Day 21- La Paz, Bolivia

The majority of last night and this morning were spent on a parked bus at the Chilean-Bolivian border. Once the border crossing office decided to open, we could finally move. We did the whole visa-stamping business, and said adios to Chile. Then we got in yet another line to re-enter Bolivia. They searched our bags and while standing there I realized that my foot was throbbing in pain. On the rest of the smelly bus ride I tried to elevate my foot a little, but it was so bumpy that didn't quite work out. Finally, we arrived in La Paz! We got a cab and made it to our next hostel, Loki Backpacker's. It was a huge 4 story place, and I learned it was a Victorian era hotel and theater that they had renovated. It was definitely a really eclectic and nice place.

Our room was trashed when we first got to it, so while we waited on the maid I tried to tend to my foot. Apparently the best cure for sea urchin wounds is to soak it in vinegar. I had no idea where I would find this though. I tried to just ignore it, and so John and I headed into town towards the Plaza San Francisco. Luckily he was being patient because my gimp version of walking was a bit slow. We basically just looked around and tried to get our bearings, making a quick stop at the Cathedral, and had an overly slow lunch at a tourist restaurant. After that, we wandered up the crowded, narrow cobblestone streets towards the mysterious Calle Linares, where the Mercado de Las Brujas (Witch's Market) is located.

We walked down the narrow street- it was a bit dark from the clouds, and that added to the mystical vibe. There, the local witches known as the yatiri, who dress in dark hats and carry coca pouches, sell their goods. In the past, the yatiri were healers who studied herbal remedies (many of them involving coca leaves) and who were seen as religious leaders. When the Spanish came they of course labeled these revered people as "witches". At first the street just seemed like another place filled with various trinkets for sale, but upon closer look I realized that the merchandise was a little different. In addition to the jewelry, ceramics, and Incan god pendants being sold, many of the old women were selling dried up llama fetuses and dried armadillos that were hanging from the ceilings. It was a bit grotesque to see, and when we entered a small shop the odd smell of their bodies took over. It might sound disgusting, but it was actually really interesting! We tried to haggle with the old woman in the shop, and successfully walked away with our hands full of some souvenirs (no llamas here!).

Apparently Bolivians believe if you burn a llama fetus, sacrifice it to the Pachamama (Mother Earth), and bury it under your house you will have good luck and prosperity. It is supposedly common for most Bolivian households to do this! In addition to these goods being sold, many people were selling odd talismans (owl feathers, toad legs), herbal remedies or "potions", unique jewelry amulets, and some places even had signs advertising spells for sale! I ended up buying a necklace that is the Incan sign for the sun, and also bought a ring for Christina. John and I also bought several small pendants that depicted different gods in the Incan religion, and that each symbolize something different. While some of the stands were obviously touristy and fake, there were a few you could tell were legitimate "witch" shops. They had signs for sorcery and fortune telling, and rather than selling t-shirts and rings they had gems, little potion bottles, and a variety of dried up animals. The yatiri are wary of having their photos taken, so we didn't get the chance to take all that many.

Another interesting tradition we saw while at the Witches Market was that many people were selling statues of a short, little fat guy. His name is Ekeko, and he is the god of material possessions. People will buy statues of him, put it in their homes, and hang miniature items on him to represent what they want. If you want financial success, put little dollars on him, or even a lottery ticket. Many people deck him out with chocolate, coca leaves, money, tickets, photos, etc. and for it to become "real" the statues have to be blessed by a yatiri. If Ekeko thinks you are too greedy, he will keep with the Aymara tradition of "all things in balance", and your wishes may not come true. Upon learning this, John of course bought an Ekeko statue.

We departed the Calle Jimenez and headed down hill towards the crowded and never-ending town of tent booths known as El Mercado Negro: The Black Market. There you can find cheap knock off designer items and pirated entertainment. The booths went on forever, and there were so many items for sale and so many people it felt a bit stressful. I didn't find very much I wanted, though I did buy a Spanish copy of the Twilight book! We continued to roam around the loud, crowded and chaotic streets towards a large outdoor food market known as Mercado Lanza. They had many fruits for sale, as well as some unidentifiable meats. After purchasing apple juice, made by smashing up apple slices and then serving it in a plastic bag with a straw stuck in it, we continued on (I thought the apple bag drink was funny, it was their version of a "to go" cup I guess). We passed a large crowd gathered around a man story-telling, and after walking through the local flower market, we attempted to find a place for dinner.

The restaurant choices in La Paz seemed a bit limited. We had a hard time finding places, and we ended up eating at Angelo Colonial- somewhere our guidebook recommended. The food was okay but the restaurant was a bit creepy. It was medieval themed, but it was really dark and full of antiques, plus we were the only customers. Walking up steep, narrow hills all day in the tiring altitudes of the world's highest capital city can really suck up all your energy, so we returned to Loki. Next to the hostel's doors I noticed there were 3 children sitting on a blanket- one was an infant. They were just there on the side of the street, no parent in sight. I had seen them earlier but didn't realize the sad reality that were likely homeless children, maybe waiting on their mom alone all day. It really upset me to see that. I later found out that there are an estimated 9,000 "street children" in the city. Charities have some homes set up, but the local government does nothing for them. Thinking about them, I counted my blessings, and it was time for bed.