La Paz - a bit of culture & TV

Ahoyhoy there,

I would like to say sorry to my Mum who is apparently very angry at me after reading the blog about yesterday´s advenutes. Dear Mum, I promise not to ride any more dangerous roads until the next one.

WRT my day of rest and culture in La Paz I am glad to say I´ve managed a little of both. 

First up was the Museum of Coca, a plant with a history as long as South America´s. This was a cheap and basic little place but they had a guide book translation for those not fluent in Spanish and this made it accessable and really interesting, well it was to me. Would you like a brief history of coca? No? Well OK but I´ll put it in the book. Alas no photography was allowed. Why is this? I can understand no flash photography but grow up and stop being small minded. I will force you to look at a coca press or as I see it a wasted opportunity to squish some apples and ferment the result:

I mooched on and again passed the former lamas strung up in various stalls. I know I said I missed the lama foetuses but on seconf thoughts these might be them. What do you think and what do you do with them? Bolivian beef jerky?

Anyway next stop was the Museum of Culture which was interesting but as everything was in Spanish I couldn´t learn anything interesting apart from they were good at weaving, have a long history of ceremonial masks, and used pots. Shame because the masks were amazing; some 5´ high. Wish I could have got some photos for you.

I mooched around picking up a few essentials and made my way to Plaza Murillo on which can be found a cathedral, the Presidential palace and congress. It is the Trafalgar Square of Bolivia with even more feathered rats.

It really was becomeing a beautiful day. There is no hassle with pushing selling or anything to make you feel uncomfortable on the street in the three countries I have been in so far.

The church of San Fransisco is pretty but the museum next to it looked dull and was expensive so I didn´t bother. Is pretty though:

I pootled on back to the hotel where a delightful afternoon nap was had and I watched 40 year old virgin for the first time and was amazed to see Seth Rogan in a film and me not want to burn him for heating oil. After this my day was made to be able to speak to Sam. It was a bad line but it felt great. Alas Mum was not answering so I was spared a telling off.

Back on the road tomorrow!

TTFN all,

Tiggly-under-there