I'm in La Paz right now

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lowpull
lowpull

I have one full day tomorrow. What should I be doing? I went to the witch market and got some knit items and coca leaves. I walked all over the place getting light headed from the altitude this afternoon. My Spanish is non-existing so I had a hard time asking the locals where a good pub is. I plan on walking to mirador laikakota tomorrow in the morning, I am easily satisfied by views of nature but I don't feel I have the time to get too far from the city. What shouldn't I miss while I'm here?? Any suggestions other than Mongos for a decent pub??

Muchas gracias!
-nathan

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xinloi
xinloi

Did you buy the catalyst with your coca leaves? Works 100 times better with catalyst. You have to ask for it as they just don't give it to you.

Something to do--go to San Pedro Parke at 10:00 or 13:00 to do the walking tour with the girls wearing Red Hats. They can tell you where the best pubs are---I did not find anything special.

Shop for cheap Northface gear--you can get NF coats for $8 and NF Down vests for $4 if you shop around on side streets.

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tunabagel
tunabagel

the catalyst is called "legia" pronounced leh- gear and yes works ALOT better with that. I used to always take some trekking or climbing with me, helps alot at altitude.

"good pub " is always a personal thing and depends on what your looking for. You could try Oliver English, Sol y Luna or head to the mega center to The Dubliner. also the bars inside Loki and Wildrover.

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xinloi
xinloi

Tuna--I was told the name for the catalyst started with double L---LL and pronounced as Y. Don't recall who told me that.

In La Paz I bought the lime catalyze in a small clay-like grey ball; in Sucre I bought it as a hard stick like a piece of chalk. Both worked.

Book One River by wade davis really goes into detail about the catalyst--- Best is made from sea shells.

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jamesbrunker
jamesbrunker

#3 xinloi Llipta is another common word for the catalyst, I think one word might be Aymara and the other Quechua but don't quote me on it (there are probably other local words as well). There are quite a few different types made of varying lime / potash / ash mixtures, I've also seen a black sticky sweet one which is quinoa plant ash with some aniseed mixed in with it. I think any alkaloid substance will do, it neutralises the acids in the leaves and means the effect of the alkaloid is stronger.

Also xinloi, I vaguely remember a post of yours a while ago asking about when the puya raimondii plants flower. About now (Oct to Dec / Jan) is the answer, at least at a place called Comanche a couple of hours from La Paz where there are a decent number of them. I'd guess the ones in Peru bloom at a similar time.

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justin23
justin23
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Walking tour is good, they give a good insight into San Pedro prison. There was a riot when I was there.

Not much in La Paz IMO, but Sucre and Potosi are definite places to go.

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