291218: Tiahuanaco
We never intended to spend much time in La Paz but have found ourselves here for a full week. So this morning we had a look at what else we could see given we had visited the centre and El Alto already. There are a couple of geological formations to explore at the edge of the city but both guidebooks warn about foreigners being mugged there. One place we had never heard of was Tiahuanaco or Tiwanaku. On the way out to Lago Titicaca it is the ruins of an ancient civilisation that started 1,500 BC and which since seems to have entirely disappeared. It was not that far away so we asked Camila to recommend a decent taxi company and booked a car. Our driver wound his way up the steep sides of La Paz's valley. The houses are terraced and being carved into the side of the steep slopes. At the top, was El Alto. It was crazy and jammed with cars. The streets were blocked off with huge markets. Manoeuvring through the streets is l...