#62 Surviving La Paz

A dried, llama fetus on sale at the Witches Market in downtown La Paz.

Sitting in a descending canyon, surrounded by moon valleys, La Paz is famous for its unique topography, and altitude (3,600 m.a.s.l) and even more famous for its unique tourist attractions. During the day visitors flock to bicycle down the road dubbed 'The World's Most Dangerous', despite at least 18 tourists having died since 1998. During the evening many sample cocaine in bars where white powder is sold over the counter. Ten years ago the big thing to do was take a tour of San Pedro prison, located in the heart of the centre next to a leafy plaza, where inmates must purchase their own cell and daily meals.* Rest assured parents, we did not try any of the above, but only include it to demonstrate that La Paz is not your average city.

#61 In the Jungle the Mighty Jungle - Rurrenabaque

The tour began with a lazy three hour boat ride up the river. It gave us a chance to relax, enjoy birdlife, and, most importantly, nature (that's why I come up here). We disembarked for a short walk to our base camp surrounded by abundant foliage. Almost there, I was busy reflecting how pleasant life was when suddenly I noticed small black things swarming my jandals. Screams erupted and suddenly everyone was trying to run. I realised why when I felt a sharp pain and a burning sensation on my left toe. I joined in the stampede and thought to myself, WELCOME TO THE AMAZON JUNGLE.

#60 The Day that was Worse than the Worst Day Ever

After surviving the mud to reach San Ignacio de Moxos we were both under the impression we could conquer anything, a conviction we came to rely on sooner than expected.

#59 The Worst Day Ever - Trinidad to San Ignacio

Arriving in Santa Cruz we finally found a bed to sleep in. One so comfortable we hardly left it, spending most of our time in the city watching television. Even our hostel's pool couldn't drag us away from the comfort of a mattress. Four days turned into five after a night on some heavy cocktails. Admittedly only two of them, but we have become such lightweights it was enough to get us to karaoke! Clearly it was time to move on.