Alasitas, athough celebrated in many places in Bolivia it is certainly best witnessed in La Paz. It is the first major festival of the year in Bolivia (there always seems to be some festival or other) and is probably the quain

test of them all. It is a festival/fair in celebration of Ekeko the god of abundance who is often represented as a Super Mario look alike that seems like he has just looted Walmart. Makeshift stalls selling miniturised versions of just about anything you can imagine spring up all over the city on January 24th and from around midday the buying begins. The festival continues for a few weeks until around Feb 15th. People purchase tiny replicas of things they wish to attain during the coming year and, depending upon their beliefs, may take them to a Aymara yatiri (holy man) to be blessed or my just pray for their wishes to come true, or often both.There are many yatiris around and although some are genuine it seems that many charlatans try their hands at the rituals during this time as at 10 bolivianos a time there is money to be made.

Alasitas has its roots in the ancient civilisation of Tiwanaku and was also celebrated during Inca times to asure the abundance of crops. During this period it was celebrated on the spring equinox (Sept 21) but this was changed by the Spanish rulers. Aswell as a change of date the focus of the festival changed to not only include crops but also worldly goods such as houses and clothes. Nowadays this has evolved to include everything people wish for in society such as TVs, cars, holidays, passports,kitchens and probably most common of all - money.The stalls are stacked with tiny bundles of replica Bolivianos, Euros and US Dollars which people buy in the hope they will be rewarded finanically in the year.Tiny credit cards, plane tickets, lottery cards, mobile phones, DVD players, tools, food items, brides, beds, tables, horses, Llamas, University degree certificates and computers are just a small sample of what is available. Whilst many people take it seriously there are also many items produced purely for fun such as the miniture versions of the Bolivian newspapers that contain humourous articles.

Whilst some of the replica money for sale is tiny and could in no way be mistaken for real money by anyone not on serious drugs there is plenty of life size replica money available.Big bundles of fake 100 us$ bills are easily purchased and whilst most people would spot them as a fake there was an incident of a Bolivian lady visiting her family in the US who took some bundles of these note as presents shortly after Alasitas and was arrested in the airport by customs! So beware if you plan on buying them as a souvenir.

Alasitas is also a good excuse for a family day out. After the first day when most of the activity is during lunch time (and some say this is the only time to buy your mini items) the Alasitas fair is concentrated in one area of the City near currently situated next to Teatro Libre a few blocks from Plaza Estudientes. The time to visit the Alasitas fair after the first day is in the evening when hoards of couples and familys wandering from stall to stall, buying

offerings for Ekeko, playing simple fair ground games and always stopping for a snack in one of the many small cafes. The usual street food is availble such as fried chicken, hambugers and hotdogs but tradition dicates that you should at least once try ‘pasteles de queso’ and ‘api’. Api is a de

licious drink made from a kind of red corn and that has more of a berry like taste. It is thick and always served piping hot. Anyone who has tried ‘chicha morada’ will know the taste. The usual snack served with api is ‘pasteles de queso’ which translates as ‘cheese cakes’ which is a bit misleading as they arent really cakes but are deep fried pastry pockets lined with a thin layer of cheese on the inside. They vary in quality from stall to stall but can be very good if you find the right place. Locals often eat these dusted with icing sugar but I prefer them without. Similar to Api but made from a yellow corn is ‘tojori’, also served super hot and is a thick and filling drink.

Overall Alasitas is an enjoyable experience for both tourist and local residents. For the most part it is a family atmosphere, friendly and safe to walk around (always watch for pickpockets as you would in any crowded areas of course) and a good chance to experience Bolivian culture in La Paz - a hectic mix of aymara, catholicism and the ancient combined with the modern.