LaPaz1943 1 53.20 6.88 ThetravelerwhocrossesBolivia'shighplateautowarditschiefcity,LaPaz,comesuponitsuddenly. LaPaz1943 1 60.32 6.64 Picturesque,Brightcolored,acityinminiature. LaPaz1943 1 68.16 6.32 Here,aquarterofamillionpeopleliveinamoderncommunity,twoandahalfmilesabovesealevel. LaPaz1943 1 74.80 6.32 LaPazisthehighestbigcityintheworld,highereventhanLASAinTibet. LaPaz1943 1 82.00 6.40 Thincoldair,thepeopleofLaPazarewelladjusted,althoughlivingsohighdoesmakeadifference. LaPaz1943 1 88.56 29.68 Eveninpeoplewhowereborntoit,thePaseƱos,asresidentsofLaPazcallthemselves,arelikelytoalternatebetweenperiodsofnervousnessandapathyandtheforeignerswhocomefromsuchsealevelpointsasLimaorNewYorkorBuenosAires,findthatthescarcityofoxygenconvertsclimbingaflightofstairsintoamajorphysicaleffortandwalkinguponeofthesteepstreetsbecomesaHerculeantask. LaPaz1943 1 119.04 7.52 NomatterwhereonewantstogoinLaPaz,italwaysseemstobeuphillgoinganduphillcomingback. LaPaz1943 1 127.36 3.44 Therearemanystrangephenomenainlifeatthisaltitude. LaPaz1943 1 131.04 3.28 There'ssolittleoxygenthatfiresaredifficulttostart. LaPaz1943 1 134.40 2.40 So,noonecarriesfireinsurance. LaPaz1943 1 137.12 8.40 Anautomobileloses40%ofitspowerandittakessixminutestoboilathreeminuteegg. LaPaz1943 1 149.04 9.68 Theheartofol'LaPazisinthePlaza,Maurilio,whereitissaidthatthefirstcryofrebellionagainstSpanishrule,arosein1809. LaPaz1943 1 159.20 8.16 Onthegreatsquares,thehandsomecathedral,oneofthelargestintheworldwhere12,000peoplemayworshiptogether. LaPaz1943 1 168.00 8.00 AroundthisPlazaaretheprinciplegovernmentbuildingswhereinLAPazaretheexecutiveandlegislativebranchesofthegovernment. LaPaz1943 1 176.16 5.76 TheSupremecourt,however,meetsinSucra. LaPaz1943 1 182.56 10.96 TheIndiansofthisregion,fromthehighplateauabovethecityandtheluxuriantyungasvalleysbeyondthemountainstotheeast,arenotoriouslybadcitydwellers. LaPaz1943 1 194.48 3.36 Theydohowever,comeintomarketonweekends. LaPaz1943 1 198.00 4.40 Thenthecityisalivewiththesestrangeandquietpeople. LaPaz1943 1 203.12 4.08 TheyareforthemostpartoftheancientAymaratribe. LaPaz1943 1 207.68 4.16 LongbeforetheIncas,theywereapowerfulrace. LaPaz1943 1 212.80 10.40 TheymaketheirheadquartersintheoldInswhosecourtyardsbecomewarehousesfortheirgoods. LaPaz1943 1 226.32 4.48 Inthemarket,theyeatthehotandhighsmellingpicante. LaPaz1943 1 231.12 10.88 Thismaybeastewwithmeat,potatoes,andcornorroastmeatservedaloneflavoredwithpepperandgarlic. LaPaz1943 1 243.76 7.84 Here,theybargainforlittlepilesofpalegreenleavescalledcoca,fromwhichthedrugcocaineisderived. LaPaz1943 1 251.84 12.40 Tothesepeoplewhochewitliketobacco,itisanopiatetohelpthemtoendurethebittercoldandthehardlabor,butthehabitualuseofCocadullstheintellect. LaPaz1943 1 264.32 6.48 SothatenlightenedBoliviansarenowtryingtostampoutthepractice. LaPaz1943 1 272.08 8.32 ButevenmorecharacteristicoftheLaPazscenethantheIndians,aretheCholos,peopleofmixedSpanishandIndianblood. LaPaz1943 1 280.64 4.32 