Thin Air in the Andies

Have you ever considered what it's like to breathe 4,000 meters above sea level?  I did when I knew I was going to La Paz.  Everyone who'd been there said they thought they would never be able to cope with the altitude.  I imagined myself gasping for isolated pockets of oxygen.

The problem is that you don't gradually climb to that height, you are instantly there.

We arrived at six a.m. from lowland Miami.  The aircrew woke us with hot drinks, and most people chose tea or coffee.  An American gentleman opted for a cup of hot water, to which he added a teabag.  "Helps me with the altitude," he explained.  "Always suffer when I first arrive."  I learned to do the same whenever I could.  The teabag contained finely chopped coca leaves - which surprisingly can be bought legally in America, but not in Britain.

Mount Illimani

Below us I could make out the Grande Cordillera range of mountains that separates La Paz from the Amazon basin.  Mount Illimani is the highest peak.

At the air terminal I walked down the steps, breathing... well, normally.  The air was thinner, but I felt confident I could deal with it. And you can - so long as you don't do anything.  Leaving the
airport, I saw La Paz laid out before me in an amazing panorama.

La Paz

Our tour guide advised us to drink three litres of water a day - just keep drip feeding the stuff.  My wife, Pat and I tasked ourselves with buying a litre of water each and returning it to the hotel.  Have you noticed this first mistake?

Then we took a stroll along the avenue Municipal Santa Cruz in the pleasant seventy degree sunshine.  My chest began to tighten as we ascended the gentle slope and I found myself searching for breath.  There were several cafes, fresh fruit baskets and bric-a-brac stalls along the busy thoroughfare.  I sat at an open air table and introduced myself to coca tea - it tasted OK.

Next morning I gasped for breath as I Drew on my socks, a bit like you do after running a 100 yard sprint.

We began our tour with a cultural walk around the city, and given an insight into the Bolivian mind with a history lesson.  In 1879, according to the guide, Chile invaded Bolivia's Atacama Desert in a bid to take ownership of the generous mineral deposits.  The Bolivians, in the middle of a two week fiesta, decided to finish their festivities before going out to defend the outlying territory.

Parliament Building

La Paz is the seat of government for Bolivia and the parliament building is lavish compared too much of La Paz.  We weren't told whether coca is drank in there, but it is so much a part of Bolivian culture, I'd expect it to be.