors of many modern-day Aymara-speaking Bolivians.

For our first dinner tonight in La Paz, Chris, Pascale and myself found a great local joint, that gave us soup, juice, and a plate of steak and rice, all for just Bs. 3.50 (about $AUD0.50)! Not bad tasting, either (and we didn't get sick from it, as a further bonus). As Chris said: "I think that this is the cheapest meal I've had. Ever. In my whole life." I can probably say the same for myself. Apart from the weird payment system, it was one hell of a cheap and awesome dinner.