We kicked off our adventures with the world's longest flight ever. SFO -> DFW-> MIA-> LPB. The only saving grace in all of this is that I got Priority Access on American and was able to get on and off the plane pretty much as fast as I wanted to. After some fairly crappy experiences on all flights( watched a movie without audio because it wasn't working) and peeing a lot(side effects of DIAMOX) we made it to La Paz. This was my favorite part. We got through immigration, baggage claim and customs in less than 5 minutos! Winning! My friend's fiancé and dad were already at the airport ready to ferry us to the hotel. Couple of things to note: 1. Altitude sickness is real. We felt the effects almost instantaneously. Labored breaths with a cognitive capacity of 50% seemed to be the norm for some of us. 2. You need to belt in and hope that you get to your destination safely. El trafico es muy mala en Boliviana! After driving through smoke and exhaust coming out of a giant truck, we were thankful to be alive. I exaggerate but really. 3. The mountains are just so spectacular and they are everywhere. 4. The ozone is kinda depleted here which means the sun is very harsh and can burn through your hat and clothing! Yikes! 5. The traditional outfit that Bolivian women wear is quite something. It's basically this layered dress that wraps around giving the women a very bottom heavy look, complete with this hat that sits rather comically on top of their heads.
After checking into our hotel where we sipped on Mates de Coca( Coca Leaf tea) to help with the altitude sickness, we were invited to my friends house for desayuno (breakfast). Bread, cheese, dulce de leche, condensed milk, naranja jugo, fruits, yoghurt, coffee and coca tea makes for a delicioso and healthy breakfast. Then we did what any normal person would: napped for 3 hours.
Waking up hungry, our tea time quickly escalated to first dinner. We decided to hit the closest grocery store to stock up on essentials: water, bananas, Gatorade, yogurt and of course sunscreen (which btw was locked in a shelf because it was clearly a specialty item). After our successful grocery run we joined my friend, her fiancé and their family and friends for an amazing rehearsal dinner at Chalet La Suisse. My favorites: Trucha al Diablo ( trout in red hot sauce) and chocolate fondue(pretty much put all things in it)!
The side effects of DIAMOX continues on including tingling sensations through my fingers. But that only means it's working! Looking forward to the wedding shenanigans tomorrow!
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