Views from the road

DSCN0269
Originally uploaded by LeslieBurdick

As Juan Carlos and I drove up the steep, windy road to El Alto, I took pictures out the window. El Alto is a sprawling city that is an expansion of La Paz (pictured). La Paz is situated in a bowl of the Andes and has reached its full capacity. The bowl has been filled with houses and buildings which climb up the steep mountain sides in every direction. Now, all new growth occurs in El Alto, a crazy city which runs wild and free. There are few restrictions or government control in El Alto. Most of the residents have recently immigrated from the countryside looking for jobs and a more sustainable lifestyle. The city is unique and I would imagine it to be a sociologist's dream.