Theycompriseabout25%ofBolivia'spopulation. LaPaz1943 1 285.28 8.48 Adaptable,colorful,andintelligent,theygrowdailymoreimportantinBoliviannationalrights. LaPaz1943 1 295.52 15.44 SometimesparadingonaSaint'sdayonacloudofconfettiandincense,moreoftenglidingalongunderloadsthatwouldstaggeraHuskyNorthAmericanatthisaltitude,theyareasomnipresentasthecobblestonesofthestreet. LaPaz1943 1 311.60 6.48 TheirgreatfestivaloftheyearisALaCetusmodernizedremnantofanancientIndiancustom. LaPaz1943 1 318.40 23.76 HeretheCholosandIndianscomefrommanypartsofBolivia,bringingtheirownhandicraftstoselltherealstarofthefestivalistheAkeko,atinyplastermannequin,agoodfairyofprosperity,anancientlegend,orthepeoplebelievethatiftheypurchasedatthefairminiaturereproductionsofthingstheywantduringtheyear. LaPaz1943 1 342.24 9.44 AndiftheyhangthemaroundtheAkeko,theirwisheswillbegranted. LaPaz1943 1 352.96 21.84 TinybagsofriceandCoca,newshoes,weddingrings,toyhorses,trucks,andgaudynewapartmenthouses,allsurroundtheAkekoandthejollylittleGodandallhisfinewareswillstandguardinthehouseholdofhispurchaseruntilhemakesallthedreamscometrue. LaPaz1943 1 374.96 7.28 OratleastuntilthefairofALaCetusreturnsnextyear. LaPaz1943 1 384.64 4.32 ALaCetusbringsouttheCholaofLaPiesinherfullglory. LaPaz1943 1 389.28 1.92 Theynevercostumeinperson. LaPaz1943 1 391.36 2.80 Shemayspendamonthincomeonapairofearrings. LaPaz1943 1 394.32 4.64 Sheisstillapracticalbusinesswoman,ahard-headedshopkeeper. LaPaz1943 1 399.36 9.84 SheisanextravagantlylovingmotheraCholawithoutababyonherbackishardlyacompleteChola. LaPaz1943 1 412.16 3.12 Humorousquixotic,sharptongue. LaPaz1943 1 415.52 31.12 TheCholaisuniqueandknowsitDuringthethreedaysofALaCetus,troopsofdancersandmusicians,dancedownthenarrowcobbledwaysintothepatiostoplaytheirstrangetoonsandtoperformtheirgaydance. LaPaz1943 1 446.96 3.28 Whirlinginherbrightshawlanddozenpetticoats. LaPaz1943 1 450.40 2.64 TheinevitableDerbysetatajauntyangle. LaPaz1943 1 453.20 82.64 TheCholaisagayandprovocativefigure,unlikeanyotherintheworld. LaPaz1943 1 536.32 12.32 ButallofLaPazisnotmarketsandfairsanddancingforthecityofpeaceisfullofcolonialtraditionfoundedin1548byaLieutenantofPedroDaylaGasca. LaPaz1943 1 548.72 52.16 ItisLadenwithallthearchitecturalglories,whichgracetheearlycapitalSpanishstoneworkbyIndianartists,tendstoperpetuateIndianformsandtheheadsofancientGodsloomsstrangelyontheseChristiancolumns,Evenhere,theCholareappears,thistimeinanotherguyasanursetoanewlychristenedchild,thecholanursestomanyLaPazfamilies,whattheNegromammywasintheSouthernhomesoftheUnitedStates,andmanyachildofSpanishspeakingparentsgrowsupspeakingfluentAymara. LaPaz1943 1 602.00 10.96 Alsobelongingtoantiquityisthisstrangelybeautifulcemeterywherethedeadareplacedintombshighabovetheground. LaPaz1943 1 618.88 4.64 Inanewpartofthecityisthenationalstadiumseating60,000people. LaPaz1943 1 640.80 12.80 Bolivians,incommonwithvirtuallyallothersouthAmericans,areloversofsoccer,whichtheyplayfarharderandbetterthanwouldseempossibleatthisaltitude. LaPaz1943 