La Paz

They say that La Paz, Bolivia is the highest capital in the world. It is also possibly the most quintessential South American city on the continent. It is in the heart of South America, and it has everything that you could hope for if you are searching for the “real” South America. It has bustling and chaotic street scenes, crowded with food and clothing stalls, and with the vendors calling out their wares. The traffic is loud and unpredictable. It is colorful. And the people are gentle.

La Paz is a city of up and down. Very steep streets, with old Dodge or Chevy or Blue Bird buses defying laws of gravity and transmission physics. Wheelbarrows are everywhere. People use them to carry things up and down the hills, or to set up mobile stands to sell fruit or whatever they have. I don’t know if it’s easier to push them up the hills or to slow them down when they’re going downward.

The cholitas are the women who wear the beautiful traditional skirts called cholas. It is just their everyday clothing, although it looks like they’re all dressed up for a special occasion. They often carry extremely heavy bundles on their back, using a weaving to wrap it up. Sometimes they’re shoveling dirt, or cooking potatoes, always at their own pace and very gracefully.

The markets and the stalls sell everything, from beautiful 100% alpaca ponchos and sweaters to llama fetuses. These are used for an offering to Pachamama–sacred mother earth. The fetuses are often buried at the entrance of a new home or business in order to bring prosperity..

We stayed in La Paz for only three days, but we loved the pulse and spirit of the city. We met María and Agustín at their little business. María sells fabric, sweaters, and indigenous flags. Agustín is a musician who produces pipes and flutes, and who plays the charango. The charango is a traditional Bolivian stringed instrument, smaller than a ukulele, but with ten strings.

Later that evening, we went to hear a concert by Ernesto Chauvo, reputedly the best charango player in the world. The concert was tremendous, and one of the highlights of our La Paz stay. There were a few other musicians there also, each playing various instruments. The concert was held in a room at the Conservatory of Traditional Music, and there were only about 25 people in the audience.

La Paz has it all–vibrancy, tradition, gentle people, a thriving arts scene. We could have stayed longer, but we heard Lake Titicaca calling. We soon were on our way.