The Captain awoke us about 20 minutes before landing. Before we knew it we were on the ground. Baggage claim and customs were easy except for the 13,000' elevation. Everyone's bags made it. As I left customs, my eyes met Rosse Mary's on the other side. She was waving and smiling. She introduced me to her brother, Rafael, and sister, Silvia, who will accompany us on this trip. All three speak English well. I introduced them to the rest of the group. Then, we loaded everything on to our waiting bus and descended into the center of La Paz . We arrived at the Hotel Rosario on Illampu by 8:30. By this time the elevation was taking its toll on everyone but it hit Anne, Drew, and Kristen the hardest. With our early arrival, not all rooms were immediately available. We had a delicious breakfast at the hotel restaurant. I introduced everyone to coca tea which mitigated the elevation headaches. I realized I had forgotten to purchase group travel insurance so I got on the Internet and did that. I went to my room and dozed until around 11:00. Bob woke me up and said Anne and Drew were having a tough time and weren't going to lunch. He and I went to the lobby and found Liz, Will, Dave, Jarrod, and Lauren. The guy at the desk recommended El Lobo down the street, so we walked there through the crowded bustling street, in a drizzle. The place must cater to Israeli tourists because the menu was in Spanish and Hebrew. I had a good Milanesa de Carne.

When we got back to the Hotel, Rosse Mary et al. were there so we loaded the bus and descended down to the Valle de la Luna, a park set in Pliocene Fan Strata that are sculpted into badlands. In spite of our breathing difficulties, we all enjoyed a nice short walk through the park. My geomorph and historical students were particularly interested.

Next, we drove to an overlook on the ridge that separates the two ravines in which the city is situated. What an insane place to put a city! From there we went to the square on which the Congress is situated. After that, we returned to the hotel.

I made reservations in the hotel restaurant for the group at 7:30. Bob came by at 6:30 with a bottle of wine and news that Anne was not doing well. He and I agreed that Rosse Mary was marvelous. He pointed out that it was almost a shame that she came into the picture so early on the trip. The students would compare any other guides with her, probably for the rest of their lives, and never have a guide that came close. He and Drew then joined us for dinner, but Drew was beat. He ordered some chicken soup which they took back to the room. I had llama in mustard sauce which was pretty good, but not as tender as others I have eaten. We drank several varieties of Bolivian red wine.

I was going to go to bed but allowed Paige and Dan to drag me across the street to the Luna Azul bar where we found many others from the group. It was a typical dive bar. We had a beer and talked about the day. The bartender then brought over a bowl of coca leaves. I showed the others how they are chewed. Within 5 minutes everyone's headache was gone. Relieved I went back to my room, took a nice, hot shower, and went to bed!