Bolivia Shopping Guide
The markets in Bolivia are a haven for the wierd and wonderful. There are giant armadillos which are supposed to ward off thieves and bring good luck. If you can explain their presence in your bag at the airport, then carry home an armadillo as a good luck charm. Small figurines of couples in an embrace are supposed to bring good luck to those in love.
Sounds strange? Wait, there's more.
Bolivians believe that the dried foetus of a llama brings good luck and most buildings and houses in Bolivia have dried up llama foetuses interred in their foundations. If you can stomach this, then do carry back a dish plate smeared with dried llama foetus. A dish plate where the foetus is seared with sweets and herbs is believed to bring good luck for business while the dish plate with just the dried foetus is meant to protect the home.
The Witches Market is a great hit with both tourists as well as the locals. The ambience is laid back and peaceful and the stall owners are only too willing to gossip with the tourists and answer all their questions patiently while the others look on with amusement.
The best time to visit the Witches Market is in the morning, though it might be a bit chill. You can have a hearty breakfast at the stalls selling fresh, hot Bolivian food. Then you can discover the secrets of the potions and powders and learn about Andean folklore and customs.
Herbal healing has been used in this region for centuries though many of the healing practices are dying today. The Witches Market is one place where you can find healers steeped in Andean wisdom and dispensing a variety of herbal medicines. You may even carry back herbal tinctures, aromatic Brazilian herbs preserved in airtight boxes and indigenous herbs that are used in Bolivian cuisine.
There are variations of the Witches Market in Sucre, Potosi, Santa Cruz and a few other towns, each with their own unique twist. Locals visit these markets as they rely on the indigenous healers and soothsayers for traditional herbal medicines and advice. In some markets, soothsayers read coca leaves as a means of divination, before handing out advice. The Kallawayas (witch doctors) also offer prayers to Pachamama (Mother Earth).
Shopping at the Witches Market is an unusual experience showing you a whole new world which, ironically, has existed for centuries. Such markets are also becoming increasingly important to the economy of the cities in which they are found. The hawkers are only too happy to share their conventional wisdom with the tourist who, in turn, is happy to be let into this quaint world.
