Around La Paz

Regular readers will recall (are there any, apart from Laura and Brother Ian?) that we said yesterday we would keep an open mind about La Paz until our city tour today.  This was wise.  The night was interesting with lots of explosions that we could only assume were dynamite (coz that's what our tour guide had suggested was happening) but this morning we were informed they were mostly fireworks celebrating something or other, with the miners in town for the strikes chucking a few sticks of dynamite.
The day has been very sunny and warm, and the tour took us to fascinating places, chiefly the Valley of the Moon at the southern end of the city with much eroded landscape in interesting shapes. 

Insane Bolivian cavorting on the moon, flying like a condor, the guide said.

At the moon, with pepper trees and cacti
View from a high point in the middle of the bowl that the city occupies afforded 360 degree views of the valley/bowl, including the soccer stadium and a forest of gum trees to the north which the guide called "the lungs of the city".  There are more gum trees in Peru and Bolivia than  Oz it seems.  There are also lots of wattles and pepper trees, so we felt at home. 

I asked the guide how the visiting soccer teams prepare to play at 3,600metres, and he said the Brazillians fly in 2 hours before the game, then get out asap.  This makes sense.  We all felt fine when we first got to the high altitude in Cusco, but we have been increasingly aware of its effects the longer we have stayed.  So much for acclimitisation.
Drive back to the hotel took us through the upper crust part of town, with mansions costing upwards of $US1 million.  The district reminded Julie and I of the Springfield area of Adelaide, particularly with all the Oz flora, green hedges etc.

After the tour we walked down to the main avenue in blazing sunshine and joined lots of happy families in the long green area running down its middle.  Slow stroll down, found a lazy coffee then slow stroll back, to relax in the room.

Tea at a  neighbouring hotel where Mal presented Elvis with the tour tip ($US620 - he was worth every cent) and we celebrated one of the party's birthday.

Question on everyone's lips: will we get out of here tomorrow it a strike closes down the city? We are due to leave at 9.30am for the 45 min drive to the airport to catch a flight to Lima via Santa Cruz leaving at 2.25pm, then wait to catch another flight to Santiago arriving at 2am!!!  We will be tired chicks.