Bolivia Info
Joined: 23 Nov 2006
Posts: 16
Home Country: bolivia
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 Posted: Mon Nov 27, 2006 4:59 am Post subject: SHOPPING IN BOLIVIA / BOLIVIA SHOPPING GUIDE |
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SHOPPING IN BOLIVIA
GENERAL
Handicrafts are the name of the game in Bolivia. The indigenous people have been creating beautiful hand-woven goods for thousands of years. In La Paz, Calle Sagárnaga is shopper's central. Here you'll have the opportunity to browse in thousands of stores selling handmade goods, including alpaca sweaters, hats, gloves, leather bags, and textile products. Besides handicrafts, you can also buy folksy good luck charms, from llama fetuses to miniature homes (supposedly, if you buy something in miniature, you'll soon have the real thing). Local markets are also a great place to find unique gifts. The Sunday market in Tarabuco, about an hour outside of Sucre, is considered one of the best in Bolivia.
Bargaining is not part of Bolivian culture -- for the most part, prices are fixed. If you play your cards right, you may be able to shave a few dollars off the asking price, but in general, most salespeople won't drop their prices significantly. Fortunately, prices are already rock bottom.
SHOPPING IN LA PAZ
At times, it feels as though La Paz is one big shopping centre. The streets teem with vendors peddling everything you can imagine. You never have to walk far to find what you need. The city is a mecca for handmade arts-and-crafts products. Calle Sagárnaga is shopper's central, with thousands of stores all packed to the gills with local handicrafts. In general, most of the quality is mediocre, but the variety and uniqueness of the goods sold here is mighty impressive. Some of the more popular items include alpaca sweaters (usually about $8-$10 each), hand-woven shoulder bags, leather bags, wool hats, textiles, gloves, and all sorts of things that you will never find in your hometown. ComArt, Calle Linares 958 (about 1 block down from Sagárnaga), is the only association of organized workers in La Paz. When you buy something here, your money goes directly to the workers, not the shopkeepers. If you're trying to find some differences between all the stores in the area, here's a tip: Both Millma, Calle Sagárnaga 225, and Artesanía Sorata, Calle Sagárnaga 311 and Calle Linares 862, sell some of the best quality alpaca sweaters in town. On the other side of town, you'll find beautiful silver jewelry at Kuka Pradel, Av. 6 de Agosto 2190.
The Witch Doctors' Market
Venture off of Calle Sagárnaga onto Calle Linares and you'll find yourself in the appropriately named Witch Doctors' Market. Here, you can buy a ghoulish variety of charms, spices, and magic potions to help cast a positive spell on your future. Llama fetuses are one of the most popular items for sale here. If you're looking for luck, here's a list to help you decode the meaning of all the amulets on display: Frogs are said to bring good fortune; turtles are the symbol of long life; owls bring knowledge; snakes are a sign of progression (or moving in the right direction); koa -- a dried plant made with molasses -- is supposed to help your harvest; and pumas will help you achieve victory over your enemy.
The Black Market
Need a computer, a toilet bowl, tools, or a stereo? You'll find them all at the Black Market. Apparently, everything here is smuggled in from Chile. It's widely known that the merchandise is not always totally legit, but these days, even police officers do their shopping here. You'll find some incredible bargains. Even if you can't fit a toilet bowl in your suitcase, it's still a hoot to wander the crowded streets and watch as the locals wheel and deal. The Black Market is a few blocks uphill from the heart of Sagárnaga, past Max Paredes; you'll find a lot of action around Calle La Gasca and Eloy Salmón.
SHOPPING IN SUCRE
Sucre and the surrounding area are famous for handicrafts. If you happen to be in town on a Sunday and you're looking for handicrafts, you should head to the market in Tarabuco (about 56km/35 miles from Sucre). Here, you will find thousands of different textiles, hats, gloves, bags, and other hand-woven goodies. The market is one of the best in Bolivia. On Sunday mornings, buses leave from Sucre for Tarabuco from 7 to 9am at the corner of Avenida de la Américas and Manco Capac. The 1 1/2-hour ride costs 15Bs ($1.95) each way. Candelaria Tours, right off the central square at Audiencia 1 (tel. 0104/6461-661; www.candelariatours.com), also organizes day trips to the market and the surrounding area.
The gift shop at the Museo de Arte Indígena ASUR/Textile Museum on San Alberto 413 (near the corner of Potosí) offers the best selection of textiles and handmade crafts in Sucre. Artesanías Sucre, Calle Olañeta 42 at Plazuela Zudáñez, and Artesanías Tesoros del Inca, Calle Camargo 514, also sell local handicrafts. You will find everything under the sun at the unique Central Market on the corner of Junín and Ravelo. I recommend heading up to the second floor to try the local Tojorí drink for breakfast. The drink consists of boiled corn, cinnamon, and sugar. Because of its high protein content, it's called "the cornflakes of the Andes."
Para Ti on Arenales (about 1/3 block in from the plaza) sells the most divine handmade chocolate that I've ever tasted.
SHOPPING IN COCHABAMBA
Cochabamba and the surrounding area are famous for their colourful markets. If you happen to be in town on a Wednesday or Saturday, you must stop in at La Cancha, Avenida San Martín between Tarata and Pulacayo, a huge market where you can find handicrafts, fresh produce, herbs, and just about anything else you could ever want.
In the valleys outside of Cochabamba, there are also several towns that have authentic markets. Caixa Tours, Esteban Arze S-0563 (tel. 0104/4250-937), organizes day trips to these market towns. Tarata in the Upper Valley is a lovely historic village about 1 hour from Cochabamba; market day is Thursday. The market in Punata (about 1 1/2 hr. from Cochabamba) is considered to be one of the best and biggest in Bolivia. It's also one of the least touristy. On Sunday, you should head to Cliza for a taste of real Bolivian cooking. One of the specialties here is baked pigeon. Minibuses to these towns leave from the corner of Avenida Barrientos and Avenida 6 de Agosto; the trip costs 5Bs (65¢).
Shopping at the local markets can be a chaotic experience. If you're looking for something more tranquil, you should stop by Vicuñita Handicrafts on Av. Rafael Pabón 777 (tel. 0104/4255-615). Here you can shop for leather goods, tapestries, bags, and ceramic figurines (all handmade!) in the comfort of a private, uncrowded warehouse. For alpaca sweaters, Amerindia on Calle España 264, is recommended. |
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