La Paz & Around - Bolivia - page 142

Mallasa
The village of Mallasa is popular among paceños (people from La Paz) on weekends. Just
east of Mallasa is La Paz' spacious, but sorely underfunded, Vesty Pakos Zoo (admission
B$3.50; 10am-5pm) . Animal lovers may be upset by the poor conditions, however.
From the overlook immediately behind the zoo, you can take the clearly marked walk-
ing track that descends to and crosses the fetid Río Choqueyapu, before beginning a lung-
bursting 600m climb to the Muela del Diablo.
To get to Mallasa from La Paz, take minibus 231 from Sagárnaga, or any form of trans-
portation marked 'Mallasa' or 'Zoológico.' From the top of Valle de la Luna, catch a mi-
cro heading downvalley or continue a couple of kilometers on foot to Mallasa.
Valencia & Mecapaca
About 30km south of La Paz, and 15km from Mallasa, are two quaint, if increasingly urb-
anized, villages worth visiting for their authenticity and beautiful landscapes. Mecapaca
boasts a beautifully restored church in its plaza (ask for Sra Ninfa Avendaño for keys; if
you buy something from her store and add a donation to the church box, she'll likely ob-
lige). The church is perched on the hillside of the small plaza with wonderful views of the
fertile valley beyond. On the plaza, there are two small super-simple restaurants for lunch
(mains B$15).
A great treat on the way back to La Paz is to stop for an Italian meal at Trattoria Sant'
Aquilina ( weekends only) , a Greek island- style restaurant, just before or after Jupap-
ina, depending which direction you are coming from. The restaurant is renowned for its
wood-fired pizza and gelato, and it's popular among the trendy paceñan crowds who con-
verge on Sundays. If this doesn't take your fancy, join the paceñans at a number of other
weekend eateries that have sprung up along the increasingly urbanized road south of La
Paz.
Take minibus 253 to Mecapaca/Valencia from Plaza Belso in San Pedro (B$4) or from
Mallasa. To return to La Paz take the same minibus 253 from Mecapaca; from anywhere
else, catch anything that moves back up the valley. On weekends, trufis, minibuses and ra-
dio taxis leave constantly from Plaza Humboldt (Zona Sur) for points south.