A week down, this is what I’ve learned so far.

Graffiti is legal. As long as it’s not hateful or negative propaganda. I see tons of inked scrawling that reads: “Te Quiero mi amor” o “bonita.”

No seatbelts- but don’t worry mama, I walk more places than anything.

On the faucets, “C” means ‘calor’, not cold.

Bolivians are understanding of Gringa English, and thank goodness they speak slowly.

La Paz is actually the safest city in South America.

I can live on about 650B a week, which is less than 100 dollars. This is with going out to bars, restaurants, using public transportation daily, buying groceries, and buying an irresistible pair of custom shorts.

Police come in many different uniforms and styles, but I haven’t yet seen any in action. They often have shotguns or batons swung over their shoulders or clipped in their belts. They usually stand outside of banks, on street corners, or ride around on motorbikes. Last night, a whole gang of motorbike military police used their CUSTOM HORN to whistle at us. I’ve also been told that running in with the police isn’t the end of the world; you could just throw some bolivianos their way and they’ll let you off the hook.

There are multiple forms of public transportation, that compose more of the traffic than anything else. These are buses, minibuses-which are a total pain to ride, as you have to get up to let someone out every stop- and taxis.Traffic will not stop for you, unless you’re hailing it. You can hail a bus, taxi or minibus anywhere; bus stops don’t exist here.

Otherwise, They will honk to tell you that you are in their way, but they will rarely stop for pedestrians. There are few crosswalks and street lights, and unlike in America, cars honk when they pass you, not to cat-call, but to warn you that they’re coming through.

Much more simple than the united states: simply Make sure you take the bus in the right direction. Maricielo and I were told to get on the “M” bus to go to spanish class, but it turns out that it was going in the opposite direction, chugging up hills towards buenos aires street. Yep, no tourists there. We had to walk fast and puff out our chests, and thank goodness it wasn’t at night.

Minibuses are interesting. with three rows that fit three people each plus the front seats, these are slightly more expensive than buses because they travel faster, but sometimes can be a pain because you must get out every time someone behind you needs to get out.

Cholitas think you’re stealing your soul when you take photos of them.

Una Cholita en Zona Sur. These women are BEASTS.

Elderly locals can trek uphill on the cobblestone streets more efficiently than my so-called youthful self. I need to take breaks at the top.

Ordering coffee is a pain in the ass. I could just be missing the enormous coffees in the States, but my coffee experience has been disappointing.Maybe it’s the language barrier, but I was given one of these last night, something that I vowed to never be seen drinking.

Argentinian Hippies perform at intersections and make money off of stopped traffic. Although I think they’re awesome, both Bolivians and the English people I’m living with think they’re trash.

Stray dogs are everywhere, and they have tons of personality. they often travel in groups, eating garbage that is very rarely found on the side of the road, less often than in Los Angeles! This one stopped and posed when I brandished my camera.

DO NOT throw toilet paper in the toilet (??). The plumbing can’t handle it, and everything goes into rivers like these.

It’s freezing. The sun is the only salvation, and it doesn’t enter our house, so the house is constantly at a nice 40 degrees F.

That’s all that comes to mind at the moment, thanks for reading! xo