South American Capitals
As far as the South American cities I've visited go, the South American capitals vary a lot in their cycle-friendliness.
Asunción, Paraguay is flat and has wide streets - just don't pay attention to the heat and humidity. Just walking around, I sweated.
La Paz, Bolivia is tough. When I was there a few years ago, there were absolutely no public facilities for bicycles, and neither were there many cyclists. The streets are narrow, often colonial, traffic is clogged and chaotic and drivers aggressive. I remember cars driving aggressively toward people in crosswalks, to drive them out of the way. And once, as I pushed my bike across a congested street, a taxi drove forward to block my way - resentment, I guess.
But if you can stand all of that, riding thru the colonial streets at 3,500 meters is a kick.
Caracas, Venezuela is also hot, auto-congested, (gasoline is given away for 4 cents/gallon - how's that for investing in the poor!) and chaotic. N...
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