NgoMeyi 3, 1535, uHernán Cortés wangena emanzini echweba elinokuthula elilinganiswe yimifula, walubeka phansi unyawo.
Lapho athola khona isiza egameni loMqhele waseSpain, wasinika igama leSanta Cruz. Umnqobi weza ukuzoqinisekisa imibiko yokaputeni bakhe ababeke bahlola isifunda eminyakeni embalwa eyedlule, behehwa yinganekwane yesiqhingi esasihlala abantu besifazane kuphela futhi abacebile ngamapharele negolide, elibizwa ngeCalifornia.
Wathola amaparele, amaningi kakhulu futhi emuhle kangangokuba abesifazane negolide kwadingeka balinde. Izindaba zamaparele ziveze uchungechunge lwezehlakalo zomlando ezisazwakala kule ndawo ethulile namuhla esiyibiza ngeLa Paz. Indoda eyayinqobe iMexico yehluleka emzameni wayo wokufaka le ndawo ikoloni, futhi kwaze kwaba ngo-1720 lapho kwasungulwa khona unomphela indawo yokuhlala. Ukushisa okukhulu, ukushoda kwamanzi kanye nobunzima bokuhlinzeka kusuka ku-countercoast, izinto uCortés angakwazanga ukuzinqoba, zihlala zinjalo, nabantu baseLa Paz ababezulazula endleleni ye-boardwalk, behamba endaweni lapho wehla khona, bazi kahle ukuthi lokho kwehlula i-conquistador inikeza umlingiswa okhetheke kakhulu kulo muzi nakubantu abahlala kuwo. Yebo kuyashisa ehlobo, amanzi ayindlala kakhulu futhi cishe yonke into esiyisebenzisayo ilethwe ivela kwezinye izingxenye, kepha sihlala kahle, abantu balungile futhi banobungane, sithi sawubona emgwaqweni namanzi azolile UBahia uyasijabulisa ngokubonisa ukushona kwelanga okukhanyisiwe, njengamaparele, okusenze saziwa.
Ukuhlukaniswa kwendawo kusinike ubunikazi obuqinile. Sihlala ogwadule oluzungezwe ulwandle, futhi uma siphuma ngesikebhe sizithola sisolwandle sizungezwe ugwadule. Bekulokhu kunjalo, futhi lokhu kusenze sahluka kwabanye abantu baseMexico.
Ngaphezu kwalokho, siyi-cocktail eyinkimbinkimbi kakhulu futhi emnandi: iSpanish, isiNgisi, amaJalimane, amaFulentshi, amaShayina, amaJapane, amaNtaliyane, amaTurkey, amaLebanon nabanye abaningi bafika eLa Paz behehwa ukuhweba ngamaparele, bahlala. Ukuvula umkhombandlela wezingcingo kukukhombisa ngokusobala okungenhla, futhi ubuso beLa Paz kuyimephu ebabazekayo yemvelaphi yethu.
Ubuhle bemvelo obusizungezile baziwa umhlaba wonke, singumnyango woLwandle lwaseCortez; iziqhingi zalo, amabhishi nezilwane ziphambi kwethu. Ukusuka e-boardwalk kujwayelekile ukubona amahlengethwa aqhelelene ngamamitha ambalwa; ukuqhubeka, imikhomo, ama-stingray nezinhlanzi kujabulisa abatshuzi kanye nama-kayaker. Ezokuvakasha ezifuna imvelo zikuthola lapha ngobuningi obumangalisayo. Ukuhamba emigwaqweni yase-India ene-laurel-shaded kunikeza isivakashi ukunambitha kwaleli dolobha elinobungane nelithule. Kuzwakala umculo; esigcawini esiphambi kwethempeli elikhulu, abantu badlala imidlalo yelotho ngaphansi kwezihlahla, kubonakala amaphunga amnandi akumema ukuthi unambithe ukudla kwasolwandle kokuqabuka nekhwalithi edume. Asijahile, indawo esihlala kuyo iphakamisa ukuthi sithathe isikhathi esidingekayo ukuzithokozisa ngakho konke okusizungezile futhi okusehlukanisayo. Lapho othile esivakashela sibamema ukuba benze okufanayo.
Lapho sihamba sikhumbula idolobha lethu ngamazwi amnandi engoma endala: "La Paz, itheku lokuzikhohlisa, njengeparele eliqukethe ulwandle, ngakho-ke inhliziyo yami iyakugada."
