Photography from Bolivia, Chile, Peru and elsewhere in South America.

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El Alto

El Alto (literally "The Heights" or "The High Place") was once just a suburb on the altiplano overlooking the city of La Paz. Since the 1950s, fuelled by immigration from rural areas, it has grown rapidly and its population (the majority of indigenous origin, especially Aymara) has now surpassed that of La Paz! It was officially "founded" as a city on March 6, 1985 during an administrative reform which separated it politically and administratively from the City of La Paz. With an average altitude of 4150m / 13,615ft it is the world's highest large city (one with a population of more than than 100,000 inhabitants), and home to the world's highest international airport (also the 5th highest commercial airport).

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Brightly painted building in Senkata district, El Alto, Bolivia
Brightly painted building in Senkata district, El Alto, Bolivia
Brightly painted building in Senkata district, El Alto, Bolivia
Brightly painted building in Senkata district, El Alto, Bolivia
Brightly painted building in Senkata district, El Alto, Bolivia
Brightly painted building in Senkata district, El Alto, Bolivia
Statue of indigenous leaders Túpac Katari and Bartolina Sisa and wiphala flag, La Apacheta, El Alto, Bolivia
Statue of indigenous leaders Túpac Katari and Bartolina Sisa and wiphala flag, La Apacheta, El Alto, Bolivia
Statue of indigenous leaders Túpac Katari and Bartolina Sisa, La Apacheta, El Alto, Bolivia
Statue of indigenous leaders Túpac Katari and Bartolina Sisa and wiphala flag, La Apacheta, El Alto, Bolivia
Statue of indigenous leaders Túpac Katari and Bartolina Sisa, La Apacheta, El Alto, Bolivia
Statue of indigenous leaders Túpac Katari and Bartolina Sisa, La Apacheta, El Alto, Bolivia
Statue of indigenous leaders Túpac Katari and Bartolina Sisa and wiphala flag, La Apacheta, El Alto, Bolivia
Statue of indigenous leaders Túpac Katari and Bartolina Sisa and wiphala flag, La Apacheta, El Alto, Bolivia
Statue of indigenous leaders Túpac Katari and Bartolina Sisa and wiphala flag, La Apacheta, El Alto, Bolivia
Detail of decoration on side of a micro bus, El Alto, Bolivia
Local public bus called a micro driving past slogans on wall showing support for Movimiento al Socialismo MAS political party...
Aymara women walking past slogans on wall showing support for Evo Morales, El Alto, Bolivia
Defaced Che Guevara portrait and slogans on wall showing support for Movimiento al Socialismo MAS political party, El Alto, B...
New moon setting over houses on hillside below La Ceja in El Alto, seen from La Paz, Bolivia
New moon setting over houses on hillside below La Ceja in El Alto, seen from La Paz, Bolivia
Traffic congestion on Av Juan Pablo II near ex-tranca Rio Seco at sunset, Blue Line cable cars in background, El Alto, Bolivia
Traffic congestion on Av Juan Pablo II near ex-tranca Rio Seco at sunset, Blue Line cable cars in background, El Alto, Bolivia
Traffic congestion on Av Juan Pablo II near ex-tranca Rio Seco at sunset, Blue Line cable cars in background, El Alto, Bolivia
Traffic congestion on Av Juan Pablo II near ex-tranca Rio Seco at sunset, Blue Line cable cars in background, El Alto, Bolivia
Traffic congestion on Av Juan Pablo II near ex-tranca Rio Seco, Mt Illimani in background, El Alto, Bolivia
Traffic congestion on Av Juan Pablo II near ex-tranca Rio Seco, Mt Illimani in background, El Alto, Bolivia
Traffic congestion on Av Juan Pablo II near ex-tranca Rio Seco, Mt Illimani in background, El Alto, Bolivia
View over brick buildings, Heroes of October sports complex in background, El Alto, Bolivia
View over brick buildings to Mt Illimani, El Alto, Bolivia
View over brick buildings to Mt Illimani, El Alto, Bolivia
View over brick buildings, part of airport in distance, El Alto, Bolivia
Completed and partially built "cholet" building side by side in Villa Adela district, El Alto, Bolivia
Completed and partially built "cholet" building side by side in Villa Adela district, El Alto, Bolivia
Aymara woman walking past city government banner on footbridge under rising full moon, El Alto, Bolivia
Aymara woman walking past city government banner on footbridge under rising full moon, El Alto, Bolivia
Young couple on footbridge watching the full moon rising, El Alto, Bolivia
Young couple on footbridge watching the full moon rising, El Alto, Bolivia
Young couple on footbridge watching the full moon rising, El Alto, Bolivia
City government banner on footbridge under rising full moon, El Alto, Bolivia
Youth wearing earphones walking past no parking symbol on garage doors, El Alto, Bolivia
Aymara woman walking past parked motorbike, El Alto, Bolivia
Graffiti thanking Bolivian president Evo Morales for cable cars on wall of house, El Alto, Bolivia
