La Paz is the highest capital city in the world. We can attest to that. We were winded just walking around. La Paz is basically a plateau in the midst of the Andes. Our first stop, naturally, was the Witch’s Market. There were all kinds of weird things for sale here, including llama fetus and mixtures presumably for making various witch stews.
Llama fetus at the Witches Market
Witch stuff presumably to put in a witches pot.
After a stroll through the markets we headed to La Paz’s main attraction: Cholita Wrestling!! Just a short background on cholitas for those of you like me, have never heard of them before. They are everywhere in Bolivia. They wear traditional clothes, usually are selling food or crafts in the markets. Kinda like an Andean version of the Amish. So Cholita wrestling is the equivalent of Amish lady wrestling.
The wrestling arena was at the top of one of the hills overlooking La Paz. We stopped for pictures of the breathtaking views.
The “arena” was basically an YMCA indoor sporting facility for basketball or soccer. The ring was in the middle of the arena, and plastic lawn chairs surrounded the ring (VIP section) and behind the lawn chairs were the bleachers. We picked lawn chairs right in the front and prepared for the carnage. The fights were full of dirty refs, headlocks, and high-flying cholitas. It was an entertaining match to say the least. Audience members participated by screaming, whistling, and throwing orange peels.
Here is a short video of a couple of cholitas wrestling.
Fast Tube by Casper
By the time the match was over, it was dark outside. We stopped again for pictures of the city at night. Our stop was timed perfect for a fireworks show in downtown La Paz.
Fireworks over La Paz at night
Overall we had a great time in La Paz. The international cuisine was great here, the people friendly, and it was a central point for many great excursions.