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the La Paz basin felt like dropping into another world. The capital unfolded below, its buildings clinging to canyon walls in defiance of gravity. We found a small place in the Casco Viejo and finally shut off the engine.
La Paz has two faces, the official seat of government, while Sucre holds the constitutional title. Founded on July 20, 1548, by Spanish captain Alonso de Mendoza, it quickly became a refuge for colonists and miners who married local women, giving rise to the mestizo culture that defines the city today. Protected by its position in a river gorge halfway between the mines of Potosí and the port of Lima, La Paz prospered. Ironically, a city named“ The Peace” has seen little of it, since independence in 1825, Bolivia has had nearly 190 governments, many of them born from rebellion in these very streets.
We left the motorbike parked and set out on foot to explore the tangle of humanity. The steep streets forced us to climb and descend endlessly, awakening muscles we’ d forgotten we had. Colonial buildings stood
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