Greetings from La Paz

Wow, we are finally here...in La Paz! It has been a while since I have been able to write on the blog. From the moment we arrived in Miami I was alone with the two kids (JJ was in Spanish classes all day) and I just couldn't find the time. My two little boys are very high maintenance these days...ha ha ha. I have so many thoughts and photos to share on our Miami visit. I will try and post later this week.

Right now it has been less than three days since we arrived in La Paz and it is the first time I have sat down with the laptop. Luka and Sam are asleep and I am still awake. Usually I would be collapsed in bed right about now...but today I kept looking forward to bedtime so that i could cozy up to my Mac and tap away checking email, uploading photos, etc. I really enjoy my "me" time with the computer.

Let's see...what can I tell you about La Paz. First thing is first...the city is freaking high. Luckily the four of us have adapted pretty well, but we have had headaches and get winded just walking up the steep streets. But I have to admit that we feel much better than what I was expecting. I was really nervous about the altitude...but so far so good.

Luka started classes at the American School and he loves it. Above you can see the photo of him pointing to his name on the door. He was really proud! To see photos from his first day click here. We also love the school. We were very impressed with everything! Here is a photo of the whole family when we dropped him off at school on Monday.

We have also been house hunting...so far we haven't found anything that we love...but we are hopeful that something will pop up soon. The four of us can't wait to finally have a "home" again. We have been "homeless" since the beginning of June. Here is a photo of Sam...he has visited every house with me. I don't think he is too picky....he hasn't shown any preference so far.

About the city....the mountains are everywhere. You can't escape them. Everywhere you look you see the landscape. It is a constant reminder of close you are to the clouds here. Here is a photo of our hotel and the street right outside.

The weather is insane...or I should say the SUN is crazy. I thought it was going to be cold...and it is a little chilly in the morning, but by the afternoon the sun has baked the city and it is quite warm. Then later in the even it gets cold again. You have to dress in layers to make sure that you are dressed for any weather you may encounter...especially if you are gone more than a couple of hours. The temperature really drops at night. This is another reason that house hunting is tricky. 90% of the houses don't have heating so you need to find a house that has sunlight for most of the day.

The people are super polite. Everyone is really nice and I love that I can speak Spanish (That is one thing I don't miss about Mozambique - the Portuguese). I haven't had the time to explore the city and really talk to the locals...I hope to post some interesting photos very soon and give you more insight into La Paz.

Okay, I have to sign off for now and read a magazine or watch some TV before I fall asleep. I am not sure when is the next time I will have this "me" time.