Welcome to the Witches’ Market

This week’s post from the Gamel family’s yearlong journey around the world, written by Noemi Gamel, with photography by Chris Gamel:

Dried llama fetuses
Dried llama fetuses

We spent two nights in La Paz, Boliva to break up the traveling between Copacabana/Isla del Sol and Salar de Uyuni. We meant to use those days to catch up on work and rest. On arriving, we learned that our hotel was just one block away from the Mercado de Brujas, or Witches’ Market. So shortly after breakfast, we took the opportunity to visit this offbeat and wickedly delightful shopping area.

The Mercado de Brujas is not a typical market. It is a single street lined with shops dedicated to meeting your supernatural needs as well as materials to participate in the worship of the traditional Inca gods. You will find mummified llamas to burn as an offering to Pachamama (Mother Earth) and stone toad effigies to pray for good fortune. You will find all sorts of oils to alleviate any ailment imaginable or to enhance, ahem, your performance in the bedroom.

As I was walking down the Mercado de Brujas with Chris and the kids, a woman presented a dried llama fetus to me…twice! The llama fetus is supposed to bring you fertility, an important feature in a culture where the more children a person has, the more their blessings from the old gods (Pachamama and company) and the new (Catholicism). Apparently, she thought two children were not enough to bring me a blessed life. I declined to purchase this souvenir, as I did not know how customs agents would react to a llama fetus in my backpack, and I did not want to contribute to the llama fetus market.

For those who are faint of heart, you can also purchase scarfs, handbags, and clothes at the Mercado de Brujas that have nothing to do with the supernatural. If you are ever in La Paz, make sure to visit this place!

What is the strangest souvenir you have purchased or encountered on your travels?

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