The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-07-03
10 The Karksts Of L. Paz.

A vast deal Of the business OF La Paz Is
done III the markets. There is one square
In the center Of the city which Is flod
with stalls and In which ali week long
the buying and selling goes on On sun
days the streets outside Of this FOR many
blocks are taken up with market women,
and everything under the Bolivian sun IS
bought and sold 1t IL Sunday that is the
chief market day Of La Paz. Upon that
day the Indians come from miles around.
They buy little outside OF that which they
purchase liz the EnaFkats. and here We
shall see all the characters OF La Par,
ard Its lie, better than anywhere else.
We leave our hotel on the Plaza IN the
center Of the city and walk past the police
station, down the hill TO the point where
Market street crosses our way az right
angles The streets are filed with buyers
and sellers. and We pick our way In and
out OF three blocks of Bolivian humanity
before We take our stand In the center or
a living cross OF all the hues OF the rain
bow made by the market people and their
customers. In front and behind US. on our
right and on our left. the streets are filed
with these curious people moving 10 and
fro in waving lines OF Kaleidoscope colors
such as you will see nowhere else in the
world. We talk of the oriental hues OK
Cairo and Calcutta La Paz has dozen
different colors to Cairo's one, and the
IossulIss Oi taFculIa WOULD seem tame IL
mixed with these about Us. Reds. yellows,
blues and greens are ever mixing one with
the other, making new combinations every
second. The most delicate tints of the
Andean sunsets seem to have been robbed
TO furnish the dresses for the Cholito girls.
There are hundreds of them clad in
shawls Of rose red and skirts OF sky blue.
There are hundreds who wear skirts of
sea green. and not a few with skirts as
red as the sun at It's setting. Their skirts
are propped out with hoops. and they
reach only 10 the full curve OF the calf.
Some CO the CholitoS wear shoes OF bright
yellow kid with Partisan heels under the
insteps, and with high tops when end, in
some cases, in rose-colored stockings, but
more often the bare skin of g. rose-colored
leg. There are scores Of Indian woman
in stin brighter dresses carrying bundles
on their backs IN striped blankets Of red.
blue, yellow and green. and there are In
dian men and boys wearing ponchos Of
the same gorgeous hues. There are ladies
in black, with black crepe shawls wound
tightly about their olive-skinned faces,
with fur prayer mats and prayer books
In their hands. They have stopped at the
markets on their way home from church.
and some are accompanied by the men OK
their families. dressed in high black hats.
black clothes and black gloves. How
quiet II is, There Is the hum OF converse
ton, the chatter of gossip. and now and
then the !angle OF bargaining: but the
crowd moves IN and out wthou; friction,
and though there are hundreds about, you
hear scarcely a football. Take a look
downward Most of the feee about you
are bare, and large number OF the In
dans wear leather sandals. which make
hardly n sound as their owners pass over
the streets.