Evening thunderstorms over the Bolivian Andes.The Andes Part 7: La Paz
As an administrative capital of Bolivia (the political capital is Sucre), La Paz is the highest capital city in the world, although its exact elevation is difficult to determine due to its unique topography. The city does not have the splendid architectural monuments of Cuzco or Quito, but thanks to its unusual location it is one of the most beautiful and surprising cities in the world - provided you can find good viewpoints.
Aerial view of La Paz. |
View of La Paz from El Alto. |
La Paz has been built in a deep canyon cutting into the edge of the Altiplano. The historic center is at the bottom of the upper canyon; poor suburbs spill out on the cold plateau and descend for miles into the hot, dry Andean foothills to the east. |
View of La Paz from El Alto. |
La Paz at sunset. |
La Paz and Illimani at sunset. |
The place and time to be is one of those poor suburbs, called El Alto, at sunset. The view of the city and 6,438 m-tall Illimani is one of the best on this planet. Getting there from the city center takes 15-30 minutes. |
La Paz and Illimani at sunset. |
La Paz and Illimani at sunset. |
La Paz and Illimani at sunset. |
To get to the viewpoint, take a taxi or minibus from the center to El Alto, and ask to stop at El Mirador. Seeing a really good sunset might take more than one trip - the sky in the west is often covered by low clouds. |
La Paz and Illimani after sunset. |
Sunset thunderstorm in the mountains above La Paz. |
Sunset thunderstorm in the mountains above La Paz. |
In winter (June- October) the weather is a bit better, and if you are lucky, you might see one of spectacular Andean snowstorms. |
Sunset clouds in the mountains above La Paz. |
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| Sunset thunderstorm in the mountains above La Paz. |
Sunset thunderstorm in the mountains above La Paz. |
These storms are formed when eastern winds bring hot, moist air from the lowlands. In winter they seldom reach the city itself. |
Sunset clouds in the mountains above La Paz. |
Daytime view of La Paz from El Alto. |
View of La Paz from El Alto. |
Of course, it's not a good idea to just watch the city from above without entering it. La Paz has a lot to see. Let's walk down one of the steep streets from El Alto to the city center, it's only 600 m (2,000') of elevation drop. |
View of La Paz from El Alto. |
View from an airplane approaching El Alto airport, La Paz. |
Part 8. La Paz (continued)
Back to Part 6
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