I’m feeling great! The “Cochabamba Crud” (sinus problems that always set in around week 2) has nearly passed and my tummy is full of pizza this evening. One of our boys had a check up scheduled this evening and Sandra invited me to go along with them because there was a cheap pizza place nearby. A lot of rice is eaten around here, and I can only take so much. On top of that, Bolivian culture states that it is incredibly rude to not finish the entire plate you are served. So I’m cooking for myself pretty often, and my meals tend to be very simple as cooking here takes so much more time. Well, the doctor actually called and canceled the appointment before we left, but the idea of pizza was so wonderful that we headed as far as Quillacollo to find some! I’m just so glad we did!!
Friday is market day in Quillacollo and the streets were packed. There was a long row of booths all selling the same thing and Sandra took me to one to explain them. The first Friday of every month (today) these favors are sold for the believers of Pacha Mama (basically the worship of Mother Earth and animal spirits). They are small squares made of pressed sugar with various designs on them. The people buy a bunch and the seller places them on a newspaper, throws a handful of confetti over them, and then wraps it all up in the newspaper for the buyer. The sugar squares were by far the most popular, but many other items were available at the same booths for use in the worship of Pacha Mama including various herbs and dried llama fetuses.
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