Day 3 in La Paz

Written By: Ewan Reid

It‘s day three of the expedition, and I don’t think any of us expected today to turn out the way it did. We‘ll start at the beginning.

I think most of us woke up generally feeling better than yesterday, although there’s a fair few in every group with the infamous D&V.

Breakfast was again nutritionally sufficient, yet lacking much flavour; a warm cinnamon tea was a welcome delight. The room still carried a buzz from the football match the previous evening, and, after a quick morning briefing from the committee, we rushed off to prepare for a drive to the ‘Valle De La Luna’.

The drive was breathtaking, and the valley itself even more so. I was glued to the window as we winded our way out of La Paz, gazing across a tumbling cascade of terracotta houses.

Valle De La Luna was originally named the ‘Valley of Souls’ because of the local belief in its proximity to the underworld. If you visit this unearthly landscape, it’s clear why. The best way I can think to describe it, is similar to a maze of giant ant mounds, with some pillars rising tens of meters tall guarding crevices so deep a dropped stone fell silent.

In the afternoon, my friends and I went for lunch at our current favourite cafe - The Carrot Tree. After many rounds of President, and a muy rico Quesadilla, we headed back to our hotel to dress up for a visit to the British Ambassador’s residence.

It was a beautiful house in downtown La Paz, with high walls guarded by very friendly police. We knew we’d arrived by the sight of a Union Flag flying proudly above the gate.. We were warmly welcomed by the Deputy Ambassador, a charismatic and patriotic chap who was clearly very passionate about his mission. My friends and I were honoured to be photographed with him in front of many hanging portraits of various British royalty, and we devoured canapé after canapé — a delicious representation of British cuisine prepared with local ingredients. My personal favourite has to have been the crumble, of which I had three. His staff were simply wonderful, sharing fantastic recommendations for local restaurants and night clubs, and playing their favourite Latin dance music through the Embassy’s sound system. We all had so much fun, and I think I speak for everyone when I say we had a truly unforgettable evening. I certainly never expected to dance to Gasolina in the dining room of the British Ambassador.

La Paz is a beautiful and charming city, and this APEX expedition has far surpassed my expectations. Everyone is so lovely, throwing themselves into every activity offered and looking out for each other along the way. I can’t wait to make so many more memories over the coming weeks with this group of wonderful people.