LA PAZ: Battered buses and bowler hats

It doesn't take long for our flight to descend into La Paz, perhaps because the airport sits 4000m above sea level. The views on the way were spectacular - breath-taking almost - except that you really need your breath at this altitude. The lack of oxygen was noticeable soon after we stepped off the plane, so we took things very slowly - not even leaving the airport before a sit down and a cup of coca leaf tea.

And then we entered La Paz - a city in the sky sprawled over jagged mountains and plummeting cliffs. Streets climb at incredible angles, filled with battered, noisy buses that burp copious amounts of diesel fumes. Its a dramatic setting that takes a while to get used to... as do the llamas.

You can buy them here, or at least dried llama foetuses from the so-called 'Witch's market' - stalls selling various lucky paws and potions alongside knitted jumpers and sombreros. And then there's the bowler hats - the traditional headgear of Aymara women you see around the city, worn with colourful shawls and long skirts.

We're here to improve our Spanish - and so we'll be taking in these sights for a fortnight. We start each lesson a little breathless after walking up steep streets, heavily layered to protect against the morning cold. I've procured a woollen bobble hat that does the job and Gwenfair's just bought some leg warmers - they too have a llama motif, but don't worry, that's as far as our llama-based shopping will go.