Markets are often my favorite part of visiting a new place-- and not necessarily for buying anything. I just think it's a great way to see local life, what's being sold, etc. Here's a look at Cochabamba's markets.
Music was big-- aside from all of the pirated copies (which were everywhere), there were tons of handmade musical instruments.
The zampoña is the Andean pan pipe you now often hear at subway entrances ("El Condor Pasa," anyone?), which is really beautiful without the electronica background. And they're everywhere in Bolivia.
The early charango was made from armadillo shells. They wanted to copy the Spanish guitars and saw a resemblance of form. Now, they make both guitars and charangos out of wood.
The traditional dress is so vibrant, with colorful embroidery on bright fabrics. And the best part: people wear these beautiful pieces every day.
The cholitas of Bolivia always have cute hats (that vary depending on which region of the country they're from), long braids and full, usually ruffled skirts.
Even the bags and cloth used to carry things were always bright and colorful with designs woven into the fabric.
Considering how much stuff was being sold, the main market in Cochabamba was really nice, clean and orderly.
Bolivians are very proud of their potatoes. Depending on who you ask, they will tell you that they have either hundreds or thousands of varieties of potatoes.
And I'd never seen pasta sold like this, in giant sacks, in any other country:
I love these classic market images:
It was nice to see random tributes to places like Boston, too. It was an unexpected reminder of home.
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