Bolivia, La Paz - Oct 2007
Regina

How could I forget the sights we saw on the way to the main plaza and cathedral?
There are vendors everywhere. They are usually women called cholitas in native dress which consists of a shiny fringed shawl over a skirt with many meters of fabric and many pleats. The best part of their traje is the bowler hat perched on the head.
I’ve been observing the long braids under the hat and marvel at how they balance the hat on top of the head. They tell me they’ve had a lot of practice since girlhood and always manage to keep them on.

We walked through Mercada de Las Brujas where all sorts of roots, leaves, potions, crystals, and charms are sold in addition to llama fetuses which are in all the Mercado de Las Brujas stands. You buy them to bury under the cornerstone of your new house for goodwill and good omens. They are dried up and about the size of a skinny dog. I toyed with buying one as a gift for some new homeowner in Ajijic but I think I’ll just continue to give statues of St. Joseph to help friends sell their homes.

Enough already of the local color, now what about llama meat? That we ate llama steaks last night is TRUE! There are llama medallions, llama in mustard sauce, etc.

I plan to continue my exotic menu choices when I see guinea pig (complete with their little feet on the platter) offered in Peru.

To read more of Reginas travels click here