Minibus and truck passing "Bolivia" service station on Av 6 de Marzo, El Alto, Bolivia
Old fashioned truck passing "Bolivia" service station on Av 6 de Marzo, El Alto, Bolivia
Micro bus passing "Bolivia" service station on Av 6 de Marzo, El Alto, Bolivia
"Los Andes" service station on outskirts of El Alto, Mt Illimani in background, Bolivia
Detail of slogans on back of a red bus, El Alto, Bolivia
Che Guevara monument made out of scrap metal after winter snowfall, La Ceja, El Alto, Bolivia
Che Guevara monument made out of scrap metal after winter snowfall, La Ceja, El Alto, Bolivia
Che Guevara monument made out of scrap metal after winter snowfall, La Ceja, El Alto, Bolivia
Che Guevara monument made out of scrap metal after winter snowfall, La Ceja, El Alto, Bolivia
Che Guevara monument made out of scrap metal after winter snowfall, La Ceja, El Alto, Bolivia
Che Guevara monument made out of scrap metal after winter snowfall, La Ceja, El Alto, Bolivia
Che Guevara monument made out of scrap metal after winter snowfall, La Ceja, El Alto, Bolivia
Plane outside Air Force terminal building after winter snowfall, Mt Huayna Potosí in background, El Alto, Bolivia
Aymara women walking past Mar para Bolivia / Sea for Bolivia slogan on wall, El Alto, Bolivia
Local public bus called a micro driving past Mar para Bolivia / Sea for Bolivia slogan on wall, El Alto, Bolivia
Street cleaner working in front of slogans on wall showing support for Evo Morales, El Alto, Bolivia
Street cleaner working in front of slogans on wall showing support for Evo Morales, El Alto, Bolivia
Local public bus called a micro driving past slogans on wall showing support for Evo Morales, El Alto, Bolivia
Traffic and adverts for Cholita Collection fashion campaign on wall of building, El Alto, Bolivia
Traffic and adverts for Cholita Collection fashion campaign on wall of building, El Alto, Bolivia
Traffic and adverts for Cholita Collection fashion campaign on wall of building, El Alto, Bolivia
Street scene and adverts for Cholita Collection fashion campaign on wall of building, El Alto, Bolivia
Volkswagen Beetle driving past adverts for Cholita Collection fashion campaign on wall of building, El Alto, Bolivia
Adverts for Cholita Collection fashion campaign on wall of building, El Alto, Bolivia
Adverts for Cholita Collection fashion campaign on wall of building, El Alto, Bolivia
Aymara woman waiting outside money exchange office, El Alto, Bolivia
Filming cholita wrestlers performing in El Alto, Bolivia
Cholita wrestlers performing in El Alto, Bolivia
Cholita wrestlers performing in El Alto, Bolivia
Cholita wrestlers performing in El Alto, Bolivia
Cholita wrestlers performing in El Alto, Bolivia
Cholita wrestlers performing in El Alto, Bolivia
Cholita wrestlers performing in El Alto, Bolivia
Cholita wrestler fighting a pepino (a character associated with Carnival in La Paz), El Alto, Bolivia
Cholita wrestler greeting the crowd before a performance, El Alto, Bolivia
Cholita and male wrestler performing in El Alto, Bolivia
Cholita and male wrestler performing in El Alto, Bolivia
Cholita wrestler greeting the crowd before a performance, El Alto, Bolivia
Mexican style lucha libre wrestlers performing in El Alto, Bolivia
Mexican style lucha libre wrestlers performing in El Alto, Bolivia
Aerial view of El Alto and airport, , Cordillera Real mountains in background, Bolivia
Aerial view of El Alto, Cordillera Real mountains in background, Bolivia
Aerial view of El Alto, Cordillera Real mountains in background, Bolivia
Brightly decorated building called a "cholet", El Alto, Bolivia
Brightly decorated building called a "cholet", El Alto, Bolivia
Brightly decorated buildings called "cholets", centre one is still under construction, El Alto, Bolivia
Brightly decorated buildings called "cholets", centre one is still under construction, El Alto, Bolivia
A man carries a large mammoth figure from the Ice Age film along a street, El Alto, Bolivia
A man carries a large mammoth figure from the Ice Age film along a street, El Alto, Bolivia
Brick building painted with 2015 regional election propaganda for Soledad Chapeton, El Alto, Bolivia
Brick building painted with 2015 regional election propaganda for Soledad Chapeton, El Alto, Bolivia
Partially built "cholet" building under construction in San Roque district, El Alto, Bolivia
Partially built "cholet" building under construction in San Roque district, El Alto, Bolivia
Partially built "cholet" building under construction in San Roque district, El Alto, Bolivia
Brightly decorated building called a "cholet", El Alto, Bolivia
Micro bus passing brightly decorated building called a "cholet", El Alto, Bolivia
Aymara women walking past brightly decorated building called a "cholet", El Alto, Bolivia
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