la paz, bolivia

Bolivia's capital, La Paz, means 'the peace,' and it's pretty mellow for a decent-sized city (population a bit over a million).  (The full name is Nuestra Señora de la Paz, 'our lady of the peace,' after the Virgin Mary.)  It's bustling with pedestrians, but I never felt unsafe or crowded in.

When you cross the 'zebra stripes' in some of the central areas, there are friendly zebras to help you.  (The zebra on the left has a red "Pare" (stop) sign to direct people and cars.)  All major cities should have zebra crossing guards, no?

There was a nice variety of architecture and bright, cheery colors:

I was amazed every time I caught a glimpse of the city crawling up the hillsides.

I liked the mix of old and new, too.

There were also some neat old cars:

Sometimes it felt like people were looking at us.

And I'd think, 'Why aren't they looking at these people in their incredible costumes?' instead (below, left)?

Or this guy juggling on a corner:

I guess we're just fascinated by what's different.

Like telephone booths shaped like military trucker caps.

Or how the same church can look very different, depending on the angle and time of day.

 La Paz was lovely at night, too, with tons of places to eat and a nice city skyline.

Next up: Carnaval in La Paz.