Daniel Hinojosa reports for Pagina Siete:
A walking tour of La Paz
A tour of the most traditional areas areas in La Paz, enchants tourists.
During a pedestrian walk in the historic center of the city of La Paz, Nico Thurow, a German and fan travel volunteer, has tasted the most delicious fruits tested in his life, noted ancient rituals that impacted and walked streets that dipped in the last century. An unforgettable experience that lived during the tour live and breathe Wonderful La Paz, soon to be coordinated with the Chukuta Bus [tour bus, chukuta is another nickname for people born and living in La Paz, name of Aymara origin for paceño].
The initiative calls for local and foreign tourists interested in learning sites and characters of the city. The tour begins at the San Pedro Rodriguez crosses the market, still in the streets of Sagarnaga and Linares, continues to the San Francisco plaza [square], through the launch market and ends in the Plaza Murillo [where the Presidential and Congress buildings are located]. During the tour, we must sharpen the senses, as they will be busy, discovering tangible and intangible attractions of the city.
“It’s a sign of the possibility of working together with partnerships between public (Municipal Agency for Tourism Development La Paz Wonderful) and private (Agencies Inbound-Abatur). We want back what is La Paz in its feel and culture living, and beyond that tourism is the historic facade,” said the director of the city agency, Patricia Grossman, in the inauguration of the tour.
Caserito! [casero is the name of someone who always buys from you, your devoted client, caserito is the affectionate diminutive name], young churro! [young good-looking] They were the tools of persuasion used to offer homemade bread to lure tourists, as they offered no resistance and freshly baked bread was tasted. “I’m taking a lot before I go,” said a tourist, as he headed to the market Rodríguez, where they met the varieties in products offered and the aparapita [local name for the person who carries the load on the produce on his back, for the sellers as well as the buyers], plus enjoy a variety of seasonal fruits.
Surrounded by tourists, the Abatur tour guide Efrain Lima, explained that there are two oral traditions about the creation of the Rodriguez market, the first talks about the Rodriguez family, dedicated to trade in goods, and the second is that there was a small street bearing the name of the supply center. “This is inevitable the aparapita presence, the man who carries the products, a character in the city,” he added.
“Knowing this city is a show, I liked the market because I love fruit, they are all my favorite, I tried the richest in my life,” said Thurow. But the dishes did not end there, as the tour of this market Traditional would be incomplete if one does not enjoy a plate of trout, tarpon, ispi or mackerel, served with potato, dried potatos like chuño or tunta, or rice or also by itself, according to the tour guide.
As the group descended toward the Witches Market where myth and legend survive in place a band and table offering to Pachamama waited for the tourists. Sullus impacted the tourists, who never stopped observing and questioning their presence.
“Walking these streets and meet these things of culture is something shocking, really Bolivian culture will never be lost,” said German tourist.
In charge of preparing the table offering to Pachamama was Ivette Felipe, who performs this job by inheritance from their grandparents. She said that a white table is prepared for health and good fortune to tourists and other visitors. “We have prepared this offering to the Pachamama to know it and they take a piece of Bolivian culture, they like it,” she added.
After Andean ritual, the traders at the place, offered Bolivian sandwiches prepared with ingredients like quinoa and llama meat. Yungueñitos [local cocktail with sanguine , grape liquor] a round of coca and candy are also offered. That way, tourists in La Paz knew the culture and gastronomy.
During the tasting, Venezuelan tourist Dafne Arbietro said Bolivia is one of the few countries with an “impressive” cultural diversity and that is able to keep it.
That way they carried out the first live tour and breathe Wonderful La Paz, which concluded with the first Tourism Fair Wonderful La Paz in the main square of San Francisco. “With this activity we want to rescue the cultural value of the city and offer a different tour, with sensitivity and interaction of tourists with the places and people of the city,” says the vice president of Receptive Tourism Agencies-Abatur, Maria Elena Siñani.
Finally, the president of Abatur, Isabel Acarapi, explained that these tours will be held every day at 10:30 from the main square of San Pedro and like this Friday, the guides will explain the characteristics and history of La Paz .
“It’s two hours of travel and this will make the entire production chain in motion. Abatur created this circuit so we can all work, both home markets, artisans, travel agencies and tour guides. The tour ends in the Plaza Murillo and then make an extension to the museum or the Valley of the Moon,” Acarapi said about the pedestrian promenade Live and breathe Wonderful La Paz.
About Live and breathe Wonderful La Paz
FREQUENCY. The tourist experience often takes place every day at 10:00 from the main square of San Pedro.
COST. The tour cost includes tasting fruits and drinks and a guide that explains each tourist spot of the city. It costs 42 bolivianos.
IN THE FUTURE. Agencias de Turismo Receptivo-Abatur will organize a gala dinner, a workshop and coordinate the activity with the Chukuta buses. Which, they try to integrate.
Bolivian Thoughts over our wonders 