Cochabamba

The gastronomic capital of Bolivia.

There were a lot of food options in this city, but I didn't make it out to a lot of them. I was sick the whole time and didn't want to risk introducing anything unknown to my system. It was not a fun time internally.

But outside it was lovely. I was no longer in the cold mountaintop city of La Paz. I was in a pleasant valley in a town whose slogan is "the city of eternal spring". The hostel I was staying at was also extremely nice and not anywhere close to the town. It was on a ranch about 20 minutes outside of town. All around were mountains and clean fresh air and beautiful sunshine. It was a welcome change from the hustle and bustle of a gigantic city.

There is a massive market in this city called La Cancha. There are so many beautiful textiles on offer here. I've seriously considered sending home a container and selling the items. They would easily sell. Scarves, purses, dresses, jewelry, knick-knacks and assorted odds and ends. They would sell themselves.

It was interesting to see the way this city values it's colonial architecture. It really doesn't. The plazas are all falling apart. The paint is peeling and the balconies are dilapidated. There are electric wires hanging up on the ceilings creating a real eyesore for pictures. I decided not to take any. It wasn't really worth it.

I've been flying all over this beautiful country. It is so cheap at approximately $50 for a 45 minute flight. The alternative to flying is a long 7-17 hour bus ride through mountain roads, depending on the location. The buses are very cheap at about $5 for the same destination as the flights. But I can't do that to myself. It's just so much easier to fly. High life!

Jesus

This city has a huge Jesus Christ statue at the top of a hill overlooking the city. There is a cable car that goes to the top, but of course, it wasn't working when I went there. On the last night, my stomach was finally capable of handling some foreign food and I went straight to the bbq houses. I had passed by a row of bbq places the first night I was in town and the smells were haunting my dreams the whole time. I ordered a rack of short ribs and a Coke. It was amazing. The best meat I've had in a while.