1 660.48 1.92 Imagineyourselfdoingthis. LaPaz1943 1 662.40 39.60 Forexample,ontopofPike'speak,SmartLaPazlovesthemovies. LaPaz1943 1 702.24 7.52 ThisisonecityinwhichArgentineandMexicanmadefilmsarealmostasfrequentasthosefromnorthAmerica. LaPaz1943 1 710.24 4.32 MostfashionableistheVermouthorsixo'clockshowonSundayevening. LaPaz1943 1 714.80 8.00 ThisisonehourintheweekwhenyoucanbefairlysureofseeingLaPazoutinitsbestbibandTucker. LaPaz1943 1 723.44 5.68 ThereisstillanotherLaPaz,notpicturesque,butimportantforthecity'sfuture. LaPaz1943 1 729.36 5.60 TheBolivianshavegreatambitionfortheindustrializationoftheircountryandfactories. LaPaz1943 1 734.96 15.04 Likethisarebecomingfocalpointineconomicexpansion. LaPaz1943 1 750.00 11.84 Theyhaveanalmostchildlikeloveofintricatemachinery,andtheyalsohavesufficientgoodandinexpensivemanpowertorunit. LaPaz1943 1 762.32 3.36 Butthereareobstaclestoindustrialexpansionhere. LaPaz1943 1 766.00 2.72 There'slittlefuelforplantoperation. LaPaz1943 1 769.12 42.16 Mostseriousofall,everypieceofmachineryinthiswoolfactoryhadtomakethelongseatripfromEuropeornorthAmericaandtheexpensiverailtripupfromthePacificcoast. LaPaz1943 1 811.84 7.36 Inspiteoftheseobstacles,industrializationandconstructionaregoingaheadinthisnewrealisticLaPaz. LaPaz1943 1 819.52 13.20 Thisfantasytinsproject,oftearingdownahillasthepurelypracticalendinviewofconstructingahighwaytolinkLaPazwithitsEasternsuburbofMiraFlores. LaPaz1943 1 833.44 3.52 Intheseprojects,Cholosarethechiefworkman. LaPaz1943 1 837.28 8.96 Indianswilloccasionallyjointhemforafewdays,buttheyarefarmersatheartandprefertoworkthesoil. LaPaz1943 1 880.72 18.88 InMiraFlores,constructionisinprogressonanewworkershousingprojecttoreplacetheancientAdobehuts,whichitisthewishofeverycitizenofLAPaztodestroy. LaPaz1943 1 900.32 9.92 Andalloverthecity,theAdobesarecomingdownandnewstarklymodernbuildingsofreinforcedconcreteandbrickaregoingup. LaPaz1943 1 910.80 9.44 ThesilhouetteofLaPazischangingmorerapidlythanthatofanyotherAmericancapitaltoday. LaPaz1943 1 922.96 2.56 Thisreconstructionisahardjob. LaPaz1943 1 925.76 7.68 Thereisnoeasyaccesstobuildingmaterialthere'slittlewoodandallironandsteelmustbeimported. LaPaz1943 1 933.76 4.72 Thisaddstothecostandincreasesthedifficultiesofallconstruction. LaPaz1943 1 938.64 3.84 Butstilltheybuild. LaPaz1943 1 943.92 18.40 Bolivialookstoatimewhenagreaterpartofhernationalterritorywillbecomeeconomicallyeffectiveproducingnotonlytinandotheroreforwhichsheisalreadyfamous,butfood,clothing,andbuildingmaterialssufficientforherownneeds. LaPaz1943 1 964.40 5.20 LaPaz,thecenterofmodernBoliviaisalreadythehighestbigcityintheworld. LaPaz1943 1 969.84 2.88 Itisgrowinginthefaceoftremendousodds. LaPaz1943 1 973.04 2.80 Andsotherewassomespecialvirtueinthisheight. LaPaz1943 1 976.08 3.20 Asthoughitliterallyincreasedthestatureofthecity. LaPaz1943 1 979.52 20.08 LaPazhassetit'sheartontheideaandit'sbacktothejoboflivingatleasthalfadozenstorieshigher.