Enjoying Bolivia 161Pickpocketing Bolivian Style
A pickpocket once ripped a gold necklace from my wife’s neck. (She
had forgotten to remove it before leaving home.) She chased the
adolescent, caught him and forced him to return the necklace.
If this same incident had occurred in Bogota, Río de Janeiro, Los
Angeles or Washington, DC, the kid may well have whipped out a
shiny knife and slit her neck from ear to ear.The Huyustus specialises in clothing, bedspreads, pyjamas,
shoes, toys and musical instruments. Surrounding speciality
areas are nicknamed by their primary street: Calle Eloy
Salmón (furniture, bikes and electronic products); Calle
Graneros (black market specialising in shoes and clothing);
Miamicito or Little Miami (linen and women’s clothing);
Pasaje Ortega (kitchenware, plastics and shoes); Max Paredes
and Rodríguez (lowest priced groceries in La Paz).
After purchasing more than can be carried in a minibus
or micro, your vendor will help you fl ag down a taxi, or if
necessary, a truck.
I enjoy a trip to this neighbourhood mostly when I am not
buying anything. Otherwise, the visit can be harassing. Times
Square on New Year’s Eve is roomy and underpopulated
compared to the Huyustus. The term agoraphobia is reputed
to achieve its maximum defi nition in this north-east quadrant
of La Paz.
Market Shopping
In outdoor markets, expect to eventually get a 5–10 per cent
reduction in quoted prices. If you look like a gringo, there is a
50 per cent probability that you will be overcharged on the
initial price.My wife tells me to ‘go take a walk’ when she is negotiating
an important purchase but I have not found the overcharging
of gringos to be as prevalent as she insists.
Near the Huyustus is the cemetery. Like the Père-Lachaise
Cemetery in Paris, the La Paz cemetery is a campus for
lessons in the country’s military and social history.