Before we went to La Paz we had been told about the Sunday market so we had allowed an extra day here to see this special event. We were extremely pleased that we did. I have since tried to find out more about this market (Is it on every Sunday throughout the year? Etc) but can find no information on the internet or elsewhere. Calling it a market does not really do it justice. It is a market, fun fair, entertainment venue and more, all held in the main street which is closed to all traffic. The activities are held in the section of El Prado from Plaza del Estudiante north.
The activities start early. We didn’t arrive until after 9 and everything was already underway. A market had been set up along one side of the street. This was selling the usual souvenirs but also a good range of local products, most of which were of little interest to visitors. A little further north the entertainment began. There were military bands, pop bands, some local dancers and much more on various stages set up by the municipality.
On the opposite side of the road there were activities for children and several outdoor eating areas. A giant King Kong towered over everything while children attempted to drive mini cars around a circuit and adults struggled with chess games. Several displays were set up in marquis including one with elaborate costumes used in various ceremonies. There was just so much going on that it was impossible to see everything. Crowds of locals made the situation even more interesting but harder to get around.
We took a quick look through the market, stopped to listen to the military bad (complete with actions), worked out a few moves for the chess players, watched the children’s painting area, looked at the costumes, sat down and listened to some music, had a sausage burger from a street stall, talked with a dance troupe that were about to perform, enjoyed some crowd watching and watched a children’s performance competition. Before we knew it the time was nearly 2pm.
We suddenly realised our feet were tired so we headed to a local cafe and enjoyed some food while we listened to the pianist. By the time we came back onto the street the activities had ceased and everyone was heading off. We wandered back to our hotel and had a couple of hours rest before we headed out for some night time activities. It had been a great day and one of the cheapest we had spent in South America.