Bolivia - The Rough Guide to South America on a Budget - page 164

crowding around the many comedians,
storytellers, magicians and sellers of
miracle cures who come to ply their
trade. It's also a focal point for political
protest, most of which is peaceful as well
as noisy and colourful, although larger
demonstrations can sometimes turn
violent, and protesting miners are wont
to ignite the odd stick of dynamite. Hang
on to your bag in this sector of the city,
as reports of pickpocketing are common.

sweets, protective talismans and dried
llama foetuses. The area offers plenty of
great photo opportunities, but remember
to ask permission or buy a memento.

Museo de la Coca
The small but excellent Museo de la
Coca (Calle Linares, a block south of
Sagárnaga; daily 10.30am-7pm; B$11;
W cocamuseum.com) is dedicated to the
small green leaf that is both the central
religious and cultural sacrament of the
Andes and the raw material for the
manufacture of cocaine. The museum
gives a good overview of the history,
chemistry, cultivation and uses of this
most controversial of plants.

2

Iglesia de San Francisco
On the south side of Plaza San Francisco
stands the Iglesia de San Francisco
(Mon-Sat 4-6pm; free), the most
beautiful colonial church in La Paz, first
constructed in 1549 and rebuilt in the
mid-seventeenth century. The richly
decorated facade is a classic example
of the Mestizo-Baroque style, showing
clear indigenous influence, with carved
anthropomorphic figures reminiscent
of pre-Columbian sculpture as well as
more common birds and intertwined
floral designs. Attached to the church
is the Centro Cultural-Museo San
Francisco (Mon-Sat 9am-6pm; B$20
which includes a guided tour;
W museosanfranciscobolivia.com),
a museum set in a beautiful renovated
Franciscan monastery, with a large
collection of seventeenth-century
Franciscan art and furniture.

Mercado Buenos Aires
A few blocks west of the Witches'
Market and Sagárnaga's other tourist
honeypots is Mercado Buenos Aires ,
also known as the Huyustus. This vast
open-air market sprawling over some
thirty city blocks is where La Paz's
Aymara conduct their daily business;
street after street is lined with stalls piled
high with sacks of sweet-smelling coca
leaf, mounds of brightly coloured
tropical fruit, enormous heaps of
potatoes and piles of silver-scaled fish;
there are also smuggled stereos and
televisions, and endless racks of the latest
imitation designer clothes. In the last
week of January, the area, as well as most
of the rest of the city, is taken over by
stalls selling all manner of miniature
items during the Feria de las Alasitas ,
which is centred on representations of
Ekeko, the diminutive mustachioed
household god of abundance.

Calle Sagárnaga and around
Heading west from Iglesia San Francisco,
Calle Sagárnaga , La Paz's main tourist
street, is crowded with hotels, tour
agencies, restaurants, handicraft shops
and stalls. It's also the gateway to the
main Aymara neighbourhoods of La Paz,
one of the most vibrant and distinctive
parts of the city, with steep, winding
lanes filled with lively markets. The
Mercado de Hechicería - or Witches'
Market - up Sagárnaga on Calle Linares
- offers a fascinating window onto the
world of Aymara mysticism and herbal
medicine. Its stalls are laden with a
colourful cornucopia of ritual and
medicinal items, ranging from herbal
cures for minor ailments like rheumatism
or stomach pain to incense, coloured

Museo Tambo Quirquincho
Just northwest of Plaza San Francisco,
Plaza Alonso de Mendoza is a pleasant
square named after La Paz's founder,
whose statue stands at its centre. On
the southern side of the square on
Calle Evaristo Valle, the Museo Tambo
Quirquincho (Tues-Fri 9.30am-12.30pm
& 2.30-7pm, Sat & Sun 9am-1pm;
B$5) is one of the most varied and
interesting in La Paz, its collection
focusing on the city's culture and history,