El Mercado (The Market)

The other day my friend Kirsten from Canada took me to the market. It was such a wonderful experience. The market is not only a place to buy beautiful fruits and vegetables, but a place to buy clothes, books, school supplies, art supplies herbs, movies, jewelry, perfume, shoes and anything else you would ever need. The entire market takes up an entire city block, complete with a butcher shop, dentist office, and restaurants, not to mention a second level devoted solely to seamstresses. Merely walking the isles of this grand market, I felt the sheer magnitude of the poverty of this country. Yes, some veders were selling sparkly 6 inch heels and designer mini dresses, but the whole place was filled with whole families living on the street, women making a living selling rotten used shoes, and the smell was horrid. The minute I got home I needed a shower from just being in the market. But overall it was such an incredible experience. Truly a great example of Bolivian culture.