Monday

The La Paz Witches' Market

Llama fetuses outside a shop in the Witches Market
As I glanced through my Lonely Planet guidebook to Bolivia, I scanned the sights for something that looked interesting until I came to the following: El Mercado de Las Brujas…the La Paz Witches’ Market.  Out of all the sights in the world’s highest capital city, the Witches Market instantly soared to number one on our list.

We walked down the main thoroughfare and followed our map, which was unclear and not helped by the location description in the text.  After a few false alarms, we found Calle Jiminez and Calle Linares and knew we were in the right place when we saw lots of dried llama fetuses handing from shop windows.

We stopped at one shop and a middle-aged woman looked at us as if sizing us up.  I wasn’t sure if she was gauging our interest in buying or surreptitiously seeking signs of good or bad fortune.  She sat behind a table that displayed toad talismans, coco leaves, amulets, soaps, many different types of plants, owl feathers, totems, candles and dried snakes.  I wondered if her business from people who felt they really needed her products were now outweighed by people like me, who just want a souvenir to show someone back home. 

Inside the store, was a colorful collection of boxes that addressed many illnesses and health problems.  Usually looking at the cover of the box told you what it was for: a vigorous soccer player suggested more energy, a sultry woman advertised erectile enhancement, a picture of two kidneys targeted renal help and a full head of black hair unmistakably offered a solution to baldness.

The cure for what ails you
We walked from shop to shop but they all seemed to have the same merchandise.  I wanted to get some pictures so I awkwardly snapped some pictures while pretending not to.  I was careful to hold the camera to my waist which is why the photos here are cropped so poorly.  The last thing I wanted was an angry witch casting a spell on me.

11 comments:

  1. This is awesome. I'm adding this place to my list. Very interesting.

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  2. Wow, how cool is this! La Paz is now climbing up on my "where-to-take-the-kids-for-our-next holiday" list.

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  3. I haven't made it to Bolivia yet but you can bet I'm going here.

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  4. creepy lama fetus what the heck? haha
    I do want to visit Bolivia some day though :)

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  5. I love finding weird things when I travel. The Witch's Market just jumped to the top of my list of things to see in La Paz.

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  6. So what souvenir did you buy? Doubt the llama fetus would make it through Dept. of Agriculture check when you come back in the U.S.!
    Reminds me of the voodoo shops in New Orleans.

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  7. Sophie,
    You kids would indeed love La Paz and Bolivia.
    Jason

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  8. @ Christy
    @ Ayngelina
    @ Travel Chica
    You won't be disappointed in La Paz and certainly not Bolivia in general.
    Jason

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  9. Vera,
    They bought small vials filled with miniature talismans...huayuro seeds, miniature airplane, small feathers, mini voodoo dolls, etc.
    It was small enough to escape the notice of the customs folks. Yeah...I think the 3 foot long dried llama fetus would have been confiscated.
    Jason

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  10. Caillin,
    Yup, no doubt about it...the dried fetus was creepy.
    Jason

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  11. First picture was perhaps showing the stuffed animal. It's bit horrific and scary for me. Cheap Flights to Goa

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