Day Of The Sculls (Natitas) - Festival Celebrations In Bolivia

The Incredible Mountain City of La Paz, Bolivia

La Paz whose full name is Nuestra Señora de La Paz is the administrative capital of Bolivia and the second largest city in the country (in population) after Santa Cruz de la Sierra. Bolivia has two capitals - while the official capital of Bolivia is Sucre and it is the seat of Justice, La Paz has more government departments, hence the "de facto" capital of the country. At a elevation of roughly 3,650 m above sea level, Laz Paz is also the highest de facto capital city in the world.

La Paz is built in a canyon created by the Choqueyapu River (now mostly built over), which runs northwest to southeast. The city sits in a bowl-like depression surrounded by the high mountains of the altiplano. As the city continues to grow, it climbs over the hills, the buildings clinging impossibly to the mountain side. The sight from the air as one flies into La Paz is incredible. “First, one sees the sprawling shantytowns of El Alto, slowly giving way to the sight of La Paz itself, clinging tenuously to the sides of what looks like a large gash in the earth”,