Page 20 of South America by Audley Travel

la paz la paz high up in the andes the earth suddenly falls away to reveal a huge bowl-shaped canyon with a city spread across its floor and clinging to the steep sides la paz will quite literally take your breath away with its glorious location overlooked by the snow-capped peak of mount illimani it is a bustling and friendly place that is fascinating to wander around aymara women dressed in voluminous skirts and bowler hats with children swaddled in multi-coloured blankets tied on their backs fill the cobbled streets with their market stalls your purchases here could be anything from local handicrafts to coca leaves to mysterious potions from the witches market adventures around la paz chacaltaya is a ramshackle lodge that proudly claims to be the world s highest ski resort perched on a clifftop at 5,600 metres the breathtaking views include that of the regal huayna potosí skiing is not recommended here but mounting a bicycle and descending over 3,000 metres in 55 kilometres into the subtropics certainly is this is just one of the several exhilarating downhill bike journeys that can be done from la paz another that starts at the windy la cumbre pass ends several thrilling hours later in the warm somnolent town of coroico your journey which can also be done by car takes you through magnificent scenery jagged mountains and frozen streams give way to the citrus groves and coffee plantations of the yungas sub-tropical region tiahuanaco with its monoliths and carved gateways the ruins of tiahuanaco lie on a windy valley near to lake titicaca it is thought they were once part of a magnificent imperial capital that thrived 1500 years ago and was believed to exert more influence than the inca empire in its time and possibly be the inspiration for its more famous successor your guide will point out the unusual stone carvings such as snakes with human heads and figures with two left hands at this intriguing site la paz handicrafts la paz reed boat making lake titicaca 20

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