The Peace, Bolivia

Willie Nelson's on the sound system doing Janis Joplin's Bobby McGee, good stuff. I love it. And there's more. It must be a whole CD. Thanks, Willie. You're the greatest!

So, La Paz. Walking out of the hotel today, there was a market at the front doorstep. And it stretched through what seemed like miles of the city's hills. Cereals, only sweet ones, pharmacy items, strange potatoes, nuts, flowers, meets, fish, you name it. What fun to walk right into the thick of it. I scoped out a lot of the city today. Two cathedrals, San Francisco and another, not sure the name. In the second, I walked in just as a funeral ended. The family exiting through one door, the line of people to pay respects filed through the other. I also witnessed a funeral procession just outside of Copacabana. The women wore black bowler caps & shrouds. The man all black, too. At first I was confused, usually everyone is so brightly dressed. Then we climbed past the cemetery and I understood.

Past the main government plaza today, I seemed to be the only tourist on the streets. But then I caught some others taking photos of the guards outside of some official building. Once they finished with their shots, the guards exchanged a few words. I just couldn't bring myself to take a photo. Next to the witch market, honestly, I got a little bit scared that the woman of the house was going to put a curse on me. Ascending into her shop, there were dried whole ostriches--apparently for protection of the house--elixirs and powders of all sorts. Some to ward off the devil, others for love. Essential oils, herbal remedies for obesity. A topiarist's dream come true toward the back, foxes, mountain cats, condors, all not necessarily stuffed but dried out at least. She kept telling me, ¨Compra me...¨ and it made me a little nervous. I've never been much of a voodoo doll, spell-casting, wearing-a-vial-of-my-husband's-blood-around-my-neck type. Again näive, I've never really liked mixing with the dark side. Helping others out of it or wallow in it, depending on their preferences, but the dark side of things has never grabbed me nor I it. The woman was dressed in the traditional long bustling skirt with a checkered gown on the outside, 2 braids down her back. And she had gold teeth, but not complete covers. The centers were cut out in the shape of hearts. And she chewed gum. Again, a blend of tradition and modernization. I only had big bills early in the day, but just in case, went back later just to buy from her. I wasn't sure if I went back to buy from her to prevent her from casting a spell on me or because she'd already cast a spell on me and it worked. Whether under a spell, or just in typical Anne fashion, I shopped too much today. But I didn't buy a single pair of shoes, thank you.