Mayday, Sunday May 1 – a holiday in Sucre so there was going to be nothing going on. Sundays in Latin America are family days – stores are closed and families gather together to do whatever families used to do all over the world before Sunday shopping. All families, all towns, unless your town is a Sunday market town and yippee, then it is Sunday shopping extraordinaire! Tarabuca was a short….1.5 hour bus ride, from Sucre and was reputed to have a very cool, very indigenous, market. It did.

Here are some pictures – on these kinds of days I wish I had a better camera – a camera with a zoom – I decided on waterproof/shockproof instead of zoomable, so many of the pictures were just quick point and shoot – no focus because people in general, and really so here in South America, hate to have their pictures taken. For some indigenous groups they believe that each picture of themselves steals part of their souls, so it is serious. The plethora of remarkable hats alone begged for pictures. Then add so many amazing characters, different tribal groups, all shopping up a storm, visiting with each other and just like at any market – crowding around the pitchmen – the guys with the 'slice em / dice em' new products. It was fun to watch the crowds form around the newest rodent trap demo, a miracle cure all potion and a spray to kill all pesty crop insects…..so much for organic farming.

Folks walked and rode their donkeys from far and wide – we passed many walking along the abandoned railway tracks on their way to a big day out – to buy and to sell. The weavings from these areas are world renown and it is only when you see them being made can you truly appreciate the intricacies and workmanship. So cool to see most of the folks wearing their own art.  

As a whole, thus far in my travels, South America is the most traditional place I have been. When I saw pictures of South America before and people in their tribal wear, I thought they were in touristy places – dress up for photos kind of thing. Here in Bolivia, much of Peru and less so in Ecuador; tribal wear and fashion – especially hats, are worn with incredible pride.